You may think that the flu vaccine is only for preventing flu, but this vaccine also protects your brain against dementia and Alzheimer’s.
The Washington Post published a report that shows that vaccines for influenza and other infectious diseases not only protect the body against these diseases, but also help prevent Alzheimer’s and dementia.
According to research, people who vaccinate themselves against influenza and other infectious diseases are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s and dementia. But scientists have not yet found out the reasons for it.
According to some people, infectious diseases play an important role in causing Alzheimer’s and being vaccinated against these diseases reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s.
Peter Hotz, one of the directors of the children’s hospital in Texas, says: The reason why these vaccines prevent Alzheimer’s and dementia is not yet clear, but it seems that viruses can cause Alzheimer’s and dementia by engaging with the nervous system. Dementia that vaccines reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia by immunizing against these viruses.
He added: There is also a possibility that brain inflammations caused by viruses are one of the causes of Alzheimer’s and dementia, and vaccination against infectious diseases can prevent these inflammations.
Paul E. Schulz, professor of neurology and director of the Center for Neurological Disorders in Houston, conducted a study on the incidence of Alzheimer’s in vaccinated and unvaccinated people.
In this research, 935,887 people volunteered in two different groups. In order to avoid other influencing factors such as age, gender, the effect of medical diseases such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, Schulz placed those groups in a similar situation.
After the investigations, this research showed that being vaccinated for three consecutive years can reduce the possibility of dementia in the next 4 to 8 years by about 20%.
Hotz also says that in addition to vaccination, proper diet, physical, intellectual and emotional activity also play an effective role in preventing aging and brain diseases.
But experts say that they need more research in this field to be more sure about the effect of the vaccine on brain diseases.