This daily practice can prevent dementia
Every year there are millions of new cases of dementia. It is a condition that affects your memory, motor ability, communication and an independent life. However, it is part of the ageing of the human being. From the age of 70 and 80, the probability of developing Alzheimer's is huge.
Despite these terrifying statistics, there is a daily practice capable of ward off this disease. A study published in Scientifc Reports found that breathing exercises can protect you for many years from this disease without cure.
Alzheimer's disease affects the brain's ability to function properly. This is the most common cause of dementia. The disease leads to the death of brain cells and the shrinkage of brain tissue. Although there is no cure, there are drugs capable of delaying and attenuating the symptoms caused by this disease.
In the published study, participants had to do 20 minutes of deep breathing, twice a day over a month. It is known that studies have shown that breathing helps to decrease heart rate, reduce stress, stop depression, relieve anxiety, among other benefits. Breathing exercises resulted in a decrease in amyloid-beta peptides and tau protein in the bloodstream. Both of these compounds are linked to Alzheimer's disease.
Video games have a bad reputation, however a study by the University of Montreal found that older people (aged 55 to 75) who played regularly were able to increase gray matter, a tissue that helps in memory, in just 6 months. Those who didn't play every day lost the grey matter.
