I agree with learning a new language. I think learning and practicing to play piano would be a hedge against Alzheimer’s as well. Maybe any musical instrument. I was forced, kindly, to learn the piano and violin as a child and teen and I know it was “good” for me. I gave my son a choice :) he went with the trumpet which he plays and loves to this day.
Listening to music changes a person. All sorts of music. Growing up in my family I was exposed to Broadway musicals, classical, opera, Benny Goodman and assorted big bands, a bit of old American folk and hymns. I look back with gratitude and appreciation toward my family. Though I can’t explain how, I believe this musical variety made my brain “smarter”.
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Best hedge against Alzheimers is to consume more saturated fats, and eschew all polyunsaturated fats to allow uptake of chromium and vanadium, which in turn allows cells to utilize insulin completely.
Chronic elevated blood glucose appears to be a factor in many alzheimers cases.
> I was forced... to learn the piano... as a child.
I was too and hated it so as soon as possible (a few years) I quit. Now, some 50 years and change later I own MIDI keyboards and edit together multiple takes to get a tune that sounds OK from start to finish. It also proves the truism that the more one does something the easier it becomes. It’s nothing spectacular but I have fun doing it and a lot of time I think I’m spending 40 minutes it turns out to really be four hours.
> Listening to music changes a person. All sorts of music. Growing up in my family I was exposed to... I look back with gratitude and appreciation toward my family. Though I can’t explain how, I believe this musical variety made my brain “smarter”.
Likewise. My dad was a truck-driver and he brought home tons of records he got as gifts from a distributor on his route. I’m sure this reflects my current musical tastes to some degree although many of my favorite musical genres didn’t even exist in the 50’s...
Vocaloid, Classical, Epic! / Orchestral, ProgRock, FolkRock,
Classic Rock, Opera Metal / Orchestral Metal, EDM / Dubstep / Chillstep, Experimental Electronic / My own E.E., Polka, Classical Indian, Hot Jazz from the early 1900’s to about 1940 (Google “Radio Dismuke” Really good stuff), Big Band from the 30’s and 40’s.
I wonder what the above says about me ?
No, knowing languages or music is no hedge against Alzheimer’s. Neither is staying brain active with high level reading, studying, or puzzles, games, or keeping mentally engaged. My parents were two of the busiest, most mentally engaged people you could imagine and they both came down with it. My mom read 2-3 huge historical tomes a week. Sadly, with Alzheimer’s, she still tries to. But she will read one day to page 205, say, and the next day I find her on page 32, because she loses her place and just keeps starting over.
All of what they say that keeping active and your brain active to avoid dementia is TOTAL BULL. My parents traveled, my dad did medical practice accounting for FUN as a retired doc, played the stock market, they had a ton of activities and kept their brains active. They built a vacation home in their 70s. And still Alzheimer’s came.
Back to music. Many good senior homes have grand pianos. The seniors with Alzheimer’s can sit and play beautiful pieces from memory. They are transported into a world they understand, with music. They don’t know how to do simple tasks, they don’t remember anything basic, but they can still play piano like anything. Even listening to music brings people with dementia great joy. But music doesn’t prevent Alzheimer’s.