seniors

Losing sleep over dementia

Sleepy all day? Maybe this will wake you up: Nodding off during the day could be a warning sign of dementia.

Yeah, I knew that would get your attention.

Don't go back to sleep if you've got a memory like an elephant, because you're at risk, too: A new study of 15,000 people over the age of 50 finds seniors who are tired all day have the highest risk of a dementia diagnosis within two years -- and that's true even if they show no sign of memory problems.

And that's not the only alarm for sleepy seniors -- because another new study shows how daytime drowsiness can wipe your brain clean.

In a series of brain scans on 84 seniors, researchers found that the volunteers who tended to nod off during the day weren't just missing out on real-world activity.

They were missing activity in key regions of the brain -- including the parts of the mind that normally stay active even when our bodies are at rest.

How's that for scary?

Now, I don't want anyone to hit the panic button instead of the snooze button. OF COURSE it's OK to take a nap every now and then.

Heck, in some countries it's even part of the culture.

But if you're conking out in the middle of something other than the daytime soaps, then there's definitely something wrong -- and you can't afford to wait for your memory to go before you take the risk seriously.

By that point, you'll be wearing a paper bib and eating strained peas in a nursing home.

So take action instead -- starting with the all-natural dementia-fighter that's being touted as the next great "wonder drug."

But it's not a drug at all. It's simple... safe... and widely available.

Douglass Report readers got the full scoop in the September issue of my newsletter. If you're not a subscriber, sign up here and you'll get complete access to what I believe to be nature's best dementia fighter in my online archives -- and you'll be the first to know about the NEXT big breakthrough.

How a high-carb diet can rot your mind

Pop quiz time: What's the fattest organ in your body?

No, it's not your stomach. When your belly bulges, that's fat building up around the organ -- not in it. Your brain, on the other hand, is 60 percent fat -- and it needs more all the time to thrive.

That's why a diet rich in animal fats can lift your mood and memory -- and that's also why a carb-heavy low-fat diet will rot your skull like a leftover Halloween pumpkin.

Need proof? Seniors who eat the most carbs don't just have a higher risk of mild cognitive impairment. They have QUADRUPLE the risk, according to the latest research from the Mayo Clinic.

So ditch the potatoes -- but keep the steak, because the study of more than 1,200 70- and 80-somethings confirms that a high-fat diet can slash your risk of that cognitive impairment by 42 percent, while a high-protein diet will cut that risk by more than a fifth.

Cognitive impairment is more than just the first warning sign of potential dementia and Alzheimer's disease kicking in. It's often the ONLY warning sign -- so avoiding it is critical.

And avoiding it clearly means limiting your carb intake.

That's because carbs cause your blood sugar levels to spike, ultimately leading to insulin resistance. You know what comes next: diabetes. But most people don't realize that insulin resistance can also damage blood vessels in the brain and even cause the buildup of the beta-amyloid plaques responsible for dementia.

I've said this all along, but scientists are just starting to put two and two together here -- and some of them, even mainstream experts, now say it's time to stop using the terms "dementia" and "Alzheimer's disease" and call this brain-waste what it really is: type 3 diabetes.

I'll have so much more on this in the December issue of my Douglass Report newsletter. If you're already a subscriber, it'll be in your mailbox in just a few weeks.

And if you're not, sign up here and make sure you don't miss a breakthrough.