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Health experts have offered advice about dementia and how to prevent it(Image: Getty Images\/iStockphoto)<\/p>\nThere are certain steps you can take to help reduce your risk of developing dementia – here are a few suggestions from an expertHealth experts have offered advice about dementia and how to prevent it(Image: Getty Images\/iStockphoto)<\/p>\n
An Alzheimer\u2019s specialist says a five-minute daily task could help protect your brain from dementia<\/a>. It involves challenging your brain to do something unfamiliar.<\/p>\n Experts from the NHS<\/a> explain that dementia is a group of related symptoms associated with an ongoing decline of brain functioning. There are many different causes and many different types.<\/p>\n Dementia is not only about memory loss. It can also affect the way you speak, think, feel and behave. However, there are certain things you can do to reduce your risk of the disease. This comes as it was announced that services which are dementia “lifelines” for people living in rural County Durham<\/a> and Northumberland<\/a> will continue for three further years, as reported by ChronicleLive.<\/a><\/p>\n Dr Helen Moore, a dementia researcher with more than 20 years\u2019 experience in cognitive health, says one of the most effective ways to lower dementia risk is to spend five minutes a day learning something new. “It could be reading an article on a topic you\u2019ve never explored, trying a new word in a foreign language, or even solving a different type of puzzle,” she explained.<\/p>\n “The key is to challenge your brain with something unfamiliar. Just five minutes a day of this mental stretching can build cognitive reserve \u2014 the brain\u2019s resilience against decline.”<\/p>\n Why it works<\/p>\n Research shows that mentally stimulating activities help strengthen neural connections and may delay the onset of Alzheimer\u2019s symptoms. Learning something new, even in small bursts, forces the brain to adapt, creating new pathways that could help offset age-related changes.<\/p>\n “Think of it like exercise for your brain,” Dr Moore says. “You don\u2019t have to run a marathon \u2014 a short, consistent workout can still make a difference.”<\/p>\n