Can exercise ward off dementia? A 44-year Swedish study seems to indicate that it can. ‘Researchers found that middle-age women in Sweden with a high degree of cardiovascular fitness were nearly 90% less likely to develop dementia later in life than those who had a moderate fitness level.’
‘Superagers’ is the term coined for those more than 80 years of age who have the cognitive capacities of adults much younger. When some of their brains were checked—after they had died—scientists think these cognitive abilities may come from the presence of certain brain cells: Von Economo.
Forgetting is a normal part of ageing. It isn’t a sign you’re developing Alzheimer’s. I remember the relief I felt when psychologist Deanna Pitchford told me that as I interviewed her for my book Retirement Ready? Harvard Health reports that there are some things you can do to keep your brain functioning better.
What you eat can have a huge impact on your brain. That stands to reason when you consider that our bodies are a whole entity. Each part of our body is connected. But the food-brain link is not often discussed.
There’s natural memory loss as we age—or perhaps we should call it memory recall loss because we often know we know, but can’t remember what we know we know. Laughing can help.
‘I’ve got to have something to do,’ said Leo Kellner to a reporter. The comment caught my attention mainly because Kellner is 98 years of age and is still working as a baker. He doesn’t get paid. He gives away what he bakes—to friends, to hospice volunteers and others in need of food and kindness.
Age brings some natural consequences to our thinking and memory abilities, but there are some things we can do to help keep our minds active.
Dementia is one of the great fears of ageing. And there’s no way of knowing if you will suffer it before it gets you. Heidi Godman, the executive editor of the Harvard Health Letter, says that exercise may be a key help for us.
People need people. That’s true in all types of situations. And the evidence is that when it comes to brain health, we do need people—social connections.
I was reminded recently of the need to keep our brains as healthy as possible when I came across Bill Lyon’s story. Bill has Alzheimer’s—or ‘Al’ as he calls it. He’s personalised his disease to help him fight it—him.