6 daily habits neurologists say may help reduce dementia risk

Globally, around 57 million people have dementia, a number expected to reach 153 million by 2050 as populations live longer. In the UK alone, almost a million people are affected, including one in 14 adults over 65, and one in six over 80. Although dementia is now the biggest killer in the UK, surpassing heart disease and cancer, only 60% of people know it can be fatal.

Fourteen different risk factors for dementia are within our power to tackle, and could potentially prevent almost half of all dementia cases worldwide, according to an in-depth report from medical journal The Lancet. Some of these risk factors are difficult to influence by ourselves (such as air pollution and education), but lifestyle remains one of the few areas we can actively improve. Small, sustainable habits repeated every day are far more valuable than short lived health trends.

Dr Bilal Malik and Dr Stella Ademowo, senior lecturers at the University of Derby, suggest approaching brain health just like you would other, more visible, aspects of ageing. “While brain ageing – rather like body ageing – cannot be stopped, these interventions can slow down the onset of symptoms of advanced ageing. Targeted management of lifestyle and environmental exposure has been reported to extend a healthy lifespan.” The challenges of ageing can be slowed down by a significant number of years by changing habits.

We asked a range of brain health experts for the daily habits they recommend everybody follows to protect their brain health and help reduce their dementia risk.

Experts:

• Dr Bilal Malik, Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Science at the University of Derby
• Dr Stella Ademowo, Senior Lecturer in Molecular Cell Biology at the University of Derby
• Nicole Vignola, neuroscientist
• Dr Mark Weatherall, neurologist
• Dr Sabine Donnai, health span expert
• Dr Nadia Ahmad, founder and Medical Director, The Weight Care Clinic
• Mr. Mansoor Foroughi, Consultant Neurosurgeon
• Dr Kit Wu, Consultant Neurologist

Make sure you are getting enough fibre

Many people know that fibre can aid digestion and support feelings of fitness, but did you know it can impact your brain too? According to neuroscientist Nicole Vignola, this overlooked nutrient could be one of the most powerful and important tools we have for supporting brain health and gradual ageing.

“When people think about fibre, they immediately think about digestion,” says Nicole. “But as a neuroscientist, I’m interested in the benefits for our brain. Fibre supports the beneficial bacteria in our gut, which then produce compounds that influence inflammation, cognitive function and the gut-brain axis. It’s one of the most overlooked nutrients when it comes to long-term brain health.

“Emerging research suggests fibre-heavy diets are associated with lower levels of chronic inflammation, a key factor increasingly linked with age-related diseases, including cognitive decline,” says Nicole.

Boost your fibre levels easily by adding to your existing favourite meals: add a tin of beans to chilli, swap the mince for lentils in spag bol, sprinkle nuts and seeds over salads, or add chia seeds to breakfast yogurt in the morning. Check out our list of 20 high-fibre foods to see what you should be eating more of.

Stop multitasking, start single-tasking

Are you working your brain too hard? Multitasking is a characteristic of modern life, whether that’s booking appointments while stirring dinner, doing housework while you’re on the phone or replying to emails during a meeting. However, emerging evidence suggests that it may contribute to cognitive symptoms resembling dementia, including impaired attention, memory difficulties, reduced problem-solving ability and emotional disengagement.

Neurologist Dr Mark Weatherall explains how it can be counterproductive to brain health. “Multitasking places sustained demands on directed attention and working memory. These are limited cognitive resources that can support a finite amount of brain effort. Multitasking draws particularly heavily on this.”

Instead, Mark encourages an approach of deliberate single-tasking, to give your brain a break. “Single-tasking is the equivalent of mindfulness for the working brain. In the same way that multitasking can disrupt our cognitive and emotional wellbeing, single-tasking can improve our problem-solving abilities, increase our emotional engagement with tasks and thereby improve our sense of worth and wellbeing.”

Protect your gut

We’re becoming increasingly aware of the role our gut has in impacting health across the body, and our brain health is no exception. Neurologist Dr Kit Wu explains: “The gut contains the body’s second largest store of dopamine and the gut-brain axis is an area of intense research interest — the microbiome influences neurotransmitter production and systemic inflammation, both relevant to brain function.”

It can be hard to know where to start to support your gut, but even simple actions can give you a boost. “Aim to eat a range of colours across your fruit and vegetables,” Kit suggests. “Different pigments reflect different polyphenols and antioxidants, and variety also feeds a more diverse gut microbiome.”

