Dementia is described as various symptoms of human cognitive decline involving different underlying disorders that damage language, memory and thinking….
Dementia is not a single disease but is a general medical term describing different symptoms affecting a person’s cognition and speech. It’s known that the risks of dementia increase with age, but is not a normal part of aging.
The disease is progressive or chronic in nature and has been estimated to affect about 36.5 million people around the world. It is also estimated that the number will double by the year 2030 and will triple by 2050.
What Are The causes Of Dementia?
Dementia is caused by the death of brain cells and the neurodegenerative disease. It can also be caused by an injury to the head, a brain tumor or a stroke.
Here are some causes on how it affects the brain and can lead to dementia:
- Injury – a post-traumatic dementia can be directly related to brain cell death due to injury.
- Vascular dementia – results from brain cell death caused by conditions like cerebrovascular disease such as stroke. This condition prevents normal blood circulation, which hinders the proper flow of oxygen to the brain.
- Prion diseases - Prions are abnormal proteins that attack the brain from inside, which can result in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker syndrome (GSS).
- HIV – although there’s an associated term HIV-dementia, it’s still not certain how the HIV virus causes brain damage.
- Other reversible factors – some form of dementia can be treated by reversing the effects of medication interactions, depression, vitamin deficiency or other underlying causes.
Known Signs And Symptoms Of Dementia
According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, a person suffering from dementia may experience some of the following symptoms:
- Memory loss - a person asks the same question repeatedly or forgetting he already asked a question is a sign.
- Issues with communication - a person can have a language difficulty by forgetting simple words or may be using the wrong ones.
- Having difficulty with familiar tasks – say a person started cooking something or starting a task and eventually forgets or leaves it… this is another possible indication of dementia.
- Poor judgement – a person suffering from dementia might just leave the house or forget about a child for the day.
- Misplacing things - putting things in the wrong places and forgetting about it is another sign.
- Changes in personality - a person may become irritable, fearful , suspicious or most absent minded.
The Effects Of Krill Oil On Dementia
There have been many studies about the effectiveness of omega-3 fatty acids in maintaining overall good health. Omega-3 fatty acids help in maintaining a good heart, normal brain function and lower the risks of developing chronic diseases.
Omega- 3 fatty acids are also known to have anti-inflammatory properties that can help in lowering the risks of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease (most well known disorder under dementia) and promotes normal cognitive function.
One great source of omega-3 is krill oil. Krill oil contains high levels of omega-3 and the antioxidant astaxanthin.
Astaxanthin is what gives lobsters, krill, shrimp and salmon their pink color.
Different studies found that people consuming omega-3 rich foods and supplements have less cognitive decline and reduced risks of dementia.
A Japanese study also found that omega-3 and astaxanthin helps in reducing the compounds that are linked to dementia. The study involved thirty participants between the ages 50 to 69 years old.
The study group was assigned 6mg and 12mg of astaxanthin and 500mg of krill oil every day for 3 months. After 4 months, the study participants showed reduced levels of phospholipid hydroperoxides, a compound that’s linked to developing dementia.
The compound levels went down as much as 40%-50% in 4 months. The research concluded that krill oil can be a good alternative in lowering the risks of developing dementia or alleviating the symptoms caused by dementia.
Krill oil can be taken as a liquid or capsule, but it’s always best to check with your physician before beginning additional supplements.
