Dementia is a condition characterized by the loss or decline of cognitive functions like reasoning, thinking, and remembering. The change that dementia brings is so dramatic that it affects behavioral abilities to the point that it can interfere with your daily activities and life in general.

Some dementia patients are unable to manage their emotions, causing their personalities to change. In a mild case, a patient may just become forgetful. As the syndrome progresses, however, the dementia patient may completely depend on others for the most basic routine activities of their daily lives.

The Symptoms

The early symptoms of dementia are subtle and may not even be instantly obvious. Among the most common symptoms of dementia that could manifest at an early time is difficulty concentrating.

dementia forgetfulness
dementia forgetfulness qimono - Pixabay

Memory issues, particularly in recalling events that happened recently. Increased confusion about simple instructions is also another early indicator of dementia. During the latter stages, the personality and behavior of a person suffering from dementia may change.

They may also become apathetic and in some cases, suffer from depression and will withdraw from the rest of the world. Finally, they may be incapable of performing common and routine tasks like going to the bathroom to urinate and eating by themselves.

The Cause

According to health professionals, one of the most common causes of dementia in older people is Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s, however, is not the only reason for the onset of dementia as there are other causes like vascular cognitive impairment, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, HIV, and traumatic brain injury. Depending on what caused a person’s dementia, a couple of its symptoms may be reversed.

Minimizing the Risk

Unfortunately, there is no cure yet for dementia. Research breakthroughs, however, ushered in a series of things that could help minimize the risk of developing dementia.

Making some good dietary choices is a good place to start to reduce the risk of having this degenerative condition. Health bodies say that what is good for the heart is also good for the brain. This has been strongly established by recent research, which identified a heart-healthy food item that has also been proven to preserve the health of the brain.

According to Temple University‘s Lewis Katz School of Medicine researchers, extra virgin olive oil has shown its brainpower boosting capabilities and its ability to delay the brain’s aging effects. The results of the study were revealed in the recent issue of the Aging Cell. Researchers have attributed the health benefits of the extra virgin olive oil or EVOO to its abundance of antioxidants.

These antioxidants are molecules that fight the damage caused by free radicals, which are unstable molecules that have been associated with a host of chronic complications. These include brain disease, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.

Findings of earlier studies showed that EVOO could help in restoring the memory of mice and also protected their brain from further harm caused by Alzheimer’s disease. The recent study, which was also done with mice, researchers found tauopathies, another type of dementia-related pathology, can benefit a lot from EVOO. Researchers say the new findings establishing EVOO’s ability to protect the brain against various forms of dementia allows them to learn more about supporting the brain’s health.

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