Who doesn’t want a healthier brain? We all want a brain that thinks clearly, works quickly, and concentrates intently through the years. We also want an agile mind capable of storing and processing vast amounts of information, from the everyday (your shopping list, the punch line to a joke, your ATM PIN) to the complex (balancing your checkbook, learning to tango, speaking Japanese). But while some people’s brains seem to have a natural capacity for remembering sports statistics, television trivia, or historical facts, most of us recognize that there’s some room for improvement where our cognitive capabilities are concerned.
A BRAIN-HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
Not so long ago, scientists regarded memory problems and cognitive decline as inevitable consequences of aging. This view is changing, as more and more studies show that you can take steps to preserve your memory and keep your mind sharp throughout life. What’s more, it now appears that genetics account for only one-third of an individual’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Your environment and the lifestyle choices you make on a day-to-day basis account for two-thirds of the risk, giving you more control over your brain’s future health than you may have thought possible.
The earlier in life that you adopt brain-protective practices, the better, since the abnormal protein deposits (amyloid plaques) and tangles of nerve fibers that accumulate in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients may begin forming decades before symptoms first appear. Dietary and other lifestyle measures can address several factors that undermine brain health, including chronic inflammation (Alzheimer’s begins with inflammation in the brain), oxidative stress from free radicals, and chronically elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Healthy living can also help prevent cardiovascular disease, an all-too-common problem that can reduce blood supply to critical areas of the brain and frequently contributes to dementia.
Even your attitude toward aging can affect your memory: older people who were shown negative words about aging, like senile, before taking memory tests did worse than those who were shown positive words, like wisdom. Likewise, in China and other cultures with a more positive view of aging than ours, older people performed better on memory tests.
MENTALLY EXERCISING YOUR BRAIN
Engaging your brain appears to be a key protective strategy. The more education you have, the less likely you are to experience age-related cognitive decline or to develop Alzheimer’s disease. If you do experience these conditions, they’ll more likely appear later in life for you than for people with fewer years of education. The reason may have to do with “neural redundancy,” the number of extra connections between nerve cells in the brain. Learning creates new connections between brain cells, and many of these connections duplicate existing pathways. The more connection you have, the more you can afford to lose if some degenerative process should occur.
An advanced degree isn’t necessary. The important thing is to keep challenging your mind. Learning a new computer-operating system and learning a foreign language are two of the best ways to challenge your mind. Here are many more possibilities:
• Solve crossword, Sudoku, or jigsaw puzzles.
• Play cards, chess, word games (like Scrabble), and knowledge games (like Trivial Pursuit).
• Join a book club or study group.
• Express yourself by writing, painting, making music, or dancing.
• Attend lectures, plays, and concerts.
• Visit museums.
• Travel to new destinations.
• Volunteer for a cause you care about.
• Take classes at a local adult-education center or community college.
• Start a new hobby, whether it’s collecting stamps, woodworking, or bird-watching.
• Do more math by making simple calculations in your head, balancing your checkbook without a calculator, or preparing your own taxes.
FEEDING YOUR BRAIN AN ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DIET
Because inflammation and oxidative stress can undermine brain function, eating an anti-inflammatory diet that is rich in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids can help you keep your wits about you. To add “brain food” to your diet, you’ll want to consume more of the following:
Omega-3 oils. People who eat fish regularly are less likely to experience cognitive decline or develop Alzheimer’s. The omega-3s in oily fish, such as salmon, sardines, herring, and black cod, help to reduce inflammation, and one of these healthy fats—DHA—is essential for normal brain function. Vegetarian sources of omega-3 fatty acids include walnuts, flax seed (preferably freshly ground), and hemp seeds.
Fruits and vegetables. According to a 2004 analysis of more than 100 foods by scientists at the US Department of Agriculture, berries and beans have particularly high concentrations of antioxidants. The pigments that account for the varied colors of vegetables and fruits have antioxidant properties, so it’s a good idea to eat fresh produce every day from as many parts of the color spectrum as you can.
Olive oil. This monounsaturated fat contains an anti-inflammatory substance called squalene and antioxidant compounds such as flavonoids and polyphenols. Make extra-virgin olive oil your primary cooking oil; it’s less processed than other kinds of olive oil and has more antioxidant activity.
Turmeric. The low rate of Alzheimer’s disease in India may be partly due to daily consumption of turmeric there. The yellow spice, which is a major ingredient in Indian curries and American mustard, is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent. Consider flavoring more of your food with it.
Green tea. A recent study of some 1,000 Japanese people aged 70 or older found that those who drank at least two cups of green tea a day were 54 percent less likely to have cognitive difficulties than those who had three cups or fewer a week. The antioxidants in this beverage are probably responsible for its brain-protective effects.
Here’s a list of the top 20 food sources of antioxidants, based on their total antioxidant capacity per serving size:
• Wild blueberries
• Pinto beans
• Blueberries
• Cranberries
• Artichoke hearts
• Blackberries
• Prunes
• Raspberries
• Strawberries
• Red Delicious apples
• Granny Smith apples
• Pecans
• Sweet cherries
• Black plums
• Russet potatoes
• Black beans
• Plums
• Gala apples
THE BRAIN-BOOSTING BENEFITS OF PHYSICALLY ACTIVITY
A number of large studies show that older people who get regular exercise are more likely to keep their minds sharp. For example, a study of nearly 6,000 women age 65 or older found that those who walked the most blocks per week had a 34 percent lower risk of cognitive decline than those who walked the fewest blocks. Other research has found that exercise programs involving both aerobic exercise (like walking) and strength training produced better results on cognitive abilities than either activity alone. Exercise improves blood flow and oxygen delivery to the brain, and may spur the formation of new brain cells. For optimum health, include aerobic exercise, strength training, and flexibility and balance exercises.
