Brain Health

The aging population is continuing to grow in the United States and around the world. As we age, our risk of developing cognitive decline and dementia (including Alzheimer’s disease) increases dramatically. Research suggests that cognitive decline is linked to obesity and metabolic dysfunction, including type 2 diabetes. Considering the global epidemic of obesity and metabolic dysfunction, along with the growing aging population, improving brain health – particularly throughout the human lifetime – is increasingly important

• Approximately 11% of adults 45 years of age or older in the United States report experiencing worsening symptoms of memory loss in the past 12 months.
• Cases of dementia worldwide are currently estimated to affect 55 million people, and these numbers are expected to increase.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia.

• There is no cure for dementia, although some drugs or treatments slow cognitive decline.
• Although several theories exist, precise dementia causes and mechanisms remain uncertain.
• Clinical research suggests that certain diets, such as the Mediterranean, DASH, and MIND diets, lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease in later life.
• Studies show that exercise may help prevent or treat cognitive decline and dementia, and also induce neurogenesis (the birth of new nerve cells) in the brain.