Of course, this isn’t new news. We’ve read a few times about how “use it or lose it” also works for the brain, but a new study from New York has backed this up even further. The results were published in the most recent issue of the journal Neurology.

Researchers followed 488 people who were between 75 to 85 years and did not have any signs of dementia before the study began. The study subjects were to report regularly if they participated in any mind-stimulating activities, such as doing puzzles, playing games, reading, writing, and so on. Each activity was given a certain number of points based on how often it was done. The more often, the higher the score.

The researchers then compared when the subjects began showing signs of dementia – if they did – and plotted that against how many points they had accumulated doing the various mind-stimulating activities. What they found was that for every point that the participants racked up helped ward off, in general, memory loss by 0.18 years. So if a person participated in 11 activities per week, compared with someone who only did four, the first person could see a delay of 1.29 years before decline was noticed.

The researchers do point out, however, that this may also be affected by earlier life education and the person’s attitude and ability to participate in activities later on in life.

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Images courtesy PhotoXpress.com

Post from: Blisstree

Mind Games Do Help Seniors

The fact that she might not know them seemed to have no bearing upon the youngsters, who began visiting her at the nursing home when they were 2- and 6-years old.  They were 8 and 12 when she passed away. 

Image:sxc.hu

To the younger child, Mother’s ramblings were a language he said only he understood.  “Grandma talk to me,” he said, when I wondered what she was saying. 

When asked why she visited a great grandmother who didn’t know her, my granddaughter once replied, “Because it makes Grandma happy.”

Often we think we must shelter the young from illnesses like Alzheimer’s and other conditions of the elderly.  However, these are a fact of life and often seem easier for youngsters to accept than adults.

My mother has been gone for a number of years, yet her great grandchildren remember her with fondness and talk of our visits to the nursing home, highlighted by tea parties.

Post from: Blisstree

Children and the Elderly

On the island of Okinawa the people live a very long and healthy life. The history of the island shows that chronic diseases are practically non-existent. Their elderly do not suffer from dementia, heart attacks or strokes and cancer is almost unheard of.

Along with a much healthier diet the Japanese people drink green tea as their drink of choice, because of the powerful antioxidants it contains.

Drinking green tea puts the Japanese at a much lower risk of stroke, cancer and heart disease. Research shows, that drinking green tea lowers your cholesterol and blood pressure as well.

The Japanese also stop eating when they are about 80% full. They do not fill their plates until they are overflowing, and go back for more.

We as a country are killing our children and ourselves with food and we are the only ones that can stop it.

http://www.naturalnews.com/024715.html

Post from: Blisstree

Japanese And Heart Disease