Healthy habits to stay mentally sharp at every age
Recent studies suggest that the same healthy habits that are good for the heart and reduce risk for cardiovascular disease may also be beneficial for the brain, which has the highest concentration of blood vessels of any organ in the body. Among the best ways to protect brain health at every age are:
*Boost good cholesterol levels. Higher levels of heart-healthy HDL (good) cholesterol may reduce risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in older adults, a study published in Archives of Neurology recently reported. For people who are overweight, slimming down to a healthy BMI of 25 or below can raise HDL levels by 3.1 to 4.7 mg/dL over a 14-year period, researchers reported in April. Moderate alcohol consumption (one or fewer drinks per day) raised HDL by 2.4 to 3.3 mg/dL in 4,168 men studied.
*Move more. Regular exercise trims your waistline and keeps your wits sharp. Researchers from Columbia University reported that older adults who exercised vigorously 1.3 hours a week were 33 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s, compared to couch potatoes of the same age. But those who combined physical activity, such as jogging, hiking, or biking, with a heart-healthy diet got even greater benefit, whittling their risk by 60 percent over the 5.5-year study.
*Keep in touch with friends. Get-togethers with friends, neighbors, or family can have a surprising payoff, Harvard researchers found. In their study of people age 50 and older, those who were the most socially connected had half the rate of memory loss during the six-year study as those who were socially isolated. Engaging with friends may motivate people to take better care of their health, which in turn helps preserve their intellect, says Bradley Bale, MD, medical director of the Heart Health Program for Grace Clinic in Lubbock, Texas. Good ways to stay socially active include volunteer work, joining a community group, and travel.
*Rev up your brain. Like your body, your mind needs exercise to stay fit. Research shows that highly educated people are less likely to suffer memory loss, possibly because keeping the brain active boosts its “cognitive reserve,” allowing it to work efficiently even if some cells are damaged, says Dr. Bale. A wide range of activities provide healthy stimulation, including learning a foreign language, taking courses at a community college, and playing games such as bridge or Scrabble.
*Wear a helmet for sports. Head protection reduces the risk of traumatic brain injuries from biking, skiing, and contact sports. Also take bumps on the head seriously and seek medical attention if you have symptoms of concussion, which include confusion, dizziness, ringing in the ears, slurred speech, and temporary loss of consciousness or amnesia after an injury.
What are you doing to keep your brain healthy?
CONNECT THE DOTS
To learn more about a brain-healthy lifestyle, visit the Alzheimer’s Association website. For information on improving HDL cholesterol levels, visit the Mayo Clinic website. For more news on memory, check out our blog posts, “Mental Fitness 101,” “High Tech Tools to Help Alzheimer’s Patients Remember,” and “Photographic Memory: A Camera for People with Memory Loss.” For information on head injuries, read, “Brain Changes Found in Football Players Without Concussion” and “High Tech Helmets Protect Young Athletes from Concussions.”
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