Five lifestyle changes that can reverse the devastating effects of Alzheimer’s

Alzheimer’s symptoms can be halted and even rolled back by following new five lifestyle changes, a new trial has suggested.

Dr Dean Ornish, founder and president of the nonprofit Preventive Medicine Research Institute and University of California, San Francisco, conducted a new research that reveals how five lifestyle changes may alter or reverse Alzheimer’s disease symptoms.

Dr Dean and his colleagues enrolled 51 Alzheimer patients in the 20-week trial, aged 73 who were early on in the disease with mild symptoms.

The study was published in the journal Alzheimer’s Research and Therapy. It focuses on new lifestyle plans like switching to plant-based diet, exercising regularly, meditating daily, and going to group therapy three times a week.

Cici Zerbe, a Californian in her mid-80s and one of the patients in the trial confirmed during an interview with CNN that it reversed her symptoms and is “feeling much better”.

She spoke in CNN’s documentary, ‘The Last Alzheimer’s Patient’, and said that her dementia diagnosis was a big concern for her as she didn’t want to end up like her own mother, in a nursing home and reliant on 24/7 care.

Cici expressed gratitude for the five lifestyle changes that enable her to maintain her independence and walk alone every morning.

While another patient, Simon Nicholls, 55, said that the participation in the 20-week trial, helped him halt the progress of the disease.

Dr Richard Isaacson, Cornell preventive neurologist monitored Simon’s symptoms and recovery, said that “the results we’ve seen with Simon and some other patients in our research are extremely exciting.”

During the trial, half of the 26 patients adhered to the new lifestyle plan, which included consuming plant-based meals, engaging in daily walks, completing strength training sessions three times a week, practising daily meditation, and participating in group therapy sessions with loved ones three times a week.

The patients were also given eight supplements daily including meals consisting of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, seeds, nuts and soy products.

A plant-based diet has been linked to lower risk of developing dementia, likely because vegetables and fruits have more nutrients, fiber and antioxidants than meat or wheat products, according to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

The participants were asked to walk for 30 mins daily and perform gentle strength training exercises with a nurse three times a week. Their exercise routine was followed up with a special Zoom meeting meditation and yoga session for an hour daily.

Chronic stress, as highlighted by researchers, serves as a catalyst for numerous health issues, notably dementia. They explain how stress-induced inflammation over time gradually deteriorates brain tissue, elevating the risk of dementia.

The lead researcher, Dr Ornish, told Time: “This is not the study to end all studies. But it shows for the first time that intensive lifestyle changes can improve cognition and function in patients who have Alzheimer’s.”

Diet and exercise have an impact on heart health, and blood circulation is thought to play a role in the development of dementia.

The patients’ adoption of the new routine not only promoted heart health but also enhanced blood flow to the brain, effectively reducing the symptoms of the disease.