AU researcher: active life may stave off Alzheimer's

Ronald Reagan had his share of critics as president, but, as historians are discovering, he was an unusually disciplined individual who never let the demands of the office prevent him from maintaining a rigorous schedule of physical fitness.

At least one nutrition expert speculates that this disciplined lifestyle not only kept Reagan looking fit but also may have staved off the effects of Alzheimer’s disease until much later in life.

Reagan’s passion for physical activity was acquired early in life, first as a YMCA-trained teenage lifeguard in his hometown of Dixon, Ill. Later, as a sports announcer in Des Moine, Iowa, he developed a passion for horseback riding --- a pastime he found especially stimulating, both mentally and physically.

He also undertook many of the heavy chores around his beloved 700-acre Rancho Del Cielo, pruning trees, clearing brush and digging postholes for fences.

Following his near death from an assassination attempt in 1981, Reagan was advised by his doctors to follow a weight-lifting regimen to speed his recovery --- a routine he maintained consistently for the rest of his two presidential terms.

Reagan carefully maintained an ideal weight for his height. During long, often grueling flights on Air Force One, Reagan sometimes deviated from his usually Spartan eating regimen when his wife wasn’t onboard, opting for typically Midwestern fare such as meatloaf and macaroni with lemon meringue or chocolate chip pie for dessert. For snacking between meals, however, Reagan maintained his usual ironclad discipline, opting for grapes, apples and plumbs. Never much of an alcohol drinker, he usually stuck with water and decaffeinated coffee.

Reagan also maintained an active reading schedule in his free time, preferring biographies and Western novels.

Was this enough to stave off the effects of Alzheimer’s disease until comparatively late in life?

Experts will never be certain. What they do know is that Reagan’s physically active lifestyle may have prevented the onslaught of Alzheimer’s disease earlier in life, possibly while he was president, said Dr. Robert Keith, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System nutritionist and Auburn University professor of nutrition and foods.

“In terms of dealing with Alzheimer’s disease, he was ahead of his time in some respects,” Keith said. “He ate the sorts of high-antoxidant foods that research has shown to delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, and he also kept his mind very active until very late in life.”

The fact that he was very old before he suffered significant impairment from his disease is further evidence that lifestyle choices may have played a role, Keith added.

Reagan’s disciplined weight-lifting regimen begun in his 70s also put him far ahead of the curve, Keith said.

“There’s now a huge push to get more senior citizens to lift weights,” he said. “It helps elderly people build stronger bones and keep their muscles conditioned so they can remain mobile.”

While there is no 100 percent effective method for preventing Alzheimer’s disease, experts believe people may reduce their susceptibility to the disease through regular physical exercise and through antioxidant-rich diets high in fruits and vegetables.

People who keep their minds active throughout life working puzzles or taking classes also appear to face a lower risk of developing the disease, Keith said.