38 Home Remedies to Prevent Dementia

by Stephanie Mantle · Published November 6, 2018 · Updated December 12, 2020

Developing dementia can be difficult both for the sufferer and those around them. Unlike most diseases which either affect your physical or mental functionalities, dementia can affect both at the same time. Luckily, you can reduce your risk factor and prevent dementia with the use of home remedies.

Its most commonly recognized symptom is the progressive loss of memory function, but it can also affect speech and language and logical thought. As a result, sufferers often become incapable of completing even simple, everyday tasks.

A Progressive Disease

Dementia is what’s known as a progressive degenerative brain syndrome. It can affect your memory, behaviors, emotions, and thought processes. The early stages are most common in people between the ages of fifty and sixty.

Very early symptoms will often include trouble remembering names, places, and faces. Individuals developing the condition may also struggle to recall recent events or experience mild confusion. Over time, this progresses to more severe changes in personality, forgetfulness, and problems with speech, writing, and comprehension.

Because of the severe effect of the disease on brain function, physical tasks like eating, drinking, and dressing also become difficult.

While there currently is no cure for dementia, home remedies can help to prevent it and reduce its symptoms

Home Remedies to Prevent Dementia

As of yet, there is no cure for dementia, however, there are things that you can do to help lower your risk of developing the disease. In fact, around 35% of dementia cases could be delayed or prevented by using some of the following home remedies.

Blueberries

Recent studies have found that blueberries contain certain high levels of antioxidants. This means they are able to protect the brain from oxidative stress which could otherwise lead to memory loss. As a result, they could help to prevent much of the stress and damage to the brain that would increase the risk of developing dementia.

Celery

Celery contains a particular compound that helps benefit your brain health. It has been shown to significantly improve learning deficits and long-term spatial memory. This makes it great for preventing many of the early symptoms of dementia and could delay the disease altogether.

Manage Your Blood Sugar

Some scientists have taken to calling dementia “Type 3 diabetes.” Though this isn’t becoming a mainstream way of thinking of the disease, it does give an insight into how it can be prevented. Research now shows that dementia is strongly linked to insulin resistance. In fact, this resistance is now thought to be one of the main causes of memory loss, especially in people over the age of eighty.

Eating lots of sugar and refined carbohydrates are therefore linked to dementia and could even bring on dementia much earlier in life than would usually be expected. But cutting down on your sugar and refined carb intake can prevent, and even reverse the effects, of early dementia.

When we consume too much sugar and not enough fat, inflammation within the body is triggered and this can cause a number of issues in your body – especially for your brain. As a result, your cognitive functions will be impaired and can bring on many of the symptoms of dementia.

Other studies have also shown that people with diabetes have four times more risk of developing dementia. This is because they’re at more risk of suffering from mild cognitive impairment.

Aim to balance your blood sugar levels by eating plenty of whole foods and cutting out refined sugars and carbs. A more sensible option would be to choose foods like avocados, walnuts, eggs, and almonds. If you have high blood sugar, read the article 24 Home Remedies for High Blood Sugar. If you have low blood sugar, read the article 33 Home Remedies for Low Blood Sugar.

It is especially important to watch out for your blood sugar levels if you are diabetic

Healthy Fats

Healthy fats, like omega-3, are great for your overall brain health. Try to include more fatty fish, olive oil, avocados, eggs, nuts and seeds in your diet to increase your intake of healthy fats.

Exercise

Daily exercise, even if it’s just for thirty minutes, can really help to lower your risk of developing dementia in later life. Studies have shown that regular physical activity can act as a great home remedy to prevent dementia or slow down the progression of your existing symptoms.

Control Stress Levels.

Chronic stress is known to take a toll on your mental and physical health. It could also help to reduce your risk of developing dementia. Make sure you take time to relax, whether that’s through taking time to enjoy a leisure activity like reading or coloring or through a meditation session. Find what helps you calm down and take the time to do it on a regular basis.

Get Plenty of Sleep

Getting eight hours of sleep every night is another great way to reduce your risk of developing dementia. Studies suggest that living on little or poor sleep is a major risk factor for cognitive issues and the onset of dementia. Ideally, you should be getting at least eight hours of good quality sleep every night.

