Cleaning, gardening and cooking appear to be activities that reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Here is the explanation of the researchers.
The study soon looked at over half a million Britons and found that the biggest activity protecting against Alzheimer ‘s is housework . The onset of this condition can be reduced by 35% if people do housework, regular walks or bike rides.
Another important factor is meeting friends and family , which is associated with reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s by 15%. The study analyzed mental activities and the use of electronic devices in individuals with and without a higher genetic risk of dementia.
Our study found that exercise, housework and social visits are linked to a reduced risk of various types of dementia.
Huan Song, author of the study from Sichuan University in Chengdu, China
The people examined are 501,376 people without dementia, with an average age of 56 years. They filled out questionnaires on physical activity, but also on household chores, work activities, walking and cycling. Then other modules on mental activities, education questions, family relationships, local or club attendance, use of electronic devices. It was also asked if they had relatives with dementia. Participants were followed for 11 years. In the end, 5,185 people developed dementia out of the total.
Individuals engaged in frequent exercise have a 35% lower risk of dementia. Those in housework 21% and those in daily visits of family and friends 15% less. This is why engaging in physical and mental activities often can decrease the risk of dementia . In practice, participants benefited from the protective effect of physical and mental activities, regardless of a hereditary family history of dementia.
- Alzheimer’s: cleaning the house would reduce the risk of dementia by 21%, according to a large study (greenme.it)