Five ways to keep Alzheimer's away

   Many people take the herb gingko biloba in hopes of staving off Alzheimer’s Disease, but a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association says it doesn’t work.

          In the study of 3,000 people over the age of 75, some took gingko, while others took a placebo, or sugar pill. University of Pittsburgh researchers found that those who took gingko were just as likely to get Alzheimer’s Disease and other forms of dementia as those who took the placebo.

          Gingko manufacturers say this isn’t the first – or the last – word on the herb. “There is a significant body of scientific and clinical evidence supporting the safety and efficacy of ginkgo extract for both cognitive function,” said Mark Blumenthal, executive director of the American Botanical Council.

          But many experts are still skeptical. Edythe London, a professor of psychiatry and pharmacology at UCLA, says her 86-year-old mother once asked her if she should take gingko, but London told her not to bother.  “But I do tell my mother there are other things she can do,” says London, who’s studied the brain and aging. “I tell her to go out and do things and see people every day and be active.”

          Here are five tips for staving off Alzheimer’s from London and other brain experts.  

1. Antioxidants

          London makes sure her mother takes Vitamins A, C, and E. “There are studies that suggest antioxidants might prevent dementia,” she says.

2. Fish Oil Supplements

          Dr. Gary Small, director of the UCLA Center on Aging, says aging brains show signs of inflammation, and fish oil has anti-inflammatory properties.

3. Phosphatidylserine supplements

          Phosphatidylserine is a lipid found naturally in the body. Small says he’s not 100 percent convinced these supplements will help stave off dementia, but they’re worth a try. “If I start having memory problems when I get older, I’ll give them a trial run and see if they help,” says Small, author of the new book “iBrain: Surviving the Technological Alteration of the Modern Mind.”

4. Curry

          Small, who’s 57, says as he gets older he might also try eating more foods with curry in them. “Some studies in Singapore show that those who ate curry once a week had better memory scores,” he said.

5. Crosstraining your brain

          “Our brains can be made stronger through exercise,” says Andrew Carle, assistant professor of in the departent of health administration and policy at George Mason University. “In the same way physical exercise can delay many of the effects of aging on the body, there’s some evidence cognitive exercise can at least delay the onset of Alzheimer’s.”

          But Carle says it’s not enough to do just one kind of brain exercise. “Doing a crossword puzzle every day is good, but it’s the equivalent of only doing pushups – your arms will get strong, but  not the rest of your body.” He recommends doing other activities in addition, such as computing numbers in your head instead of using a calculator, or using one of the “brain gym” computer games designed to enhance brain function.