Easy ways to slash dementia risk

We may joke about “senior moments,” but the truth is, we can’t help worrying when we forget why we opened the fridge. Indeed, a recent survey reveals that staying sharp as we age is our number-one priority! Thankfully, experts say you can stop—and even reverse—brain aging, cutting your risk of dementia by 88%. And it’s easy! Just… Bring up the laundry

We’re already getting, on average, 17 minutes of exercise daily; adding just another eight minutes of motion could cut your risk of dementia by 88%, plus help your brain function as if it’s 11 years younger, report researchers at Sweden’s University of Gothenburg. That’s because aerobic activity, even sweeping the porch or carrying up the laundry, keeps your heart strong and arteries relaxed, and that makes it easy for oxygen-rich blood to reach your hard-working brain!

Eat a sweet pear

Up to 80% of us could prevent dementia by replacing grains and simple sugars with fruit, vegetables and legumes, report Yale University scientists. David Perlmutter, M.D., author of

Grain Brain, explains this diet shift improves insulin sensitivity, which means that your brain cells end up using sugars much more efficiently and with less excess swelling and injury.

Set a new goal

Having a long-term goal you feel good about, like trying a new recipe every week, can cut your risk of dementia by 58%. Canadian researchers say regularly tackling meaningful projects heightens your production of a brain-nourishing hormone called nerve growth factor.

Try ginkgo

Five studies suggest taking up to 240 mg. of this herb daily can cut your risk of dementia by 42%, plus boost memory by 52% in one week. Explains neurologist Marco Canevelli, M.D., ginkgo increases blood flow to the brain. Try: Life Extension Ginkgo Biloba Certified Extract (Lef.com/ww). Note: Check with a doctor before supplementing.