Australians exercising, socialising at lower risk of dementia, new research shows

New links between brain health and gut health illustrate importance of fruit and exercise in preventing cognitive decline.

Scott Cooper's North Sydney golf course has made dementia-friendly accommodations to keep him exercising and socialising. Picture: Supplied

World-first research correlating the link between gut and brain health indicates preventing dementia and cognitive issues may be as easy as keeping fruit in your diet and exercising regularly.

The microbiome, a catch-all for the bacteria and genes in the body that determine health and immunity, has seen much research from those charting the gut-brain axis, a nervous system that allows factors like stress, sense and hunger to influence the brain and vice-versa.

Now a Monash University study held in conjunction with researchers in China has found a clear correlation between poor microbiota and cognitive decline. Exercising or eating fruit and probiotic foods was shown to slow cognitive impairment.

Another time-tested dementia treatment is regular social interaction, but research by Dementia Australia has found it to be one of the most fraught elements in the treatment of patients, with community stigma cited by 73 per cent of families and carers surveyed.

Some 63 per cent of those with dementia felt discrimin­ation was common, and 74 per cent said they had lost contact with friends and family because of their diagnosis.

Former executive Scott Coop­er believes he is one of the luckier Australians with dementia. His health is in check and his community is behind him after his local Pennant Hills Golf Club was made dementia friendly.

“I think exercising, social interaction and being in a good community are the things that have helped me maintain myself,” he said. “It’s a progressive disease, and this has helped me along the way. Keeping active doesn’t mean you have to go to the gym, it just means you’ve got to get off your butt. My life is different now. It’s not bad, but that’s what it is: different.

“I can still have a pretty good life.”

Monash professor Lei Zhang said of his research: “Understanding this change in the micro­biome will be very important to find key biomarkers for cognitive impairment.”