A Better Memory: What Really Counts

Does your antiperspirant need to go? We hear from worried people about the link between aluminum in antiperspirants and Alzheimer's. It's unlikely aluminum is a cause -- but every once in a while, a study comes along that makes us wonder. So if you want to switch to underarm or other products (like water bottles) without aluminum, go for it.

But spending time stressing about this element is like worrying about one weed while the rest of your yard is burnt grass. In other words, focus on bigger brain strategies, including:

• Eat right, and walk it off. People in their 70s who were the most active and ate a Mediterranean-style diet (fruit, veggies, legumes, good fats, and fish) were more than 60% less likely to develop Alzheimer's than people who were the least active and Mediterranean-minded.


• Take DHA, the key omega-3 fat in fish oil. People who took 900 milligrams made as few mistakes on a memory test as someone 7 years younger would have. Get 600 milligrams a day from supplements and the rest from 4 ounces of salmon or trout a week.


• Consider coffee. People who drank at least 3 cups a day were 65% less likely to develop Alzheimer's or dementia than those who were less caffeinated.


• Love turmeric. Indians who eat a daily curry dish or an equivalent amount of this spice have less Alzheimer's than North Americans who don't consume curry. Mouse studies support this spice's ability to reduce Alzheimer's.


• Be bad at the crossword puzzle. Pushing your mind slightly beyond its capabilities causes regrowth of neurons and dendrites, so you're banking brainpower.