The truth is, I've wondered that a few times too... It seems like dementia has become almost a silent epidemic of our time. I think there are several reasons behind this: the aging of the population, yes, but also our way of living and eating.

Today we live in a hyper-industrialized world: we eat a lot of processed foods, fill our bodies with sugars, ultra-processed vegetable fats, products with additives, and on top of that, we add chronic stress, little sun, screens all day long, and a completely artificial pace of life. It's as if we're disconnected from what our grandparents did naturally and what was part of their daily lives. We've made a lot of progress as a society, but on the other hand, we've fallen behind.

At home, we're trying to change that. Here are some things we learned and that we're gradually applying:

• Eat more good fats: butter, eggs, coconut oil, real meats, avocado... The brain is largely made of fat; it needs that to function properly.
• Avoid excessive dairy products (especially industrially pasteurized dairy). I've read studies that link excessive milk consumption with neuroinflammation in some people.
• Avoid sugar and refined flours: they increase insulin, which also affects the brain in the long term.
• Get some sun every day (when you can): vitamin D is key for brain health.
• Get moving. Walking, biking, playing with your kids—moving every day is free medicine. If you can walk somewhere, do it. If you can take the stairs, it's better than taking the elevator.
• Read, talk, and have real human relationships: loneliness kills neurons faster than we think.
• Avoid aluminum (yes, that too): many pots, deodorants, and processed foods contain it, and it's neurotoxic.

Are we guaranteed that it will never affect us? No. But at least we can do what's in our hands to take care of this organ that is everything.