New study suggests that dementia and other cognitive decline can be reversed

A recent published study found that people experiencing mild cognitive decline can improve their condition with simple lifestyle improvements.

Here are the lifestyle improvements that were evaluated in the study and found beneficial:

• Dietary
• Supplements
• Exercise
• Stress management
• Social support

There is a lot that I could discuss about this. I won’t go into how the participants were evaluated, but I do want to give specifics about those five lifestyle factors. Here is exactly what the participants were asked to do:

Dietary
Low-fat, balanced vegan diet (14%–18% of calories from fat, 16%–18% from protein, and 63%–68% from carbohydrates) based on the consumption of whole foods (fruits, vegetables, legumes, soy, whole grains, and nuts and seeds).

Supplements
Daily supplementation with a multivitamin/mineral, fish oil, curcumin, vitamin C, vitamin B12, magnesium, CoQ10, lion’s mane, and probiotics.

Exercise
Daily walking (at least 30 minutes) and strength training performed at least 3 times per week.

Stress management
Daily meditation, yoga, and breathing exercises performed for a total of 1 hour.

Social support
One-hour group meetings held 3 times per week under the supervision of a licensed mental health professional, with the goal of increasing emotional support and improving communication skills.

Observations about this study

The problem with this kind of study is that there are too many factors being evaluated to isolate exactly what made the improvement. Was it the supplements? The exercise? A combination of several things?

On the other hand, this study does pass the smell test. Based on numerous other studies, we know that all of these factors improve health, including mental health.

If you are concerned about your mental health/acuity, you could do the health regimen exactly as described in the study, but that is not necessary. That particular health regimen is not in itself some kind of magic bullet. What you should do instead is simply resolve to improve your lifestyle in these areas: eat better, exercise more, take supplements, manage your stress, and look for more ways to stay socially connected.

None of us are perfect. We all are going to fail some of the time in implementing these five lifestyle improvements into our lives. Do it anyway. Your health depends on it–not just mental acuity but pretty much every other area of your health.