These 2 Things Turn Back the Clock on Your Brain

Like other systems in your body, the better you maintain your brain, the more efficiently it’s going to run. Your cognitive reserve, or your brain’s ability to problem-solve and adapt around complex issues, can decline over time. Brain games and crossword puzzles might help, but you’ll need more than mental exercises to keep your reserves at their best. Good diet and proper exercise are vital to proper brain functioning, and in people with aging brains, adopting these healthy practices could even turn back the clock.

Healthy food and exercise habits are essential to good brain health. A recent study showed a combination of exercise and the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet could reduce apparent brain age by 9 years. Other studies have shown diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids and polyphenols can improve cognition and memory. 

DASH and Exercise

A recent study compared the effects of diet and exercise on 160 sedentary adults 55 years and older. The men and women chosen for the study were at risk for heart disease, but otherwise healthy. For nearly 6 months, they followed a strict aerobic exercise regimen, adhered to the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, did both or changed nothing about their routines.

At the beginning of the study, test scores indicated the group’s average brain functioning matched scores you’d find in typical 93-year-olds. At the end of the 6 months, test scores for the aerobic exercise group showed only slight improvement. Participants following the DASH diet, which swaps out sugars and saturated fats for vegetables and lean proteins, showed even less improvement. However, the group that followed both regimens had test scores that reflected the brain functioning of an 84-year-old. That’s like recovering 9 years of brain health in less than 6 months!

Improving Memory

The difference may be significant, but even exercise and the DASH diet combined don’t appear to improve age-related issues with memory or speech. Longer studies or research on alternate dietary choices could yield better results. For example, a different study showed supplementation of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid, could improve spatial memory and mental processing speeds. Other research has shown diets rich in polyphenols, like the Mediterranean diet, could offer similar benefits.

However you look at it, the research keeps coming in loud and clear: Good diet AND exercise are essential to a long and healthy life. Incorporating lifestyle changes and better habits might not always be easy, but the benefits are too great to ignore. Your brainpower is precious, so why not do everything in your ability to preserve it? You could even turn back the clock to a whole new you.

~ Here’s to Your Health and Wellness