Worried about memory loss? Though the risk of Alzheimer’s disease rises with age, not everyone will get it. Although, everyone’s mental sharpness does erode over time — and the declines start much earlier than you might think. Cognitive skills peak around the late 20s, brain researchers say.
To best support your cognitive health, you have to go beyond crossword puzzles. Here’s 10 clinically-proven ways to help improve your memory and boost your brain power.
1. Keep your body moving.
It’s the closest thing to a fountain of youth that we’ve found yet, minimizing the risks for all sorts of diseases and conditions linked to cognitive impairment, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and dementia
2. Get a grip on your stress
Stress ages the brain. So do some common stress-coping mechanisms, namely smoking and excessive drinking. If you can get your stresses under control, your brain has more time to refresh, repair itself and save energy for more important matters.
3. Sleep more.
During sleep is when the brain organizes and stores memories. It needs time to do the job — more time than the five or six hours of zzz’s many busy adults grab.
4. Follow a Mediterranean-style diet.
That’s a plant-rich diet with healthy fats and complex carbs but very little meat, saturated fat, simple carbs, or processed foods. Along with nutritional benefits, this diet keeps your blood sugar stable, which is brain-protective.
5. Keep your weight stable (and, especially, avoid a belly).
An apple-shaped physique is linked to an increased risk of developing dementia.
6. Cut back on overall calories as you age.
The sad truth is that every year you need to consume fewer calories to maintain the same weight. Some animal research indicates that caloric restriction is linked to longevity, but the data is mixed, so nobody’s advocating starving yourself into a sharper memory.
7. Aim for good heart health.
What’s good for the heart is good for the brain. So pay attention to blood pressure and take steps to get it under control if it’s not. Small strokes cause vascular dementia.
8. Drink in moderation, if you must.
Make red wine your drink of choice; it may have a protective effect.
9. Get help for depression.Your mood might not seem like it has anything to do with your brain. But untreated depression raises your risk of dementia.
10. Keep learning new things.
More than Sudoku puzzles, engaging the brain in completely fresh activities is stimulating. The brain likes “new.” It doesn’t have to be as ambitious as learning how to speak a new language or play the piano, though those things will boost your brainpower.
About the Author
Paula Spencer Scott is senior editor at Caring.com, the leading online destination for caregivers seeking information and support as they care for aging parents, spouses, and other loved ones. Paula is a 2011 MetLife Foundation Journalists in Aging fellow and writes extensively about health and caregiving. For additional ways to boost your memory see: 20 Easy Ways to Boost Your Memory.