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LONDON: If those ‘senior moments’ — when you can’t remember why you opened the refrigerator door or where you left your keys — are becoming more frequent, mental aerobics and a healthy brain diet may help.
Just as bodies require more maintenance with the passing years, so do brains, which scientists now know show signs of aging as early as the 20s and 30s.
“Brain aging starts at a very young age, younger than any of us had imagined and these processes continue gradually over the years,” said Dr Gary Small, the director of the Center on Aging at the University of California, Los Angeles.
The process may be speeded up a bit by a genetic risk and pushed even faster by unhealthy lifestyle choices.
“Genetics is only about a third of what predicts brain aging. The other two thirds has to do with our environment and lifestyle choices that we make,” said Small.
“Alzheimer’s disease, or vascular dementia, are the end result of this process of brain aging.”
An estimated 12 million people around the globe suffer from Alzheimer’s. The incurable, progressive disease that clogs up brains and robs people of memory and mental ability is set to explode as more baby boomers reach 65 years and older.
By 2050 the number of sufferers could hit 45 million.
Scientists can now spot early signs of the illness in the brains of people long before symptoms develop and drug companies are ploughing millions into the search for a cure.
But Small believes, that just like heart disease and cancer, people can take preventive measures to keep their brains healthy and alert to stave off the ravages of the disease.
GAME PLAN: In his book, “The Memory Bible”, the 51-year-old neuro-scientist lists what he refers to as the 10 commandments for keeping the brain young.
They include training memory, building skills, minimizing stress, mental aerobics, brain food and a healthy lifestyle.
Commandment number 10 sums it all up — don’t forget the first nine.
It’s a game plan for keeping brain cells sparking and neural networks in tip-top shape.
“Misplacing your keys a couple of times doesn’t mean you should start labelling your cabinets. Memory loss is not an inevitable consequence of aging. Our brains can fight back,” he said.
Small provides the weapons for a full-scale attack.
Simple memory tests give an indication of what you are up against and tools such as look, snap and connect are designed to make sure that important names and dates are never forgotten.
Small admits it may sound a bit strange but he says it works.
TRAINING FOR THE BRAIN: Research has shown the people who are mentally active during their 40s and 50s are less likely to develop memory problems which support the “use it or lose it” theory.
“We have evidence from our PET (positron emission tomography) scan studies. In people in their 20s and 30s we can begin to see a difference in the function in the memory centres in the brain. We found that people who have a college education have better brain activity at that age than people who do not have a college education,” said Small.
To get the brain working better he advises people to begin with simple warm-up exercises and workouts for both the left and right side of the brain.
He also recommends physical exercise, a low-fat diet and eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish, avocados, walnuts and Brazil nuts, and fruits and vegetables high in antioxidants including prunes, raisins, blueberries, broccoli, beets and onions in addition to reducing stress.
It is no coincidence that the food and exercise advice is similar to recommendations for reducing the risk of heart disease and cancer because what is good for the body is also good for the brain.—Reuters
