Home > Blogs

Running away from Alzheimer’s

Food for thought

Food for thought

A friend of mine turned fifty recently. I teased him mercilessly about his becoming a half-centenarian. He hummed “Forever Young” before turning to remind me: “You’ll be my age in three months.” Suddenly, the joke was on me.

Of course, none of us feels as old as our age, runners the least of all. I’m in great shape, physically and mentally and like to believe I’m at the prime of my life. And, while I’m certain nothing can stop me physically: no injury insurmountable, no recovery impossible, the strength of the mind is a whole different thing.

Father of a young colleague of mine, a man in his late-50s, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. As the disease progressed, the family went through adjustments along with the patient. First there were post-it notes everywhere to remind him where the small household items are: keys, glasses, pills, etc. A note with his own home address was added to his pocket, his wallet and was stitched to his jacket. Soon that wasn’t enough and the bicycle chain held the courtyard gate locked against him wandering off. Finally, he had to be placed in an institution providing professional care. By then he didn’t know his children nor his wife of 30 years.

I am terrified of the weakening of the mind. The thought of Alzheimer’s is enough to steal my sleep. According to Alzheimer’s Society of Canada “Alzheimer’s disease is a fatal, progressive and degenerative disease that destroys brain cells. It is the most common form of dementia, accounting for 64 per cent of all dementias in Canada.” The definition is followed by terrifying statistics: there are 500,000 Canadians diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia. Worldwide, the number is believed to be 36 million.

To my relief, there’s a hope, as emphasized in the results of a recent study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. The study followed more than 154,000 people over 11 years. At the end, 175 people’s deaths were attributed to Alzheimer’s disease. The factors that lessened the risk of Alzheimer’s disease were:

  • Statins: people who were taking statins, a class of medications that treat high cholesterol, had 60 per cent lower risk of death from Alzheimer’s
  • Fruit: participants who reported eating 3 or more servings of fruit per day also had a 60 per cent lower risk of death from Alzheimer’s disease.
  • Running: people who ran over 24 kilometres per week had a 40 per cent lower risk of dying from Alzheimer’s disease.

To conclude: by eating three servings of fruit a day and running over 15 miles per week we can still significantly decrease the risk of Alzheimer’s.

Check out the latest buyer's guide:

The best trainers in Canada under $150

We curated the best performance trainers under $150 to meet your 2024 running goals, while staying on budget