Tony Vincelli

There are a lot of reasons you might be considering relocating to Central America. There’s the pleasant climate, the opportunities for adventure, the ability to live at your own pace.  Those benefits are all excellent reasons to look to the Latin tropics when thinking about a move abroad.

But what about improving your brain health and cognitive functioning and lowering your risks of developing Alzheimer’s disease?  That didn’t make your list?  Then maybe you should check out the following stat.

A whopping 24.8 of every 100,000 deaths in the U.S. are due to Alzheimer’s-related causes.  Yet the average in Central America is only 2.48.  That means that you are 10 times as likely to die from Alzheimer’s disease living in the U.S. than in Central America.  

Given that information, you might want to go ahead and add “preventing Alzheimer’s” to the “pro” column on your list of reasons why you should or shouldn’t consider joining the thousands of other U.S. expats who are finding a better, and healthier, life in Central America.

It’s Not a Joke.  It’s a Serious Epidemic.

The symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease are issues we once thought of as merely senility, a normal symptom of old age. Many senior citizens even use this diagnosis to justify their own actions when they misplace their false teeth/hearing aid/bifocals or when they forget a grandchild’s name and instead call them by the name of another relative/neighbor/pet.

However, these symptoms are what we now know as the condition commonly referred to as dementia.  While not a disease, in and of itself, dementia instead refers to a group of symptoms that include memory loss and difficulties with language, attention, problem solving, spatial skills, and organization (among other areas).

Much like a fever, dementia is an indication of an underlying issue.  And in 70-80% of cases it’s caused by Alzheimer’s Disease, an irreversible degenerative brain disease that’s currently the 6th leading cause of death in the U.S.

Wait, It Gets Worse.

Not only are dementia and Alzheimer’s very real problems.  But they’re significantly more prevalent in the U.S.  In fact, it ranks 3rd IN THE WORLD for deaths as a result of Alzheimer’s and other diseases that cause dementia.

Between 2000 and 2010, U.S. Alzheimer’s deaths have increased by a whopping 68%, while other top killers like breast and prostate cancer, heart disease, and stroke have decreased by 2, 8, 16, and 23% respectively.

Yeah, I know what you’re thinking.  Since the risk of Alzheimer’s increases with age (it doubles every 5 years after age 65, reaching 50% likelihood after age 85), then won’t there naturally be more cases as people live longer?

While that’s a valid argument, and certainly one that accounts for a slight increase in the instances of Alzheimer’s, the numbers are extremely disproportionate.  During the same decade when the disease increased to claim 68% more lives, the U.S. life span increased by less than 2 years (from 77 to 78.7).

Andrew Morrell

So Who’s Getting It Right?

Although U.S. residents are leading the world (in a bad way) when it comes to Alzheimer’s deaths, their south-of-the-border neighbors are faring quite well in this same area.  While the U.S. ranked 3rd (Canada came in 16th, by the way), the Latin American countries of Mexico (120th), Belize (166th), Costa Rica (40th), El Salvador (169th), Guatemala (161st), Honduras (168th), Nicaragua (162nd), and Panama (117th) all did much better.

Let’s address life spans again, since it does in part account for a small portion of the additional Alzheimer diagnoses.  But again, there’s hardly much difference.  Costa Rica ties the U.S. for 33rd place in the world for its long lifespan (79 currently).  That partially explains its somewhat higher Alzheimer’s rate than its Central American counterparts.

But it doesn’t help justify the much lower number of occurrences in places like Mexico and Panama, whose life expectancies are 75 and 77, respectively.

It isn’t the quality of the care provided, as only Costa Rica comes close to the U.S. in the WHO’s ranking of the world’s healthcare systems.  And considering the U.S. is the 4th best educated nation in the world (Canada is #1), according to data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, education isn’t to blame either.

So, if those factors aren’t the culprits behind the U.S.’s growing Alzheimer’s epidemic, then there’s got to be another explanation.  The gravitational pull of the moon, a genetic predisposition, or maybe exposure to an abundance of Walmart stores.  No?

Proof That It Isn’t In Their Genes

Although the theory that susceptibility to Alzheimer’s is merely in the genetic makeup of U.S. residents doesn’t seem all that farfetched, recent findings have shown the complete opposite of that fact to be true.  Let me explain.

As mentioned, the countries of Central America (and Mexico) have relatively low rates of death due to Alzheimer’s, when compared to the U.S.  Now, what happens when you transplant those Latinos into the U.S. and let them live like much of the rest of the North American culture?

THEY BECOME 1.5 TIMES AS LIKELY TO DEVELOP ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE.

That’s right.

Latinos make up roughly 17% of the U.S. population and, even though they have no genetic predisposition to developing Alzheimer’s, they are being affected by alarming rates.  Rates that are projected to increase 600-fold by 2050.

