Five more ways to keep the Big A at bay

Last week, Healthspan reported the benefits of a good night's sleep after a nice fish meal when it comes to waging our favorite health battle: keeping Alzheimer's at bay.

Three other suggestions reported last week were exercising both your body and mind as well as judiciously using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers like ibuprofen.

I've got five more evidence-based suggestions for you this week. Time is passing fast, so let's get to it.

1. Bottoms up

In yet another blow to temperance, having a beer or a glass of wine daily will make your cognitive skills sharper longer. As reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, a large-scale study found that drinking women over 70 had a 20 percent less of a decline in their thinking abilities than abstainers.

By the way, teetotalers need not despair. Juice drinkers are shown to derive similar Alzheimer's-prevention benefits.

2. What is good for the heart is good for the brain

Getting on the heart-healthy program is one of the best things you can do to prevent Alzheimer's. Controlling blood pressure, whether you do it by diet and exercise or by medication, can decrease your risk for dementia and mental deterioration. Raising HDL scores (the "healthy" cholesterol), according to Harvard researchers, is one of the best way to promote good mental performance.

3. Feed your head.

The mind does not live on hope alone. It needs nourishment to stay fit and the best cognitive-enhancing nutrients come from the following:

Blueberries, a winner in the anti-oxidant derby, reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, and when this happens, risk of Alzheimer's and related dementias are decreased.

Green leafy veggies are flush with folate, a B vitamin that is a warrior when it comes to combatting strokes and Alzheimer's.

Cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli and cauliflower, can knock off at least two years of memory deterioration according to that Nurses' Health Study. Healthy fats (monounsaturated) -- found in nuts, olive and canola oils, and salmon -- will actually lower inflammation and cholesterol ... and protect the brain.

4. Drink more green tea

The verdant herb is well-known for its great health benefits, but this one is hot off the presses. As reported in the September Journal of Neurosciences, the Alzheimer's-prone mice were dosed daily with EGCG -- the beneficial ingredient in green tea -- and after several months showed a 54 percent reduction in the formation of those brain clogging plaques that cause Alzheimer's.

5. Get spicy

Tumeric, the spice that is the chief ingredient in curries, was introduced to me by a reader who responded to last week's column.

The spice is solidly supported by research, again from those busy researchers at UCLA Neurology. It turns out that the active ingredient in the spice -- curcumin -- reduces inflammation in the brain which in turn can reduce the risk for Alzheimer's.

Here is another tip provided from my ever-helpful readers. Air pop up some popcorn, spray it with some healthy olive oil and then perk it up with some tumeric instead of the usual unhealthy salt. Pour a nice glass of pinot noir, open a good book and enjoy an Alzheimer's prevention evening.

Dr. Michael O.L. Seabaugh is a Cape Girardeau native who is a licensed clinical psychologist in Santa Barbara and Santa Monica, Calif. Contact him at mseabaugh@semissourian.com.