🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Currently, there is no definitive treatment for senile dementia, but proper dietary nutrition can prevent and delay its onset. The key to diet lies in balanced nutrient intake: consume more plant-based proteins and calcium-rich foods, moderately supplement vitamin E and lecithin, eat plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, reduce aluminum and copper intake, avoid fatty meats, and limit salt and sugar. Below are specific dietary methods for preventing senile dementia.
◆ Supplement Folic Acid and Vitamin B12
Senile dementia is associated with deficiency of folic acid and vitamin B12 in the body. European hospitals have studied hundreds of patients diagnosed with senile dementia and found that their blood levels of homocysteine were particularly high. Since folic acid and vitamin B12 can lower homocysteine levels in the body, supplementing them helps prevent senile dementia. In addition to animal products such as meat, eggs, milk, fish, and shrimp, which contain abundant vitamin B12, fermented soy products also produce large amounts of vitamin B12—especially stinky tofu, which has even higher content.
◆ Eat More Soybeans
Soybeans contain rich active substances like isoflavones, saponins, and oligosaccharides. American scientists have found that soy isoflavones have certain brain-protective effects; their chemical structure is extremely stable and remains intact regardless of cooking methods such as stir-frying, boiling, or stewing, thus preserving their efficacy. Therefore, regular consumption of soybean products not only provides ample plant protein and prevents lipid abnormalities and atherosclerosis but also offers anti-cancer and anti-senile dementia benefits.
◆ Eat More Fish or Supplement Fish Oil Appropriately
Canadian researchers studying 70 elderly people in Toronto (a quarter of whom had senile dementia) discovered that healthy seniors had significantly higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids (especially docosahexaenoic acid, DHA) in their blood compared to those with dementia. These fatty acids are abundant in fish and can also help prevent heart disease. Thus, eating more fish—especially oily varieties like salmon, trout, and squid—can effectively prevent both dementia and heart disease.
◆ Increase Lecithin Intake
Japanese scientists found that acetylcholine deficiency is a primary cause of senile dementia. Lecithin serves as the raw material for acetylcholine synthesis in the brain. People can prevent senile dementia by consuming lecithin through food. Natural foods rich in lecithin include soybeans and their products, fish brains, egg yolks, pork liver, sesame seeds, yams, mushrooms, peanuts, etc. After ingestion, these foods provide beneficial nutrients to the brain, enhance intelligence, and slow cognitive decline.
◆ Increase Intake of Unsaturated Fatty Acids and Vitamins, Reduce Salt Consumption
Dietary regimens rich in unsaturated fatty acids, low in salt, and low in fat help prevent cardiovascular diseases. Vitamins (especially vitamin E and vitamin C) play roles in scavenging free radicals and delaying aging. Fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C include Chinese hawthorn, kiwifruit, fresh jujubes, strawberries, golden oranges, chili peppers, green garlic, baby bok choy, spinach, etc. Foods rich in vitamin E include wheat germ, cottonseed oil, soybean oil, sesame oil, corn oil, peas, sweet potatoes, poultry eggs, butter, etc.
◆ Reduce Aluminum and Copper Intake
Studies show excessive intake of aluminum and copper may trigger senile dementia. Although our daily food does not contain excessive aluminum, some food additives often do—for example, household yeast powder, salt solution fixatives, cheese, and soda crackers. Though the amount is small, older adults should be cautious and avoid long-term or excessive consumption.
Aluminum content in drinking water should not be overlooked either. Surface water contains little aluminum, but increasingly severe acid rain can dissolve aluminum into water, leading to excessive intake.
Modern cooking utensils are often made of aluminum. If overly acidic or salty foods are stored in them for too long, it may increase aluminum absorption in the body. Therefore, older adults must pay attention to avoiding factors that lead to excessive aluminum intake in daily life.
High copper intake can also cause senile dementia. Foods rich in copper—such as cocoa powder, dried tea leaves, animal liver, walnuts, and sesame paste—should be consumed sparingly.
Additionally, middle-aged and elderly individuals benefit greatly from consuming zinc-, manganese-, selenium-, and germanium-rich foods, such as seafood, shellfish, fish, dairy products, legumes, nuts, silkworm pupae, garlic, mushrooms, etc., which are helpful in preventing senile dementia.
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