(photo courtesy of moreguefile.com)

Keeping fit with diet and exercise will do more than just help you stay active as you get older. It seems it will also help you to continue thinking clearly and reasoning well, according to a report in the British Journal of Psychiatry.

It was once believed, even by many doctors, that dementia was genetic and unpreventable. It was thought that little could be done about the severe memory loss and speech impairment common to the condition.

A study undertaken in Australia by St. Vincent's Hospital, Sydney University's Brain and Mind Institute and the Black Dog Institute, which researches mood disorders has concluded that it’s just not true that loss of mental acuity is an inevitable part of aging. Dr David Burke of St Vincent's Hospital said,

It has always been thought that dementia is an inexorable decline of mental impairment. In fact, the brain has a remarkable capacity to generate new brain cells. Basic lifestyle changes can reduce their risk of developing dementia and reduce the rate of deterioration.

An article in Australia's Daily Telegraph reports that Dr. Burke’s 81-year-old father is studying a university medical course!

If you'd like to read the article from the Daily Telegraph go to: Diet, exercise can beat dementia