Assisted Living Facilities Los Angeles Have Discovered With Dementia Bigger Is Better

Assisted Living Facilities Los Angeles Have Discovered With Dementia Bigger Is Better

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Just like the glaciers, our brains are shrinking too. The aging process typically shrinks the human brain and often heralds the onset of dementia. What causes it? Research has shown that people whose hearts pumped more blood had less brain shrinkage as they aged. It makes sense that increased blood flow to the brain helps keep it healthy by providing nutrients and removing toxic waste products. It is also not a secret that exercise and physical activity have a multitude of health benefits, therefore, increasing your heart rate and getting more blood to the brain through activity makes sense.

Seniors today, particularly those in the lower age brackets, have discovered plenty of novel ways to exercise such as kickboxing, climbing, utilizing hydraulic rowing machines and more. However, older seniors may be slightly more limited. Walking is one of the easiest and simplest of activities for burning calories and tuning up the cardiovascular system. It is also the most popular form of exercise for the elderly living in Assisted Living Facilities Los Angeles as well as other major cities. Assisted Living Facilities as well as Board And Care Facilities encourage seniors to stay active with exercise programs or walks around the premises. Even though deterioration of the brain tissue comes with the aging process, few long term studies have been carried out test that theory.

A study from the University of Pittsburgh found that walking about 6 miles a week seems to protect against brain shrinkage, which in turn may slow the progress of cognitive decline. Armed with pedometers, 299 healthy, dementia free men and women with an average age of 78 stepped out their front doors and started keeping track of the miles they covered. After nine long years, the researchers measured the brain size of the participants using high resolution brain scans. It turned out that those who walked more at the beginning of the study possessed more gray matter.

Taking into account variables such as age, sex, body mass index and education, those who logged approximately six to nine miles a week fared best. Walking beyond that number did not appear to provide extra benefits. In another four years, testing showed that nearly 40 percent of the group had developed dementia or cognitive impairment, that is, problems with memory, language or concentration. After comparing the brain scans with walking patterns and cognitive function, the researchers found that the people who walked the most, retained the most gray matter and cut their risk of developing memory and thinking problems in half.

Neurologist, Daniel Kaufer, M.D., of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, added that this study shows the long term benefits is evidence that physical activity is one of the best ways to lower the risk of dementia. Because our brains are the most complex organ in the human body, keeping it functioning properly is also not a simplistic endeavor. Getting enough exercise, proper nutrition and mental stimulation (a form of brain exercise) and socialization have been identified as positive ways to maintain brain health and possibly offset the risk and progression of Alzheimers and other dementias. Dementia Care Facilities Los Angeles are designed to assist elderly patients who suffer from Alzheimers disease and other forms of dementia. They help families cope with their loved ones conditions and allow the patient to lead as fulfilling a life as possible.

Brain trivia: Around 40 BC, the ancient Greeks and Egyptians understood that the brain was the command and control organ. Hippocrates recognized that the brain played a part in sensation and intelligence. A few decades later in 387 BC, Plato taught in Athens that the brain is where mental processes take place. An opposing theory was introduced in 335 BC, when Aristotle declared that the heart, not the brain, was where the action is. In fact, this ancient belief became so popular that it spawned the saying to memorize by heart.

About the Author:
800Seniors.com is a leading referral system in the Elderly Healthcare industry. We are located on 5400 Atlantis Court, Moorpark, California 93021. 800Seniors.com provides the perfect match between seniors searching for health care provisions such as Home Care, Home Health, Skilled Nursing, Hospice Care, Medical Supplies, as well as a variety of Assisted Living Los Angeles and Care Homes nationwide.



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