The Link between a Healthy Body and a Healthy Brain

One person every 70 seconds is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. Although doctors are seeing growing numbers of folks being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, they attribute the growing numbers to folks growing older. In fact age is the largest risk factor for dementia of any kind.

But contrary to popular belief, Alzheimer’s and dementia isn’t just genetic, it also has to do with how you live. The brain is tied intimately to how you take care of the rest of your body.

Use it or lose it. That’s the phrase to sum up how to keep up on your mental and physical health. Just like a muscle in the body, if your brain isn’t challenged or exerted, it gets weaker. That’s the word from Neurologist Dr. Linda Johnson with Quincy Medical Group.

Dr. Linda Johnson said, “It’s really important for people to use their brain power in reading, puzzles, games, things that challenge you. You’re keeping pathways open and keeping them in practice and you do better.”
Amy Voss with the Alzheimer’s Association said, “That’s because without mental challenges, nerve connections in the brain aren’t being made.”

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