Why do people get Alzheimer's? The hippocampus, the core part of our brain that controls memory, is also responsible for the brain's positioning of space.
After a person is over 50, the hippocampus volume gradually shrinks at a rate of 1% ~ 2% per year, coupled with factors such as too much oxide in the body, which will accelerate its damage and atrophy. When the hippocampus shrinks to a certain extent, it produces a decline in memory and spatial orientation, which leads to Alzheimer's disease.
Chen Changhai, director of the Health Management Center of the 202nd Hospital of the People's Liberation Army, pointed out that although the hippocampus will shrink with age, it is completely possible to slow down this process and retain the memory function of the hippocampus through reasonable stimulation and training.
When the hippocampus cells are stimulated by certain stimuli, the synapses will become very active, so that the hippocampus will enlarge, and the person's memory will be preserved or enhanced, thus effectively preventing Alzheimer's disease.
Director Chen Changhai suggested that middle-aged and elderly people can try the following simple and effective methods.
The curcumin contained in ginger can slow down the damage of oxidants to the hippocampus, and can delay the physiological atrophy of the hippocampus.
Polyphenols in green teaIt has the effect of enhancing the activity of the hippocampus and preventing its atrophy. Take 3 grams of green tea and fresh ginger slices, brew them with boiling water and drink them, refill the water after drinking, and chew the ginger slices when the taste is light, 1 dose per day. Long-term adherence is effective.
An Australian study found that the scent of forests and freshly mowed lawns contains chemicals that promote the activity of the hippocampus in the brain, which stimulates the hippocampus, enhances its memory function, and also helps relieve mental stress to prevent damage to the hippocampus.
Spend 20 minutes in the dense forest every morning, or inhale deeply while mowing the lawn, then exhale slowly, and so on for 10 minutes.
Reading aloud promotes the regeneration of the hippocampus and prevents damage and atrophy of the hippocampus.
The content of reading aloud can be selected according to personal preference, the speed of speech can be fast or slow, or a combination of fast and slow, read aloud for half an hour to 1 hour every day, and long-term persistence has significant effects.
Sleep deprivation can damage the hippocampus, leading to memory loss. Adequate sleep can increase levels of cAMP molecules in the hippocampus, repairing damaged hippocampal synapses, which are essential for the hippocampus to form new synaptic connections. There is no clear time standard for adequate sleep, so it is advisable to wake up without feeling tired and refreshed.
Walk 3 times a week A study in the United States showed that walking 3 times a week for 30 minutes each time for half a year can increase the hippocampus by 2%, which is equivalent to making the brain 2 years younger. It is best for middle-aged and elderly people to choose a place with good air and flat to walk, and the speed is moderate, as long as they persist, they can achieve the desired effect.
Both the liver and the hippocampus both need a protein called PPAR-α, which the liver uses to burn belly fat and the hippocampus uses to process a person's memory.
Studies have found that if a person has too much fat accumulation in the abdomen, the liver must work overtime to metabolize the fat, and when it uses up its own PPAR-α stocks, it will "sweep" the PPAR-α in other parts of the body, including the hippocampus. As a result, the hippocampus is deficient in PPAR-α, which will shrink the hippocampus in the long term, leading to memory and learning loss, and even Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, if you want to ensure that the hippocampus PPAP-α is sufficient, it is necessary to reduce belly fat.
Director Chen Changhai finally emphasized that regular hands and brain can help prevent the degeneration of the hippocampus, and the elderly often move their fingers and properly stimulate the acupuncture points of the hands, which can stimulate the cerebral cortical nerves, promote blood circulation, help improve mental flexibility, delay the aging of brain nerve cells, and effectively prevent dementia.
Ouyang Yingjun, deputy chief physician of the Department of Neurology of Guangzhou First People's Hospital, brought a set of finger exercises to the elderly, which can prevent Alzheimer's disease in daily life.
Dr. Ouyang especially reminded that when the elderly perform finger exercises, they must pay attention to the size and rhythm of the hand stroke. Generally speaking, it is necessary to achieve uniform force, and the strength should be local heat and soreness after the activity, because too much force or too weak will affect the transmission of force and weaken the effective stimulation of acupuncture points. In terms of tempo, it is best to hit about once per second, not too fast or too slow.
