Aging and Brain Health Preservation: Strategies to Keep Your Mind Sharp
There is growing scientific support for the notion that adopting healthy lifestyle habits throughout one’s life can help preserve mental health as we age, as well as delay dementia onset. While no miracle cure exists that will prevent cognitive decline or delay neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s from appearing, simple adjustments can have profound benefits for improving overall brain health and delaying dementia progression.
Remind yourself that some degree of memory loss is normal; however, certain forms of cognitive impairment should not be ignored. For example, if you find yourself frequently forgetting where you placed your keys or not recalling names of familiar people (tip-of-the-tongue syndrome), that should raise red flags.
To boost your odds of remaining mentally healthy as you get older, consider these six pillars of wellness:
Exercise. According to research, physical activity not only benefits your heart and lungs, but can also increase blood flow to the brain, improving concentration, thought, and memory.
Eat a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruit and vegetables, healthy fats, fish, and whole grains. Studies have demonstrated that such diets can lower your risk for dementia and depression as well as maintaining blood pressure and cholesterol levels within normal range.
Be social. A growing body of research indicates that maintaining strong connections with others, particularly as you age, may help protect against cognitive decline by building cognitive reserve – which acts as a protective shield against age-related illnesses and effects from ageing itself.