If you can’t get eight hours of sleep at night, take naps during the day

Opt for a Mediterranean Diet

Studies have shown that a Mediterranean diet could help to prevent dementia. This is because results have shown that a diet of this type reduced the level of shrinkage in the brain with age and this helps to lower the risk of dementia. A Mediterranean diet will usually consist of the following.

Fresh fruits and vegetables
Leafy greens
Olive oil
Herbs and spices like oregano and rosemary
Nuts and seeds
Whole grains
Fish
Pasture-raised poultry
Grass-fed meat
Plenty of fresh water

Choose Organic and Unprocessed Foods

Organic, unprocessed foods are foods that don’t have an ingredient list. This includes vegetables, clean meats, and fruit. You should consume each of these foods in moderation to maintain a healthy diet and healthy brain function.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A helps prevent damage by free radicals, thus lowering the effects of oxidative damage in the brain. Some foods that are high in vitamin A include spinach, gourds, melons, and carrots.

Vitamin C

Like vitamin A, vitamin C helps to prevent oxidative damage. This keeps your brain healthy and helps to prevent dementia. Most fruits are high in vitamin C.

Citrus fruits, like grapefruit, are especially high in vitamin C

Vitamin E

Foods which are high in vitamin E help combat the free-radical damage thanks to their antioxidant qualities. Good examples are brightly colored fruits and vegetables.

Wild-caught Fish

Wild-caught fish is usually naturally oily, making them a great source of healthy fat, omega-3. This helps to promote good brain function and decreases the risk of cognitive issues and diseases like dementia.

Zinc

Many dementia sufferers also suffer from a zinc deficiency. This is why a zinc-rich diet is often recommended as a way to prevent dementia. Foods like pumpkin seeds, grass-fed beef, and dark chocolate are all great sources of zinc and could be included in your diet (in moderation) to help prevent the development of dementia.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil has a number of amazing health benefits. One of these is its ability to prevent dementia. It provides the brain with an alternative fuel to glucose known as ketones, which can lead to a significant improvement in memory function. As a result, this can help delay dementia and tackle the symptom of memory loss.

Extra Virgin Coconut Oil ($14.97)

Cut Down on Alcohol

Alcohol is predominantly a toxin. As a result, excessive consumption can cause your brain cells to become damaged or could even kill them off at a much faster rate than normal. Studies have shown that the frontal lobes are often severely damaged by alcohol usage, which can lead to a number of memory issues. It’s also been linked to brain shrinkage and an altered glucose metabolism, all of which can lead to the development of dementia.

Vitamin D

Getting plenty of vitamin D is a great home remedy to prevent dementia. In fact, being deficient in vitamin D could increase your risk of dementia by 12%. You can get more vitamin D by being out in the sun more (although you should do this safely to avoid damaging your skin) or eating more foods like yogurt and drinking more milk. You could also try taking a daily vitamin D supplement.

Walking

Taking regular walks could also be another way of preventing dementia. This is because walking has been shown to improve brain function and thought processes. Try taking a walk around the block, three times a week as a starting point. You can always build up the regularity or length as you get more comfortable or if you have more time.

Good Oral Hygiene

Your mouth is the gateway to the rest of your body, so it makes sense to look after it properly. In fact, taking care of your teeth and gums can even help to protect your brain and prevent dementia. People who fail to brush and floss their teeth each day have been found to have 65% more chance of developing dementia than those who follow a good, regular oral hygiene routine. This is because gum disease can cause a lot of inflammation which can spread to the brain and cause a lot of damage that may be the start of dementia.

Turmeric

Turmeric has been shown to have a number of health benefits. One of these to inhibit the formation of plaque in the brain which would otherwise contribute to the development of dementia. Add a little extra turmeric to your meals to help prevent the build-up of this plaque and lower the risk of developing dementia in later life.

Turmeric root and powder

Creative Stimulation

Creative stimulation, such as learning a new skill or pursuing a new hobby, can help to create new neural pathways. This helps to strengthen your cognition, something which can be weakened by dementia. By carrying out tasks to strengthen this function of your brain, you lower the risk of dementia or slow down the symptoms if you’ve already been diagnosed.

