Alzheimers Disease and Aging – New Hopes Emerging

Alzheimers disease and aging have one thing in common – both cause a person to forget things soon. In Alzheimers, the neurons in the brain die, which sets off a decay process, where the brain tissues shrink and the number of brain cells reduce drastically. This sort of decay in the brain makes a person not only weak in memory, but also impairs his learning skills, thereby retarding his normal growth and development.

Aging too sets off a natural decay in the brain. With aging, the brain cells gradually lose their power of regeneration and repair, the brain mass shrinks, the brain outer surface becomes thinner, the white matter decreases and the chemical neurotransmitters that play the important role of transmitting signals across the body reduce in quantity. That is why, an aged person finds it difficult to ‘use his brain’ quickly and effectively, forgets things easily, and responds rather late to external stimuli.

The difference between Alzheimers disease and aging is that while the former is caused due to a disease, the later is natural and inevitable.

The best way to delay onset of Alzheimers disease-like symptoms with aging is healthy dieting and regular exercising. A balanced mix of carbohydrates, proteins, low-fats, minerals, and vitamins in diet, avoiding sugar and fatty foods, and regular exercises can keep the brain young and vibrant. Some herbs such as alfalfa, ginseng and valerian also act as good natural brain tonic and nerve soother that reduce the pressure on the brain and keep it light and healthy.