For decades, several specialists have been trying to find a cure for this common ailment.

Recently, specialists have gone a step further in this tough process. Just a few days ago the media picked up an excellent news, and is that a study recently conducted by a team from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver (Canada) has obtained interesting conclusions about the accumulation of beta amyloid protein and its relationship to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. These conclusions have been published in the scientific journal Molecular Psychiatry.

The accumulation of this protein, which can occur for various reasons, is toxic to brain neurons, causing their progressive destruction. In turn, this irreparable damage causes disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. The great novelty of this study is the demonstration that the beta-amyloid protein is not only produced in the brain itself, but also in other areas of the body.

To carry out this study, led by Weihong Song, the researchers performed the parabiosis technique, which consisted of surgically joining pairs of mice so that they shared the same circulatory system. Previously, one of them had been modified with a mutated human gene that generated high levels of beta-amyloid.

One year after the experiment, the animals that had not been genetically altered developed a pathology similar to Alzheimer’s, when in fact they had no reason to suffer from this process. Thus, it was demonstrated that substances that negatively affect the brain can originate in other areas and travel to the brain, seriously affecting it. The idea is to design drugs that eliminate them through the liver or kidneys before they reach the brain.

Methods to prevent Alzheimer’s disease

As mentioned above, unfortunately there is still no cure for this neurodegenerative disease and no really effective Alzheimer’s treatments. However, we can help prevent Alzheimer’s by using techniques such as the ones mentioned below:

1. Physical exercise. Moderate physical activity prevents the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. It is enough to walk 30 minutes a day, although we can also run frequently, skate, dance, do yoga, pilates or ride a bike, among other activities.

2. Balanced diet. A diet rich in nutrients and vitamins helps us to protect our body against this kind of diseases. In particular, foods such as carrots, strawberries, grapes, tomatoes, apples, legumes and fish are recommended. In addition, it is important to avoid smoking and moderate alcohol consumption.

3. Take care of your heart. Cardiovascular diseases are associated with the onset of dementia, so by preventing disorders such as cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes and obesity we also reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

4. Brain activity. Training the brain is essential to keep our memory and ability to concentrate in good condition. For this we can read, learn languages, write, do crosswords, sudokus, memory games, etc. Conversation and socializing with others is also key in this regard.

What do you think of these tips? Nothing is lost by putting them into practice, maybe at some point in our lives they can help us.