10 Ways to Protect Yourself Against Future Dementia or Altzheimer’s Disease

Dementia is a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life. Memory loss is an example. Dementia is not a specific disease. It’s an overall term that describes a wide range of symptoms associated with a decline in memory or other thinking skills severe enough to reduce a person’s ability to perform everyday activities.

Alzheimer’s is the most common type of dementia and accounts for between 60-80 percent of the cases. After age 65, 1 in 8 people will develop Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of aging, although the greatest known risk factor is increasing age, and the majority of people with Alzheimer’s are 65 and older. But Alzheimer’s is not just a disease of old age. Up to 5 percent of people with the disease have early onset Alzheimer’s (also known as younger-onset), which often appears when someone is in their 40s or 50s.

In a recent segments of the Jaz McKay Radio show, Dr. Mensink discussed some things that you can do today to protect yourself against dementia or Altzheimer’s in the future. Dr. Mensink is a family practice doctor providing primary care and urgent care services to members of The Practice in Bakersfield, CA. Nothing is guaranteed, but they are easy and worthwhile things to try.

• Certain kinds of mushrooms can increase acetylcholine 10-40%
• Flavinoids and Camomille can also increase acetylcholine
• Avoid Nutrasweet and other artificial sweeteners
• Lithium can protect the brain (30mg/day)
• Treat all serotonin and dopamine deficiencies such as depression, and addictions
• Sleep well and Exercise a bit each day
• Lose weight, stop smoking and lower cholesterol
• Take Essential Fatty Acids such as fish oils
• Optimize Thyroid performance
• Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables
• Increase folic acid levels
• Increase Selenium - eat just ONE Brazil nut daily

Are you trying to find a family doctor in Bakersfield who is accepting new patients? Many primary care doctors offices have stopped taking new patients, and so have some pediatricians in Bakersfield. So if you have children who need to see a doctor and you do not just want to go to an urgent care center again and again, what can you do? Call us at The Practice, a family care office that is accepting new patients today. We can get you or your child in fast to see a doctor, and we can provide the same level of services as an urgent care center in Bakersfield. We also offer cash discounts for services.

Members of The Practice receive the highest quality medical care for a small monthly fee, including common lab tests and blood panels, hormone panels and treatment, nutrition counseling and classes, professional psychotherapy and counseling services, urgent care services, and more. Certain restrictions apply and there are different levels of membership, and some levels of membership receive services for a reduced fee rather than being included.