Interactive Leonardo: The 50s

Did you know certain vitamins have been found to help prevent Alzheimer's disease and memory loss? Read on for more...

Although the brain does deteriorate with age, nearly one-third of all people enjoy steady lucidity as they age. Moreover, you can also take many actions that are scientifically proven to help prevent Alzheimer's disease.

Aging and Memory
After about age 40 to 50, there is at least a 2-percent decrease in overall brain weight every decade. Regions of the brain that are most affected are those associated with memory. In menopausal women, estrogen loss affects mental functioning and memory. (Estrogen replacement therapy can improve these conditions.) Visual and auditory memory may begin to decline at age 50. As memory declines, there is also often a decline in creativity. These occurrences can be managed, and in some cases, corrected by a multimodal brain longevity program involving low-fat diet, exercise, meditation, nutritional supplements, and prescription drugs.

Other Brain Functions
Often, between the ages of 50 to 60, people become less able to do two things at once, and they begin to have more problems than young people at learning complex new mental skills. Beginning at age 50, many brain-related endocrine functions start to decline. These include energy maintenance, stability of sex drive, ability to sleep, and ability to maintain muscle mass. A healthy diet, combined with meditation, exercise, nutritional supplements, and prescription drugs and/or hormone replacement therapy (for women and men) may improve or correct these symptoms.

Mood
It's also true that endocrine-related mood disorders generally increase during the aging process. These may manifest in feelings of low energy, "down" moods, or depression. Again, there are many remedies available for depression, beginning with psychotherapy and prescription anti-depressant drugs. Next Page >

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