MAXIMIZING MEMORY SKILLS
Evidence shows that memory-training programs work. In the first study of its kind, carried out at the UCLA Memory and Aging Research Center, people improved their cognitive function and brain efficiency by making the kinds of lifestyle changes described in our Healthy Brain program, such as including physical activity, sensible eating, stress reduction, and memory exercises.
Look, snap, and connect are three foundational steps of the Healthy Brain memory techniques. Look reminds you to focus your attention, especially when new information is presented. Consciously absorb the details and meanings from a new face, event, or conversation. The most common explanation for memory loss is that the information never gets into your mind in the first place, usually because you are distracted, not interested, or multitasking. Look is a skill that involves all five senses, not just vision; hearing, smell, touch, and taste also contribute to effective learning.
Try this: Take out several frequently used objects (such as keys, eyeglasses, and a hairbrush), place them on a table, and stare at them, one at a time. Pay attention to details you never noticed before. You will find quite a few. (Tip: Think of your brain as a sponge—you want to absorb as many details as possible to augment your memory skills.)
Snap reminds you to create a mental snapshot or visual image of the information to be remembered. As you picture this image in your mind’s eye, add details to give the snapshot personal meaning—and thus make it easier to learn and recall later.
Try this: Visualize each of the following but alter them slightly so they become unusual in some way: football, rock star, orange, car. (Tip: To help develop effective learning and recall techniques, you need to rekindle the natural creative instincts you had as a child.)
Connect calls for lining up the visual images in a relational and meaningful way. These relationships are the key to drumming up memories when you want to recall them later. The ideas or images become part of a chain, starting with the first item, which is associated with the second, and so on.
Try this: For each of the following four objects, create a vivid, detailed, and personally meaningful image. Connect these images by creating a story that links them sequentially: an athlete, animal, drink, antique. (Tip: If you need to remember a long list of items, the link method is an elaborate way to connect mental shapshots by creating a story. The story’s visual images and flow provide the clues for retrieving information.)
The more vibrantly and creatively you visualize new information, the more effectively it will stick in your memory. Exaggeration and playfulness enhance your ability to store and recall information.
CONDITIONS AND DRUGS THAT CAN INFLUENCE MEMORY
Alzheimer’s disease and normal aging aren’t the only causes of memory changes. Certain conditions (such as alcoholism, anxiety, depression, diabetes, hypertension, hypothyroidism, sleep disorders, and vitamin B-12 deficiency) can impair your ability to think and remember. If you’re having memory problems, your doctor may advise a medical workup to determine if one of these conditions is responsible.
Meanwhile, be aware that medications can also affect memory. Such medications include anti-anxiety drugs, antidepressants, antihistamines, antispasmodics, beta-blockers for hypertension, cimetidine (Tagamet) for ulcers, narcotic painkillers, Parkinson’s disease drugs, sleeping pills, and various forms of chemotherapy. If you suspect a medication is interfering with your memory, talk to your doctor about adjusting your dosage or switching to another drug.
Scientists long believed that once you reached adulthood, you stopped growing new brain cells. But now we know that new brain cells do form throughout life, even though you don’t replace all the cells you lose. One particularly encouraging finding is that the hippocampus—the most important brain structure for memory—regularly generates new brain cells.
Do some aspects of brain function improve with age? According to psychiatrist and gerontologist Gene Cohen, director of The Center for Aging, Health, and Humanities at George Washington University, the answer is yes. In his book The Mature Mind: The Positive Power of the Aging Brain (2005), he describes a number of beneficial changes:
Wiser. Older brains have learned more than younger brains, and learning creates new connections between neurons. Although the neurons may lose some processing speed with age, they become more richly intertwined, reflecting both deeper knowledge and better judgment.
More flexible. Unlike younger adults, who tend to handle most tasks on one side of the brain or the other, older people are more apt to use both sides at once. This adaptation not only helps keep you sharp, but may also help explain why autobiographical writing and storytelling are common among older people. The rearrangement of brain functions “makes it easier to merge the speech, language, and sequential thinking typical of the left hemisphere with the creative, synthesizing right hemisphere,” suggests Dr. Cohen.
Greater equanimity. The amygdalas, two almond-shaped structures that serve as the brain’s emotional centers, appear to mellow with age. In brain-imaging studies, older adults show less evidence of fear, anger, and hatred than young adults. Likewise, psychological studies show that older adults are less impulsive and less likely to dwell on negative feelings.
KNOWING THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL CONNECTIONS
Middle-aged and older adults with large social networks experience less cognitive decline as they age. People with an active social life may be more likely to stay involved in mentally challenging activities, and good social ties can be a powerful buffer against stress. Some experts believe that dancing may be particularly beneficial to the brain, because it combines social interaction, physical activity, and often the mental challenge of learning dance steps.
There are many other ways to stay connected. Spend time with family and friends, especially those who make you feel happier and more alive. Meet other people interested in healthy living by joining a walking or biking club or taking yoga or cooking classes. Consider getting involved at a local house of worship: There’s some evidence that religious attendance and personal spiritual practices are associated with slower rates of cognitive decline. Do some kind of service work by volunteering in your community or helping someone in need. And think about getting a pet: Caring for a companion animal can promote a sense of well-being, help manage stress, and make you smile.
Excerpted with permission from The Healthy Brain Kit by Andrew Weil, MD, and Gary Small, MD. For many more ways to boost brain health, and training exercises to improve your memory, consult the kit’s informational workbook, two audio CDs, and 35 “brain-training” cards; published by Sounds True, www.soundstrue.com; (800) 333-9185.