Doctors chalk most of this phenomenon up to an also high occurrence of chronic illnesses in Latinos, including obesity, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, and stroke.  More diseases that occur in a relatively low percentage to these same individuals in their countries of origin!

G. Vermin

The North American Lifestyle Is Killing Them!

All other factors unchanged, the only other explanation is that these immigrants have succumbed to a North American lifestyle that creates the ideal climate for brain degeneration.  And we aren’t merely suggesting they are all turning into couch potatoes who sit around and east fast food all day.

While that is an unhealthy way to live, recent studies suggest that there are a lot more factors leading to the high occurrence of U.S. Alzheimer’s cases than just diet and exercise (although those are certainly major ones).

The study, Environmental Threats to Healthy Aging published by Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility and the Science and Environmental Health Network, identified several environmental factors that alter human cells and cause a number of health problems.

They contribute to what’s called the “Western disease cluster” and includes obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome–all which greatly increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.  These diseases, they claim, are being driven by changes made in the past century to the U.S. food supply, exposure to toxic chemicals, and an increasingly sedentary way of life.

Here are some of the leading causes they identified.

• Lead – Lead exposure has recently been linked to cognitive impairment, as much as 15 years’ worth of aging in those with the highest amount of exposure.

• Air pollution – In addition to the brain, air pollution can also damage the nose, lungs, heart, and blood vessels.  The resulting inflammation and cellular damage have been linked to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

• Pesticides – Exposure to pesticides has been proven to impair memory and attention spans, and those with a high level of occupational exposure more than double their risk of developing Alzheimer’s.

• Dietary risk (and protective) factors – Diet and nutrition can both increase and decrease the risk of disease.  Diets high in saturated fat, for example, have been shown to increase the risk of dementia.  However, diets high in omega-3 fatty acids and those that resemble a Mediterranean diet (consisting of fresh produce, legumes, whole grains, fish, nuts, and olive oil) have been linked to a reduction in the risk of Alzheimer’s, as well as other diseases.

• Physical activity – Getting some exercise as little as two days a week, during midlife, can lead to a reduction of 50% or more in the risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer’s later in life.

Are You About Ready for Some Good News?

If poor eating habits, an inactive lifestyle, and exposure to harmful gases and chemicals can INCREASE your chances of developing Alzheimer’s, then is it too much of a stretch to think that the opposite type of lifestyle can actually DECREASE those odds?

It isn’t.  And it can!

Just look at the suggestions that same study gave to both communities and individuals to help them lower their risks of developing Alzheimer’s.

• Sustainable, diversified, local alternatives to industrial farming

• Reformed chemical policies to prevent pollution

• Accessible health care that focuses on disease prevention

• Energy policies focusing on reduced emissions and conservation

• Eating healthy and nutritious foods (high in vegetables, fruits, fish, and nuts–low in meat, sugar, fat, and processed foods)

• Staying physically and mentally active

• Being socially engaged with friends, family, and community

Sounds doable, right?  It’s a list full of positive strides you hear political candidates promising and just generally things you know you should be doing.

So why aren’t you doing them?

Rita Willaert

Wait, It Gets Better.

While it’s possible to take some difficult baby steps towards better brain health living in North America, it’s flat out simple in Central America.  That’s because there it isn’t just about phoning it in and finding ways to artificially incorporate these practices into your life.

It’s a completely different way of life.

It isn’t squeezing in a quick high-intensity workout at the gym in the morning and then a day full of sitting around.  It’s getting exercise that’s naturally built into your daily life as you tend your own organic garden on a hillside, walk into town or along the seashore, or engage in sports or other activities you enjoy.

It isn’t taking a processed pizza crust and piling it high with “healthy” toppings or buying some obscure vegetable and experimenting with ways to make it borderline edible.  It’s eating healthy the right way by going to the local farmer’s market and buying fresh, locally-grown fruits and vegetables that taste phenomenal just the way they are.

It isn’t doing crossword puzzles and brain teasers to help keep your mind active.  It’s stimulating all areas of your brain by being exposed to new people and ideas, learning a new language, and trying new things.  (In fact, one study revealed that bilingual patients delayed their dementia risk by almost 5 years.)

And Better…

Other factors linked to a reduced risk for Alzheimer’s include low stress levels, a sense of purpose, strong ties to family and community, spirituality, and plenty of sleep. What better place to find these qualities than in Latin America where life moves at a slower pace, where friends are like family, and where family is everything.

It’s a place whose culture is heavily steeped in religion and tradition and whose people enjoy a quality of life that is virtually unmatched elsewhere.

And, because we so strongly believe in this healthy life-altering lifestyle, we’ve begun building a series of Adventure Colonies that offer an ideal setting for residents who wish to align their lives with these principles.  You can learn more by downloading our free ebook and reading about the Adventure Colony lifestyle.

Whether you’re looking to make a change for the sake of your brain, or just for your heart and soul, it could be the smartest move you’ll ever make.