NHS Dr Amir Khan has shared the 'best' ways to protect your brain health and reduce the risk of developing dementia, and it has nothing to do with completing crosswords or keeping your mind busy.
Dr Amir Khan's Advice on Brain Health
An NHS doctor has revealed a scientifically proven way of reducing your risk of developing dementia, and it has nothing to do with crosswords or memory tests. Approximately 982,000 people in the UK are living with dementia, according to Dementia Statistics Hub. It is the leading cause of death nationwide, accounting for over 1-in-10 deaths. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of the condition, and experts project the number of UK cases will exceed 1.4 million by 2040.
While there is no guaranteed way to prevent dementia, there is evidence that there are some things you can do to reduce the risk. To help, one NHS doctor named Dr Amir Khan, who is known from appearing on Lorraine and Good Morning Britain, has shared what he claims is one of the best ways to reduce the risk of dementia. Taking to his social media, he went on to share his research-based advice with followers, saying: "What if I told you that one of the biggest predicators of brain health isn't how many crosswords you do? It's how strong your muscles are."
Sarcopenia and Cognitive Decline: What the Research Shows
He went on to explain that a large meta analysis that was published earlier this year looked at 31 different studies of older adults and found that those with sarcopenia, meaning the progressive, age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass, strength, and function, were twice as likely to have cognitive impairments to those without it. But this doesn't mean you have to start going to the gym. "Researches have found that something as simple as grip strength, literally how hard you can squeeze someone's hand, predicts future dementia risk," Dr Amir shared, saying the risk of dementia reduced by every five kilos you could grip. "So the stronger you hold on to things, the better."
How Does Your Muscle Strength Reduce Risk of Dementia?
But how does your muscle strength have anything to do with your brain's health? Dr Amir said: "Well, your muscles aren't just there to help you move. They actually are an active organ in their own right." He went on to explain that when you exercise and use your muscles, they release chemicals myokines, which travel through your body and help to reduce inflammation, improve your metabolism and insulin sensitivity, while also supporting blood vessels and potentially protecting brain cells.
So while many might have learned that the best way of protecting your brain health is to focus on puzzles, memory games, and keeping the brain active, this is still important factors, Dr Amir said. But he argued that people should spend just as much time and attention to keeping our muscles active too, even if that going to the gym for strength training, or walking up a flight of stairs or carry shopping bags.
"The good news? It's never too late to start," he added in the caption of the post. "Regular resistance training, staying physically active, eating enough protein, and prioritising sleep can all help maintain muscle health as we get older."
He added: "Think of strength training as an investment not just in your body, but in your brain too."
