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One of our greatest treasures may very well be the one sitting inside our skulls: the human brain. Smarter than the smartest supercomputer, with a 100 billion neurons that continue forming into adulthood and 100,000 miles of blood vessels, the brain is the most complex and intricate organ at the helm of a myriad of functions: body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate and breathing; sensations and information processing; physical movements; and dreaming, reasoning, thinking, and feeling.
As the body ages, the brain shrinks: the frontal lobe and hippocampus, responsible for higher cognitive function and the formation of new memories, shrink around age 60 or 70. Diminishing nerve tracts, synaptic connections, blood flow, myelin, and chemical messengers lead to worsened cognitive function and memory and increased depression. Older adults have greater difficulty performing complex memory or learning tests compared to younger adults. An older brain, however, can still be a healthy, powerful organ that remains sharp long into old age.
Experts recommend a combination of measures to ensure that the brain has the best chance of staying at tip-top shape. One is physical exercise, as exercise may slow down the deterioration of an aging brain by reversing its effects. Exercise increases blood flow, nerve cells, and synapses; some studies believe that physical activity causes a protein to be released that helps keep nerve cells healthy. All of this helps cognitive abilities and memory. A second recommendation going hand-in-hand with physical exercise is diet: following the Dietary Guidelines for Americans published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Services goes a long way towards ensuring the best diet to help maintain brain health. The Mediterranean diet in particular, rich in fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts, olive oil, and proteins from plant sources, is beneficial for brain health. Other recommendations for brain health include taking care of medical conditions (lowering blood pressure/cholesterol and improving blood sugar allows cognition to remain good and decreases the risk of dementia, for example) and taking care of emotional health, as strong social networks and restful sleep help keep cognitive abilities high and are good for overall health. Recently, experts have recommended that more seniors bring up brain health and request being screened for cognitive issues to help maintain healthy brains.
On top of all this, most experts also agree on one more thing to help keep older brains as healthy as possible: mentally stimulating activities. Professor Sheung-Tak Cheng of The Education University of Hong Kong describes physical activity as supporting the “hardware” of the brain (neuronal structural integrity and preservation of brain mass), while mental activity supports the “software” of the brain (neural circuits). Mentally stimulating activity helps improve cognitive abilities, and some of these activities may help prevent or delay Alzheimer’s for certain individuals. Additionally, there is evidence that as it ages, the brain is still able to adapt to new functions and challenges. But “mentally stimulating activity” sounds rather general and slightly vague - what kinds of mental activities are best for brain health in older age?
Many experts recommend that for the mental activity to be effective in supporting brain health, it should be novel and complex (that is, it keeps your brain active and challenged). Dr. Lawrence Katz, a well-known neurobiologist, believes that novel and complex brain exercises help create new connections between brain cells and keep the brain sharp. For further reference, see Katz’s book: Keep Your Brain Alive: 83 Neurobic Exercises to Help Prevent Memory Loss and Increase Mental Fitness.
The more novel and complex the mental activity is, the more benefits the brain will reap. It is important to note, however, that these activities have not been proven to prevent dementia (Alzheimer’s included) or even age-related decline. What they do do is improve mental ability and provide a “higher starting point from which to decline.” In any case, these activities have a great potential to enrich life and make it more interesting. Happy mental exercising!
Sources
https://sciencefirst.com/10-interesting-facts-about-the-human-brain/
https://www.rd.com/health/wellness/brain-facts/
https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/human-brain/brain.htm
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/memory-medic/201211/what-happens-the-aging-brain
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319185.php
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/how-aging-brain-affects-thinking
https://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/guide/9-brain-boosters-to-prevent-memory-loss#1
https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/12-ways-to-keep-your-brain-young
https://time.com/5541999/alzheimers-association-report-2019/
https://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/guide/preventing-dementia-brain-exercises#1
https://bebrainfit.com/brain-exercises/
https://interestingengineering.com/25-brain-exercises-to-make-you-a-mental-heavyweight
https://yourbrainmatters.org.au/your-brain-matters/evidence/mental-activity/exercise-your-brain
https://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/guide/preventing-dementia-brain-exercises#1
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4969323/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4417099/
https://www.livescience.com/29246-brain-games-slow-mental-decline.html
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