A new study has shown a strong link between medication for anxiety and sleep and degenerative Alzheimer's disease. Benzodiazepines are a group of chemicals that include often-prescribed medications such as Xanax, Altivan, Klonopin and Valium for sleep and anxiety disorders - disorders that, in turn, might also be associated with the development of dementia later in life.

The study, which was led by French and Canadian scientists from the Universities of Bordeaux and Montreal and was published last Tuesday on the medical journal BMJ, tracked 8,890 people over the age of 65 living in Quebec. The investigation monitored subjects who used benzodiazepines and those who didn't, and found that those who had a past of using the medication for three months or more had a risk 43 to 51 per cent higher of developing Alzheimer's than those who hadn't. Even more notably, the longer the use of benzodiazepines was, the higher the risk.

While use of benzodiazepines are not discouraged, this would mean physicians should be more careful at the moment of renewing treatment for these medications, particularly on older citizens. There were no issues when the usage went on for under three months.

Besides avoiding long use of medication, a healthy diet is recommended to keep from developing Alzheimer's later in life. Particularly, a Mediterranean diet - rich in fish, olive oil, whole grains, nuts and fresh fruits and vegetables - will do wonders to oxygenate the brain as well as the rest of the body. Even the occasional glass of red wine and dark chocolate will keep your brain running at a healthy pace; so will green tea, which makes it no wonder that the Japanese have the longest lifespans on the planet.

Avoiding saturated fats is also a must (or at least not eating them excessively), and consumption of Omega 3 fats should be kept high. Keep in mind that a diet that helps your heart also helps your brain.