Treatment of mental health problems has recently undergone a revolution. More and more, people are discovering that the way we live our lives on a daily basis affects not only our physical health, but our mental health as well. Certainly, treatment of bipolar disorder and other psychological issues has benefited immensely from this approach. Getting into constructive, healthy patterns, eating right, exercising, and keeping up good social connections all contribute to a sound mind. What surprises many people is how far this approach to mental health treatment goes. Diseases that were previously thought to be purely organic now seem to have a significant psychological factor. Nowhere is this more evident than with the treatment of dementia.

Dementia Rates are Rising

Everyone knows a little bit about dementia. It is one of the most tragic yet common fates that people face as they grow older. What many people don't know is how easy preventative treatment of dementia is. Treatment of Alzheimer's disease dementia is still a long shot, because it is an organic disease whose causes are not well known. For most cases of dementia, however, there are effective treatments that work and require little more than intellectual activity.

As a matter of fact, one of the most effective treatments of dementia is to do puzzles or learn a new skill. The research is showing us more and more that old folks who keep their minds active don't tend to develop dementia nearly as often as elderly people who sit around watching TV. Apparently, the treatment of dementia is just as simple as keeping the mind active. The reason people become demented is not because their brains naturally deteriorate with age, but because they atrophy through lack of use. The human mind is like any organ in the body. If it isn't used, it tends to deteriorate. If you want a good effective preventative treatment of dementia, learn a new language skill. Chances are, it will keep you sharp for years and years to come.

Unfortunately, Alzheimer's disease treatment is a little trickier. Still, much of the research shows that intellectual activity will at least decrease the effects of Alzheimer's. There has been so much research on this terrible disease recently that I predict, within a decade, we will have a good handle on it. If we can't cure it out right, we will be able to at least slow its progression to a halt. There is plenty of cause for optimism in geriatric medicine.

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Latest statistics reported on NBC News on Alzheimer's Disease are quite shocking: one out of every 8 baby boomers will get the neurodegenerative disease. And that's not all. Forty-two per cent of those who get to the age of 85 years old will also end up with the neurodegenerative disease.

Preventing dementia of any kind certainly is easier when the mind is very active. How often do people in our culture simply go to work, then plop themselves in front of the TV for the rest of the evening? We can make TV time more productive if we engage in mentally stimulating discussions about what was viewed, but this often doesn't occur.

Treatment of Dementia Starts with Diet!

Recent research finds that one of the culprits of neurodegeneration and dementia is a chemical compound called advanced glycation endproducts or AGEs. These are produced within the body and from foods that are superheated, reheated, cooked at high temperatures and during food processing. AGEs are highest in foods with sugars in them. The process of browning foods produces high levels of AGEs. Researchers find that the higher the AGEs in the diet of those with dementia or neurodegeneration, the faster the degeneration of the brain from the disease. The answer is to stop eating processed foods and also foods that are superheated, broiled, or reheated multiple times.

Alzheimer's disease is certainly very complicated, but the simple return to a more natural diet can help decrease the degeneration of the brain from the neurodegenerative disease