A medical expert has given his six tips for changing your lifestyle to try to prevent yourself from getting dementia. Dr William Li, an expert in cardiovascular and metabolic health was appearing on the Zoe podcast and explained that there are things people can do - most of them simple - to give themselves a better chance of avoiding getting the condition. In the UK there are currently estimated to be 982,000 people living with dementia and this is projected to rise to 1.
4 million in 2040, according to the Alzheimer’s Society. Dr Li said people need to exercise, get good quality sleep, stop smoking, don’t drink too much change your diet and look after ‘gut health’. On the issue of keeping fit he said: “These are all the things that can actually protect us let’s talk about exercise.
Stay in a physically active, even 30 minutes of walking a day is useful.” He added: “Get good sleep. You don’t want those toxins to build up.
So what do you need to do to get good quality sleep besides being comfortable, don’t eat too close to bedtime. Don’t drink too much alcohol, don’t drink coffee at the very end of the evening. Good sleep is required for the lymphatic system to drain, to so drain the toxins out of your brain.
” The circulation expert said smoking and drinking were key areas - at any age: “It’s never too late to stop smoking. If you’re smoking, it’s never too late to stop drinking heavily, which can affect your blood vessels and your circulation .