Doctors have revealed the six everyday habits that could be prematurely aging your brain.
Although the brain does gradually decline from the age of 60 years, physicians say it is possible to slow this degeneration, which could help to stave off Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.
An estimated 7million Americans are living with some form of dementia, including the more than 6million who have Alzheimer’s — the most common type. Some estimates suggest this number could reach 13million by 2050.
Dr Zaldy Tan, the director of the Memory and Healthy Aging program at Cedars-Sinai, and Dr Glen Finney, a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology, revealed their top tips for keeping the brain healthy in old age.
‘Don’t think everything just has to happen that way because you’re getting [older],’ Dr Finney told HuffPost.
‘Take care of your brain, take care of your body — and if you do that, you can successfully age and not have as many changes as you might think.’
Some of the brain aging activities are linked to every day habits, such as repetitive routines, lack of social contact, high stress and poor quality sleep.
But others are linked to lifestyle, including having a lot of take outs or ready meals and not exercising often.
Below, are the six habits that could be prematurely aging your brain:
The above graphic shows the six habits that two scientists said are likely to speed up the aging of someone’s brain
Too little socializing
Over time, someone’s social network may shrink — and it can become harder to make new friends that live nearby.
This can lead to a lack of social interaction, and social isolation.
Doctors say this speeds up degeneration of the brain by depriving it of stimulation and the chance to build new neural connections.
Meeting and talking to others engages areas of the brain linked to language processing and comprehension, and also triggers the release of neurotransmitters that stimulate the creation of new brain cells. Without social interaction, this is not activated.
Previous studies have suggested those who are socially isolated have a lower volume of gray matter in areas of the brain linked to learning and thinking, and have a 26 percent higher risk of dementia.
Scientists have also suggested that being socially isolated raises the risk of complications such as heart disease, depression, inflammation and premature death.
Doctors say regular in person socializing is best to counteract this, although socializing with others online can also help.
Studies also suggest that getting a pet may help to reduce someone’s social isolation, through companionship, interaction with other owners and getting out of the house.
Doing the same thing daily raises the risk of cognitive decline, experts say
Repetitive behaviors
Humans are creatures of habit, and it is not difficult to get into a routine of doing the same thing day after day.
But doctors warn this could prematurely age the brain.
Dr Finney said: ‘You not only want to engage your brain by preserving skills you already have, but you also want to get your brain outside its comfort zone.
‘If you say, “I’m no longer a kid anymore. I’m not going to worry about learning anything”… that actually can sabotage your brain health and lead to premature brain aging.’
He recommended people take up activities like learning a musical instrument or a foreign language to counteract this.
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Doctors say learning a new skill triggers the growth of new brain cells and improves areas of the brain linked to reasoning, problem solving and short- and long-term memory.
A previous study found speaking two or more languages, even if the second language was learned in adulthood, could slow age-related decline.
Another that tracked adults aged 60 to 90 for three months found those learning a ‘complex skill’ — like photography or quilting — had improvements in overall memory compared to those who were just learning crosswords.
Long-term stress can also raise the risk
Ignoring stress
Chronic or long-term stress is a part of everyday life, and can be triggered in old age by concerns over finances, friends or family members.
Many try to ignore it, but doctors warn against this — saying long-term stress raises inflammation levels in the body that could damage brain cells.
People who are stressed also have higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which has been linked to problems with memory.
This damage to the brain can lead to premature aging, they warn, and — according to some studies — raise the risk of developing dementia.
To reduce stress, doctors recommended creating ‘short-term states of acute stress’ in the body — such as via a sauna or cold shower — which can prompt a recovery.
They also recommended breathing exercises and meditation, which they said could help to ‘reset neurons’ and reduce stress,
Doctors also suggested that surviving on takeout can raise the risk of mental decline
Too much takeout
Takeout and ready meals may be a convenient option for a quick meal without spending too long in the kitchen.
But doctors warn relying on these options could age the brain through their high salt content and the risks of weight gain.
Dr Tan said: ‘When we’re… busy with our professional and social lives, it’s a natural tendency to pick something that is quick [that] you can pop in the microwave or go to a drive-thru.
‘[But] in the long term, that may not really be the best for our brains.’
Ready-meals are ultra-processed foods that several studies have suggested raise the risk of suffering from cognitive decline.
They are also high in salt, with some studies suggesting high salt levels in the body can impair cognitive function in older adults — possibly because they may disrupt blood flow to the brain.
The meals may also raise the risk of weight gain, which has been associated with a higher risk of poor cognitive health and dementia.
Experts recommend consuming ready meals less often, or eating them alongside vegetables cooked at home, in order to lower the risk.
As well as a lack of good quality sleep
Poor quality sleep
The CDC says everyone should aim to get seven to nine hours of sleep every night, and have high quality sleep — with up to 25 percent being deep sleep.
High quality sleep is uninterrupted and refreshing sleep that helps someone to feel well rested and energized the next day, while deep sleep is a restorative phase of sleep that tends to happen early in the night.
But around 40 percent of older adults fail to get good quality sleep every night.
Dr Tan said: ‘During sleep, the memories of the day are sorted out and placed in the right place for us to access in the future.
‘Beta-amyloid, the sticky protein that wreaks havoc on the brains of people with Alzheimer’s, is [also] cleared during sleep.
‘[But] when sleep is too short or of poor quality, these processes are interrupted.’
Poor quality sleep can lead to problems concentrating or recalling information the following day, and over time can accelerate brain aging.
About 40 percent of adults aged 75 years and over fail to get any physical activity, estimates suggest, raising their risk of cognitive decline and falls
Lack of exercise
Everyone is recommended to get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity every week, such as walking, swimming or dancing.
But older adults struggle to hit this mark, with surveys showing 40 percent of adults aged 75 years and older are entirely inactive.
Dr Finney said: ‘Physical exercise, especially cardiovascular but also even muscle-building exercises, are important for keeping the brain… youthful.
‘It actually can increase growth hormones in the brain, like nerve factors that promote brain health and wellness.’
Exercise boosts blood flow to the brain, stimulting the growth of new brain cells and reducing inflammation — helping to prevent mental decline.
It can also strengthen muscles, reducing the risk of falls – a common cause of death in the elderly – and allowing someone to easily pick themselves back up after falling over.
Falls are the leading cause of death and injury among adults aged 65 years and over, with about 39,000 dying from them every year.