It’s also helpful to move a little after eating, to aid digestion as your gut works.

Prioritise regular physical activity

Dr Sabine Donnai, health span expert and founder of Viavi clinic, names physical activity as one of her top three lifestyle habits that can play an important role in supporting long-term brain health and reducing dementia risk.

“Exercise improves blood flow to our brain, it supports the growth of new brain cells, reduces inflammation and helps maintain the health of the tiny blood vessels that nourish our brain tissue,” she says. “It also lowers the risk of many of the conditions that increase the risk of dementia, including high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.”

She recommends combining aerobic exercise with strength training and balance work for the greatest benefits, but actions can still start small. “Build movement into your day by walking after meals, taking the stairs or standing up regularly if you work at a desk.”

This is echoed by Dr Nadia Ahmad, founder and Medical Director of The Weight Care Clinic, who believes that “one of the most powerful things we can do for our brain is to keep our body moving”.

Find a physical activity you enjoy so that it becomes a regular habit. The NHS recommends aiming for at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity each week, but even a brisk 30 minute walk most days is a great place to start.

Protect your sleep as seriously as your diet

Dr Nadia Ahmad also highlights the importance of a good night’s sleep. “Sleep is when the brain carries out essential housekeeping, helping clear waste products that build up during the day while supporting memory and learning. Chronic poor sleep has been linked with an increased risk of cognitive decline.”

The importance of sleep as we age, especially between 50 and 70, is echoed by Mansoor Foroughi, consultant neurosurgeon at Nuffield Health Brighton Hospital. The brain’s waste clearance system is known as the glymphatic system and during deep sleep this helps to remove harmful proteins such as amyloid beta from the brain. “Research suggests the glymphatic system is around 60% more active during sleep, allowing for more effective clearance of these waste products,” Mansoor explains. “The accumulation of amyloid beta is strongly associated with dementia and is considered a key driver of Alzheimer’s disease.”

Even small improvements in sleep quality and duration can be beneficial for your long-term health. Aim for seven to nine hours of good-quality sleep and keep a consistent bedtime. Cut out habits that can disrupt your sleep patterns, such as alcohol in the evenings and avoid scrolling on your phone before bed.

Think Mediterranean

When it comes to protecting your brain, there is one way of eating that consistently stands out: the Mediterranean diet. Rich in vegetables, fruit, wholegrains, beans, olive oil, nuts and oily fish, it has repeatedly been linked to better cognitive health and a lower risk of dementia.

As Sabine explains: “Our brain is one of the most energy-demanding organs in our body, so the quality of the fuel we provide to it is important. These diets are associated with lower rates of cognitive decline and dementia, partly because they reduce inflammation, improve vascular health and support our gut microbiome (which communicates closely with our brain).” Rather than chasing the latest brain-boosting superfood ingredient, it’s the overall dietary pattern that appears to make the greatest difference.

The evidence backs this up. Kit says: “The MIND diet – a hybrid of the Mediterranean and DASH patterns – was associated in the Rush Memory and Aging Project cohort with a substantially lower rate of Alzheimer’s disease, with even moderate adherence showing benefit. The PREDIMED trial found that a Mediterranean diet supplemented with olive oil or nuts improved cognitive outcomes compared with a low-fat control. Leafy green vegetables, berries, oily fish, nuts and olive oil are the consistent common threads.”

The good news is you do not have to change your entire diet overnight. Kit advises: “Do not overhaul everything at once. Introduce one small change per week and let it settle before adding the next — swap butter for olive oil this week, add a portion of leafy greens the next, then a handful of nuts as a snack.” Other simple ways to eat more Mediterranean-style include filling at least half your plate with vegetables, eating oily fish once or twice a week, choosing wholegrains over refined carbohydrates where possible and cooking more meals from scratch using fresh ingredients, herbs and spices.

A final word

It’s important to remember that none of these steps are a guarantee of good health, and dementia is still shaped by factors we cannot control. But a portion of risk is still modifiable and gives us some agency over our futures. Many habits also reinforce each other, as Kit highlights: “Activity improves sleep, good sleep supports the motivation to eat and move well, and a healthy diet supports both.”

You don’t have to be perfect, either. Kit points out: “Small, sustained changes, repeated daily over years, are what shift the odds, not perfection.” So start with whichever habit feels the most achievable to improve this week and go from there.

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