76-year-old Arnold Schwarzenegger has started tackling the subject of brain health through his newsletter. Besides giving workout advice, Schwarzenegger also explained how to boost brain health by citing scientific studies. In the latest edition of his newsletter, the bodybuilding legend spoke about how vitamin D supplementation might improve brain health and prevent Alzheimer’s.
Arnold Schwarzenegger highlighted a scientific study that analyzed the findings of 60 different studies. All the studies looked at how vitamin D could help prevent Alzheimer’s disease. While the studies found that the supplement had a positive impact, Arnie mentioned a catch.
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Not all supplementation methods are equal
Arnold Schwarzenegger revealed that the study found people who had higher levels of vitamin D “had a 43 percent lower chance of getting Alzheimer’s.” Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disease that has no cure. Hence, recent studies have focused on how to prevent the disease from taking hold in the first place. So far, boosting brain health has been the best method of prevention.
While vitamin D might play a significant role in preventing Alzheimer’s, Arnie wrote that the source of the vitamin made a big difference. The 76-year-old wrote that those who got their vitamin D from artificial supplements didn’t show a 43 percent lower risk. “We’re unsure why the research didn’t show that supplementation made a difference,” Arnie wrote.
He speculated that the vitamin D synthesized by the body from sunlight might be different from that found in supplements. The vitamin could help “reduce the buildup of the plaque” containing amyloid-beta, Schwarzenegger wrote in his newsletter. The buildup of plaque in the brain damages brain cells, leading to degeneration and eventually causing Alzheimer’s disease.
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The bodybuilding legend explained more studies would be required to learn everything about vitamin D and how it prevents the incurable disease. However, he asked his newsletter subscribers to get tested for any deficiencies. Arnie has previously spoken about another way to reduce plaque buildup.
Arnold Schwarzenegger on the importance of sleep
Supplementation is one part of the puzzle. Exercise and sleep also play a crucial role in keeping neurodegenerative diseases at bay. In fact, Austrian Oak wrote about the necessity of quality sleep many times in the previous edition of his newsletter.
Schwarzenegger has explained how sleep helps reduce stress, improves cognition, and brings function. Sleep-deprived individuals are more susceptible to stress, and stress also leads to plaque buildup. Hence, ignoring the duration and quality of sleep could have dire consequences.
While Arnie is not an expert in medical science, he is dedicated to highlighting the latest developments to educate his readers on issues such as brain health. For Arnold Schwarzenegger, fitness is more than athletic ability.
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Bhujaya Ray Chowdhury