Ceilidh

Michael Zey
futurist3000@aol.com

CHICAGO (Sept. 21) -- Walking regularly at age 70 and beyond can help keep the mind sharp and ward off Alzheimer's disease, according to research suggesting that what is good for the heart is also good for the brain.

 

AP
The new findings show that the activity does not have to be super strenuous.  
 
Some previous studies found that physical activity might stave off mental decline. But the new findings, contained in two studies, show that the activity does not have to be super strenuous.

In more good news for older people, another study suggests that the benefits of a Mediterranean diet rich in fish, olive oil and fruits and vegetables extend into old age, increasing longevity even in men and women in their 70s, 80s and 90s.

"This study is important because it is often thought that diet, alcohol, physical activity and smoking doesn't matter anymore in old age," said nutrition researcher Kim Knoops of The Netherlands' Wageningen University, the lead author.

The studies appear in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association.

One study, involving 2,257 retired men ages 71 to 93, found that those who walked less than a quarter-mile a day were almost twice as likely to develop Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia as men who walked more than two miles daily.