Concerns about dementia often come first in surveys of Canadians’ health problems, but a neurologist says there are ways to keep our precious memories strong.
Dr. Sandra Black, a cognitive neurologist at the Sunnybrook Center for Health Sciences in Toronto, says that with normal aging, short-term memory dulls and the speed of brain processing slows down every decade after 50 years.
To help counteract these declines, Black is looking for ways to increase memory that are backed by scientific evidence.
1. Move
Exercise, from walking to running, is a means of strengthening memory, which is supported by more and more research. Guidelines for Canada recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate to intense physical activity per week for adults.
“When you do aerobic exercise, when you are in this run, your muscles are actually releasing a signal. It’s called irisin, “Black said.” You actually stimulate the part of the brain that stores information and learns things. “
The recent discovery of the protein irisin is based on other research linking muscle and brain functionsaid Black Dr. Brian Goldman, host of CBC podcast The dose.
Dr. Sandra Black promotes walking and increased physical activity as useful for mental abilities such as memory and language. (Submitted by Sandra Black)
When he saw patients, Black said he talked about why lifestyle choices like exercise are important. Because a healthy brain needs a lot of oxygen, everything that protects our blood vessels, heart and circulation also nourishes the brain.
Black and other experts encourage walking or strenuous physical activity for their benefits to cognitive abilities such as memory and language.
2. Eat good things
Black suggests eating a Mediterranean diet rich in green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, kale and cabbage, as well as berries, whole grains, nuts and oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and tuna, rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
The council is based on studies that track people from different populations who appear to have a lower prevalence. of Alzheimer’s and vascular disease, compared to populations following other eating patterns.
The Dose20: 41 What can I do to improve my memory?
What else works? In one published clinical trialResearchers have shown that medium-chain triglycerides, found mainly in coconut oil, can help slow the worsening of Alzheimer’s disease compared to taking a sugar pill, the gold standard that regulators use to approve drugs.
Your best bet is to consume healthy nutrients through a varied diet of mostly whole foods, not supplements that promise these benefits in pill form.
Black said patients who can take supplements are not told to stop if they can afford them, but her team also disapproves. This is because scientific evidence in favor of many supplements fails to accept placebo effect or the experiments were not long enough to measure the effect, she said.
WATCH More praise for the Mediterranean diet:
More praise for the Mediterranean diet
3. Enjoy word games with others
Penny Pexman, a professor of psychology at the University of Calgary who studies cognitive neuroscience, offers activities that combine exercise, socialization and knowledge.
Pexman’s lab focuses on how we process language, including a study entitled This is your brain in Scrabble.
Scrabble players who enjoy the game and its social benefits are motivated to score higher, Pexman said.
In addition to the social benefits of gathering to play, Pexman research suggests that competing Scrabble players also recognize words faster than those who don’t routinely place tiles, especially for words presented vertically.
“My best recommendation, based on what I know, is to do things like dancing or pickball,” Pexman said. “You have things that involve some spatial skills, they strain your working memory and also give you social … benefits too.”
Pickleball is a workout for both spatial skills and working memory, which also offers social benefits. (Brian Blanco / Associated Press Images for Humana)
Why isn’t everything down
Pexman also studies age-related changes, noting that many, but not all, cognitive abilities begin to decline by age 30.
“But there are things you can keep growing,” Pexman said. “Your vocabulary grows throughout your life.”
Black also points to the wisdom and knowledge we acquire with age.
“You have a little more trouble finding the word, but you know a lot more about the world,” Black said.
A 25-year-old may be faster, but a wise elder in many societies has a richer understanding of culture than his life experience, she added.
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