So, how exactly does this set of finger exercises to prevent Alzheimer's disease work?
Essentials of movement: Relax the whole body, clench your hands into fists, and then face each other, rhythmically hit your fists to stimulate the Hegu point at the tiger's mouth. 36 hits per draw, 2 times a day.
Efficacy: Hegu acupoint is the original acupoint of the large intestine meridian, which has the effect of promoting qi and blood, and can prevent and treat facial diseases, such as blurred vision, mouth pain, headache, etc.
Essentials of the movement: Place your hands in front of your chest, palms facing up, spread your fingers slightly, and then strike each other with your palms to stimulate the Houxi point on the outer edge of your palms. 36 side blows, 2 times a day.
Efficacy: Houxi acupoint is a small intestine meridian acupoint, which has the effect of relaxing meridians and relieving the knots, and is good at relaxing neck muscles, treating head and neck pain and preventing degenerative diseases such as bone hyperplasia.
Action essentials: Ten fingers slightly open, fit the wrist joints on both sides, and then hit each other with both wrists to stimulate the Daling point at the wrist. 36 hits per hit, 2 times a day.
Efficacy: Daling acupoint is the acupoint of the pericardial meridian, which has the effect of nourishing the heart and soothing the nerves, can prevent and treat heart disease, relieve chest tightness, chest pain, and soothe emotions.
Essentials of the movement: Open your fingers and cross your hands at the tiger's mouth, and then do the tiger's mouth cross-strike movement to stimulate the Dadu acupoints in the eight evil acupoints. 36 hits per hit, 2 times a day.
Efficacy: The Eight Evil Acupoints are extrameridian acupoints, which have the effects of dispelling wind and channeling, clearing heat and detoxifying, and are often used to prevent and treat peripheral circulation disorders, such as numbness of hands and feet.
Essentials of the movement: Place your hands in front of your chest and strike each other with your fingers crossed to stimulate the Shangdu, Zhongdu and Lower Acupoints in the Eight Evil Acupoints. 36 hits per hit, 2 times a day.
Efficacy: This formula helps to strengthen the circulation of local qi and blood to prevent various pathogenic factors from invading the human body.
Action essentials: The five fingers of the right hand are slightly opened, the left hand is clenched into a fist, and then the hands are rhythmically struck against each other to stimulate the Lao Gong acupoint in the Yin Pericardial Meridian of the hand. 36 hits per hit, 2 times a day.
Efficacy: Laogong acupoint is the meridian acupoint of the hand and yin pericardium, which can clear the heart and relieve the liver fire, has the effect of eliminating fatigue, refreshing the mind, and can prevent and treat stroke.
Action Essentials:The five fingers of the left hand are slightly opened, the right hand is clenched into a fist, and then the hands are rhythmically struck against each other to stimulate the Lao Gong acupoint in the Yin Pericardial Sutra of the hand. 36 hits per hit, 2 times a day.
Efficacy: This formula can strengthen the effect of nourishing the heart and soothing the nerves on the basis of clearing the heart and purging the liver fire, and can prevent and treat insomnia, neurasthenia and other diseases.
Action essentials: Relax your hands, open your fingers slightly, and then pat each other with the back of your hands to stimulate the Yangchi acupoints in the Shaoyang Sanjiao Sutra. Take 36 shots at a time, 2 times a day.
Efficacy: Yangchi acupoint is the acupoint of the hand Shaoyang Sanjiao meridian, which has the effect of generating yang energy, and is often used to treat facial diseases such as eye redness, swelling and pain, deafness, etc.
Essentials: Use the thumb and index finger of both hands to rub the earlobes on both sides at the same time to stimulate the acupuncture points in the earlobe. Rub 36 times, 2 times a day.
Efficacy: This formula can effectively stimulate the eyes, inner ear, cheeks, tonsils and other reflex parts in the earlobe area, so as to achieve the effect of anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving, prevention and treatment of diseases of the five senses.
Movement essentials: Rub the palms of your hands against each other until your hands are slightly warm, cover your eyes lightly with your fingers, and turn your eyes to the left and right 6 times with your eyes closed.
Efficacy: This formula can accelerate blood circulation in the local area of the eyes, improve eye fatigue, and prevent problems such as presbyopia and blurred vision.