As we and those close to us age, we start to worry about different things. For some, the concern for dementia may be high. We wonder what can be done, and with rates of dementia rising rapidly, many are looking for answers. Some are aware that lowering the risk of dementia is dependent on a range of factors in an individual’s diet and lifestyle, but details within are often overlooked. One approach that may be worth spending time on involves breaking out that green thumb and working on your great green garden – your gut garden!
What’s in Your Garden?
You may have never given any thought to the garden within you, but our gut is filled with intestinal flora – bacteria and organisms that live within the intestines and aide in digestion of food and synthesis of vitamins among other things. The intestines hold between three and four pounds of necessary bacteria, which numbers in the trillions of bacteria.
Okay, so now we’re fully aware of the garden in our gut. But how do we make the logical jump from gut health to dementia risk and prevention? It turns out that researchers have discovered that these bacteria influence inflammation of the brain which is a direct mechanism in the cause of dementia. This can be much more common than you might think and is dangerous as the inflammation leads to cell degeneration and death and eventually atrophy of the brain, where it loses neurons and the connections between them, thereby weakening the brain. This then raises the risk for dementia. So, to lower your overall risk for dementia, we’ll have to learn to prevent this inflammation of the brain.
What Can You Do to Stop Dementia in its Tracks?
We can influence what bacteria make up our garden by making smart dietary choices in our daily life. These bacteria can travel to the brain using the vagus nerve which connects the brain and gut. This is known as the gut-brain axis, and essentially tells us that what you eat = your digestive health = your brain health. When your gut bacteria are not at their best, it opens the possibility of brain inflammation, aging your brain and increasing dementia risk. Not only can this affect risk for dementia, but also potentially links to depression, anxiety, memory, and cognition issues. It is unfortunately predictable that these all be increasing in frequency in the general population as the modern-day diet is championed by foods that do not always promote good bacteria but rather introduce inflammatory bacteria instead. The problem is so severe that individuals living now are seeing the mass extinction of previous species and varieties of good bacteria, all thanks to increased emphasis of processed foods, meat, and sugar paired with reduced plant fibers.
What’s the Best Game Plan?
Knowing all of this prepares you for your game plan: to boost the diversity and population of positive gut flora, invest in probiotic supplements, indulge in fermented foods, and consider a primarily plant-based diet. Turn your attention to a variety of vegetables and shy away from those that have been correlated to increased inflammation: sugars, processed carbohydrates, excessive salt and alcohol consumption and any foods that cause you an immune reaction, commonly dairy and gluten. Our main goal is to reduce brain inflammation, and you may find that not only have you reduced your risk of dementia, but you’ll likely see other areas of your life improve as well as you turn to more beneficial and healthy daily habits. So put that green thumb to use, tend to your garden and watch it (and you) grow!