Kale

Kale is a great home remedy to prevent dementia. It’s a rich source of folate which helps to promote good cognition. It does this by preventing the secretion of homocysteine which is linked to cognitive impairment.

Pumpkin

Pumpkins and similar squash species are rich sources of iron and folate. Both these minerals are crucial to retaining good brain function and cognition. By eating more foods like pumpkin, you can help to prevent dementia by strengthening your cognitive function.

Break the Routine

Getting stuck in a routine can be a dangerous habit as we age. It eliminates new experiences, conversations, and routes. Narrowing your life in this way can create a smaller scope of knowledge and communication so that the brain stops using the parts of itself which become unused. Keeping a variety in your routines helps maintain brain activity across the entirety of your brain, keeping it functioning and healthy.

Even taking a walk in a different part of town can help to break the routine– you don’t need to do something crazy for it to work

Spinach

Spinach is a great home remedy to prevent dementia as it contains high levels of folate which helps to keep the brain functioning normally. It also helps to reduce depression, which can often be a symptom of dementia.

Ginkgo

Gingko is one of the oldest and most trusted home remedies to prevent dementia. A number of studies have suggested that ginkgo can increase circulation within the brain and this helps to boost your short-term memory.

Fish Oil

Omega-3 fatty acids are classed as healthy fats or good cholesterol and fish oil is packed full of them. It helps to promote brain health by reducing the risk of developing brain lesions. This, in turn, helps to prevent the development of dementia.

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy can be a great way to lower your stress levels, which as we’ve already discussed, can lower your chances of developing dementia. It can also help to calm many of the mental symptoms of dementia such as depression and anxiety. Not only that, but it can also help to give your cognitive function and memory a little boost too.

Essential Oil Diffuser for Aromatherapy ($19.59)

Bananas

Bananas are well known as a rich source of potassium. They’re also great at boosting the flow of oxygenated blood to the brain. This helps to improve memory and cognition as well as aiding your concentration.

Cinnamon Extract

Cinnamon is another great home remedy to prevent dementia because it helps to reduce the buildup of plaque in the brain. As discussed previously, this plaque is one of the key causes of dementia as it blocks and inhibits certain pathways in the brain. By reducing this build up, cinnamon can help to increase memory and other brain functions. Simply add a little extra cinnamon to some of your meals to help increase your intake.

Almonds

Nuts, in general, are great home remedies to prevent dementia, but almonds are especially good. They’re a rich source of magnesium, folate, omega-3, and vitamin B – all of which are needed to maintain proper brain function and good brain health.

Sage

Sage is an herb that can be chewed, smoked or used to infuse teas. When used in the correct dose and with the proper method, it can make a great dementia prevention. It stimulates blood flow to the brain which helps to improve memory and cognitive function.

Sage leaves

Brahmi

Brahmi (also known as Bacopa Monnieri) is an herb which has been linked to improved cognitive function. Studies have shown that taking just 125 mg of the herb twice every day over a twelve-week period can significantly improve the memory of adults who are struggling with age-related forgetfulness.

Carrots

Carrots are a rich source of vitamin A which can really help to support your memory functionality. Eating plenty of carrots in your diet can help boost your vitamin A intake and support better nerve health and memory.

Citrus Fruits

Citrus fruits are all really high in vitamin C. This particular vitamin has amazing antioxidant properties which help protect the cells in your brain from oxidative damage from free radicals. This helps to keep the brain healthy and your cells functioning normally.

Soy Products

Some recent studies suggest that certain compounds called isoflavones can help to protect postmenopausal women from dementia. These compounds can most commonly be found in soy products. Try a little soy milk on your cereal in the morning to get your fill.

Tofu is made from soy

Nuts

Nuts, as we’ve already mentioned, are a great healthy snack and are excellent for maintaining your brain health. They contain plenty of healthy fats which is needed by your cells. They’re also packed full of antioxidants which protects your brain from oxidative damage.

Beans

Try to include beans in your regular part of your diet to help prevent dementia. They’re high in fiber and protein to keep your mind sharp and promote better cognitive function.