When it comes to cognitive decline, many of us assume it’s a natural aging process—something we have no control over. And while different forms of dementia may have a genetic component, neurologists estimate that 45 percent of Alzheimer’s cases could be delayed or prevented through lifestyle changes.

Newsweek spoke with licensed psychologist Kimberley Wilson to find out what she does to nourish her brain and protect herself from cognitive decline.

“You can start early with practical, easy, everyday habits that can make a pretty significant difference,” Wilson told Newsweek.

1. Challenge your brain

“Things like crossword puzzles, word games and Sudoku are fun, but they’re not the kind of challenge the brain needs to build resilience,” Wilson said. “You’ll get better at these types of games by practicing them, but you won’t get those broader, more global improvements in brain structure and function, which we call cognitive reserve.”

Cognitive reserve is the building of new connections between different regions of the brain.

“To build those connections, you have to challenge your brain,” Wilson said. “It’s like challenging a muscle, but with your brain, the challenge is to learn. Whether you’re learning a language, a musical instrument, learning to dance or engaging in some other unique activity where you really need to get the brand involved. new ways. This is the kind of challenge you need – a Sudoku or crossword just won’t cut it.”

Starting a new hobby or learning a new still can be time-consuming, but one of the best ways to challenge your brain is something many of us do every day without even realizing it.

“Every social interaction is a new experience,” Wilson said. “Let’s say you go out and sit at a table with four friends, just have a conversation over tea. You have to pay attention to the person speaking, to the other two people, you have to remember what they said while Thinking of a response has to delay or suppress the impulse to intervene and hold on to what you are thinking. All of this is cognitively challenging, including all language generation.

“Another thing is that social engagement reduces our risk of loneliness and depression, and we know that the stress of loneliness is really bad for the brain.”

With this in mind, Wilson makes an effort to cultivate these relationships.

“I’m conscious and aware of going back to people, remembering if someone was going for a health check and just telling them I’m thinking of them and investing in my relationships,” she said.

2. Fuel your brain

“I eat green leafy vegetables every day,” Wilson said, “and this comes from data that found that older people who ate leafy greens every day had brains 11 years younger than their peers—11 years! “

Much of this effect may be due to two key nutrients called lutein and zeaxanthin, which are especially concentrated in these vegetables. These nutrients are best known for their role in supporting eye health, but they can also protect us from neurodegeneration.

“A recent study found that the levels of these two compounds were 50 percent lower in the brains of those who died of Alzheimer’s,” Wilson said.

Along with these green, leafy vegetables, Wilson also makes sure to include a variety of different berries — blueberries in particular have been the focus of several studies on brain function due to their rich supply of vitamins, fiber and antioxidants — and one diet rich in fiber.

3. Grow your brain

Along with a healthy diet, it’s also important to stay active.

“I exercise almost daily, so about five days a week — six if I’m feeling particularly energetic,” Wilson said. “And that will be a combination of cardio and resistance exercise because cardio helps keep the 400 miles of blood vessels in the brain nice and flexible.

“On the other hand is resistance training. And we know that, for example, in older women, those who do resistance training have less and less damage in the brain—that is, fewer areas of brain damage—because the same growth factors that help to support your muscle growth, you do the same for your brain cells.”

4. Rest your brain

Finally, we’re learning more and more about the importance of sleep when it comes to our brain health (as well as our overall mental and physical health). A recent study found that poor sleep in middle age was linked to accelerated brain aging.

Getting enough sleep isn’t just about going to bed early, it’s also about practicing good sleep hygiene.

“I’ll use earplugs, an eye mask, dark rooms and phones outside the bedroom,” Wilson said.

If you’re struggling to adapt to these healthy lifestyle changes, Wilson previously spoke Newsweek about ways to train your brain to eat healthier and develop healthy habits.

Is there a health issue that worries you? Let us know via [email protected]. We can ask for expert advice and your story could be featured in Newsweek.

reference

Livingston, G., Huntley, J., Liu, KY, Costafreda, SG, Selbæk, G., Alladi, S., Ames, D., Banerjee, S., Burns, A., Brayne, C., FoxNC, Ferri, CP, Gitlin, LN, Howard, R., Kales, HC, Kivimäki, M., Larson, EB, Nakasujja, N., Rockwood, K., Samus, Q., … Mukadam, N . (2024). Dementia prevention, intervention and care: 2024 report of the Lancet Standing Committee. Lancet, 404(10452), 572–628. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01296-0

Dorey, CK, Gierhart, D., Fitch, KA, Crandell, I., & Craft, NE (2022). Decreased xanthophylls, retinol, lycopene and tocopherols in gray and white matter of Alzheimer’s disease brain. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, https://doi.org/10.3233/jad-220460

Devore, EE, Kang, JH, Breteler, MM, & Grodstein, F. (2012). Dietary intake of berries and flavonoids in relation to cognitive decline. Annals of Neurology https://doi.org/10.1002/ana.23594

Morris, MC, Wang, Y., Barnes, LL, Bennett, DA, Dawson-Hughes, B., & Booth, SL (2018). Nutrients and bioactives in green leafy vegetables and cognitive decline: prospective study. Neurology, 90(3), e214–e222. https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000004815

Cavaillès, C., Dintica, C., Habes, M., Leng, Y., Carnethon, MR, Yaffe, K. (2024). Association of self-reported sleep characteristics with neuroimaging markers of brain aging years later in middle-aged adults. Neurology, 103.