Inflammation In The Brain - How Dementia Forms

Dementia is a horrible disease, slowly destroying your life, taking away the very essence of who you are.

Until quite recently, many doctors did not know what caused dementia or had any inclination of what some of the warning signs would be. As a result, there was no way to prepare or mitigate any deciding factor properly.

But, we're slowly starting to find certain triggers that can indicate a higher likelihood of developing dementia. And it's one many people face.

The Role of Inflammation in the Body & Brain

Normally, inflammation is a positive aspect of healing. It helps bring oxygen and blood to an injured area to speed healing and can help cushion damaged tendons and ligaments.

But, when inflammation goes on too long, it can cause other problems. Throughout the body, it can be the start of autoimmune issues and chronic joint pain.

In the brain, it can be much worse. This neuroinflammation is getting recognition as a primary sign for many mental disorders such as depression, psychosis, multiple sclerosis, and Alzheimer's.

If you haven't heard of this before, that's okay. Many of these studies just came out within the past year. And with everything else that's been going on, the groundbreaking research that this reveals has not gone as noticed as it should be.

In a few studies, researchers looked at the brains of people who have Alzheimer's and dementia. Researchers found that the more inflammation they found within the brain, the more harmful buildup of unnecessary, junk proteins linked explicitly to dementia and several other brain disorders.

On top of that, they autopsied several brains specifically donated for this type of research and looked for the specific type of damage. They found the issues very closely linked, with the highest amount of inflammation equaling the highest amount of junk proteins equaling the highest amount of dementia.

Many of these people had chronic inflammation throughout their entire bodies.

Additionally, the research shows the genes that put people at most at risk for Alzheimer's are also the ones that help regulate a person's immune function. Meaning a mistake in these particular genes triggers autoimmune issues, inflammation, and Alzheimer's.

How To Reduce Your Inflammation

Like many other health issues, managing inflammation is a crucial aspect of keeping yourself healthy. Fortunately, there are natural, holistic ways to manage your inflammation.

Working to diminish inflammation is a mix of taking care of your diet, getting the proper movement, proper hydration, and keeping your mind healthy. When you combine all of these, you can help mitigate many health problems.

Diet

Many foods trigger inflammation. But, you can get rid of most of them by simply eliminating processed foods. That'll take out one of the biggest inflammation triggers, gluten.

Other popular triggers are dairy, fish, and peanuts.

Replacing these foods in your diet can reduce your inflammation and make you healthier. Of course, fish is considered healthy, but only if it does not harm your health. And, specific types of fish may trigger you, while others don't. Read more about inflammation-fighting foods here.

Exercise

Regular, moderate exercise can significantly reduce your inflammation by making your body more resilient to injury. Plus, it can help increase the nitric oxide in your body, getting nutrients, oxygen, and blood to your extremities, promoting healing and reducing inflammation.

Proper Hydration

If you're not drinking enough water, it can cause your joints and tissues to dry out and rub uncomfortably against each other. That can cause more inflammation and injury. Drinking enough water can help benefit your body by reducing joint pain.

Mental Acuity

Continuing lifelong learning is a matter of keeping your body healthy and your mind active. Taking the time to improve your skills and learning new things can help you on the right track for keeping your brain healthy.

Fortunately, practicing new skills, especially physical skills, can help reduce inflammation in your body. It does this through physical motion and increases the endorphins and feel-good hormones in your body as you practice your new skill.

Keeping your body healthy means managing your inflammation levels and your overall health. By eating well, getting enough exercise, drinking more water, and practicing mental skills, you can keep your brain and body healthy as long as possible.