Get as much niacin as possible to lower your risk of Alzheimer's disease.  A 4 year long study of 800 people aged 65 and older, conducted at Rush Institute for Healthy Aging in Chicago found that individuals receiving the highest daily amount of niacin cut their risk for Alzheimer's disease.  In that study, it was found that individuals with a daily intake of 22.4 mg of niacin had an 80% lower risk than others getting only 12.6 mg per day.  Some excellent niacin sources include a half a chicken breast, which is about 15 mg; or 3 ounces of beef, which is about 15 mg of niacin.  Also, the following are some brain smart foods to fuel your mental energy. 

The brain vitamins: fish, lentils and more:  In order to combat the effects of aging you should try to control the levels of the brain protein homocysteine, which has been found to harm your nerves sometimes when it is high.  A study of 230 people in Switzerland who were 60 years of age and older, considered the level of folate and vitamin B12.  Those with low levels of folate and B12 were found to have four times the rate of dementia as those with an adequate intake (recommended: 400 mcg. folate and 60 mcg. B12) of each.  Some excellent sources of folate are one half cup cold cereal or lentils (169 mcg.) or 3 ounces of salmon or canned sardines (6.3 mcg.). 

More brainpower with phytonutrients: A Harvard study of 13,000 women in their 70’s found that women who ate eight weekly servings of leafy greens and five of the cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower and broccoli during their 60’s, cut one to two years off of their mental aging compared to those who ate as little as three servings of leafy vegetables and two servings of the crucifers. 

Watch the caffeine:  If you sometimes feel like your memory is not what it should be when you are trying to come up with a word or name (on the tip of your tongue) , you may consider how much coffee, cola or tea you have been drinking.  An Italian study found that students who took a caffeine pill equivalent to 2 cups of coffee (200 mg) had about 66% more "tip of the tongue events", compared to individuals taking a placebo.  Also, a Johns Hopkins University review of 66 studies found that even stopping a one cup a day coffee habit may cause symptoms of fatigue, headache and nausea. 

If you're fearful of developing unsightly, large, knobby knuckles, you can do something about it.  French scientists have found that Leptin, which is a hormone released by fat cells in joint fluid and cartilage cells of individuals with joint deforming osteoarthritis, would increase as body weight increased along with those unsightly joint distortions.  Further evidence found that cells from surrounding arthritis free tissues contained almost no leptin whatsoever.  What this means is that by either achieving or maintaining a healthy body weight, it may also help you to avoid or limit osteoarthritis and help your hands to look better and stay stronger for a longer period of time.