September is World Alzheimer’s Month as declared by Alzheimer’s Disease International. Although some diseases can cause dementia, Alzheimer’s disease accounts for over 80% of dementia cases. There is no cure for Alzheimer’s, but there are ways to delay its onset, slow its progress or treat the debilitating symptoms that have already occurred.

There is a Stigma Around Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s Disease often brings up ideas of elderly people becoming forgetful and disoriented. But as the disease progresses, it becomes more and more severe and is eventually fatal. Often, people have difficulty imagining themselves as a population at a higher risk of cognitive decline or accepting the severity of future decline for themselves or a family member. Keeping a healthy way of living is the most practical way of preventing dementia. But none of us are equal in terms of health and risks. If you have been “diagnosed”, getting early treatment is the best way to postpone the most harmful effects of the disease. By delaying diagnosis, people are losing months or years of quality life and reducing the ability to plan for the future. Those who are close to Alzheimer’s patients have a tendency to distance themselves. It can be difficult to see a friend or relative begin to lose their memory in severe ways. Forgetting what day or month it is can be joked about, but a parent forgetting that you are their child is devastating. The Alzheimer’s patient needs human contact and many sufferers of Alzheimer’s disease experience loneliness because it becomes too hard for friends and family to be around a person they barely recognize and cannot converse with.

Crunching Numbers

Over 55 million people worldwide are currently living with dementia, 80% of which is caused by Alzheimer’s disease, and by 2050 that number is expected to rise to 139 million. Staggeringly, two people are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s every 3 seconds worldwide. Although people under 65 can get Alzheimer’s disease, it is rare and only affects 5-6% of Alzheimer’s patients. Over the age of 65, this risk of diagnosis doubles every 5 years. In the United States, Alzheimer’s is one of the top 10 causes of death, and worldwide Alzheimer’s treatments cost over $1.3 trillion US. Over 80% of people are concerned that they may develop dementia or Alzheimer’s at some point in their life, yet not many people know what to do to help prevent it. Promoting brain health through things like exercise, nutrition, and supplements like Boswellia extracts can slow the progress of the disease.

Boswellia Supplements and Preventing Alzheimer’s

Some studies have shown a high correlation between inflammation in the brain, the chance of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and the speed at which it progresses. During a recent study, we tested a standardized extract of Boswellia serrata in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study on 85 mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease patients. The results revealed a reduction of inflammation and improvement of memory after 6 months of treatment.

There are many ways to reduce inflammation in the body and Memowell Boswellia extract supplements have been shown to have an anti-inflammatory effect.

Memory gaps and true cognitive decline can be hard to differentiate. But you can take preventive actions now and every day. Stay active socially and physically, sleep well, eat healthily and complement your diet with supplements. These little things can make a world of difference in preventing memory issues and in alleviating some cognitive struggles.

Don’t wait until it is too late, small habits can help you stay healthy longer.