As you get older, your brain ages with the rest of the body. If you want to keep a better-working brain, an extensive study from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) outlines seven steps you can take to keep your wits about you as you grow older.
As the IOM notes, everybody’s brain ages differently. Some people’s thinking and memory hardly change at all. Others encounter problems making decisions, solving problems, learning new skills and processing information.
“Changes in mental functions and capabilities are a part of aging and occur with everyone,” says researcher Dan G. Blazer, who is with the Duke University Medical Center. “The extent and nature of these changes vary widely and are gradual, and aging can have both positive and negative effects on cognition. Wisdom and knowledge can increase with age, while memory and attention can decline.”
The committee’s findings focus on seven things you can do to keep your brain working better as you age:
- Keep exercising. Being older is not an excuse to plop down in the easy chair. A wide range of studies show that an active body keeps your brain active.
- Keep your heart and arteries healthy. Don’t smoke. Keep your weight down. Deal with high blood pressure. Your cardiovascular system and blood vessels are the fuel injectors for your brain. Keep that fuel flowing.
- Keep informed about the possible mind-stunting side effects of medications you take. Discuss your meds with a knowledgeable healthcare practitioner. Get off the ones that can mess with your cognitive abilities.
- Keep up with friends and family. Don’t be a socially isolated shut-in. Learn new things about the world to keep your mind on the move.
- Get plenty of sleep. If you have trouble sleeping, seek out professional help to see what’s wrong.
- Be cautious about surgeries, hospitalizations and medications that can lead to delirium (a sudden and dangerous state of disorientation and confusion). For more information, go here.
- Do careful research into supplements like nootropics and brain exercises that can improve your brain health. Make sure products are worthwhile before you purchase or use them.
I’ll keep writing to you about the best brain supplements and what works to keep your brain healthy. But in the meantime, remember that research into how and why the brain changes as we age is still in its infancy. So common sense is the best way to deal with your aging brain. That means staying active in all aspects of daily living and challenging your intellectual abilities to keep your thinking abilities from grinding to a halt.
