What makes someone a super-ager?
According to a 2016 study supported by the U.S. National Institute on Aging, “super-agers” are people 65 and older who have the brains of 25-year-olds.
The researchers compared a group of participants aged 60 to 80 years old with a group of 18 to 32 year olds. All the participants took tests measuring how well they understood, retained, and later recalled information. They identified some of the older folks as having the same range of memory and recall scores as the younger generation.
Then they used MRI scans to measure certain areas of the brain that typically break down as we age.
These include the anterior temporal cortex and the rostral medial cortex, both of which are critical for memory. The so-called super-agers had the same-sized cortexes as the young people!
But there’s one big unanswered question from this study.
How do you become a super-ager?
The researchers speculated on a few possibilities.
And as it turns out, it’s what I’ve been suggesting for years to everyone who reads these newsletters 🙂
Here are those 5 tips!
No. 1: Eat well.
A study in the journal Neurology found that people who stuck to the Mediterranean diet slowed the effects of aging on their brains. A Mediterranean diet consists of plenty of fish, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and olive oil.
This study showed that older folks (with an average age of 80) who followed the diet had significantly less brain decay, or atrophy. Their brains looked five years younger than those of their fellow participants.
The study looked at images of brain regions that often decay as we age. That’s the gray and white matter.
Gray matter in your brain is where the clusters of nerve cells live. It’s responsible for much of our brain’s functions, including muscle control, memory, vision, hearing, emotions, and decision-making.
White matter involves the long nerves that fire messages to other brain cells. The people who followed the Mediterranean diet had significantly higher amounts of both gray and white matter.
No. 2: Keep learning.
Staying active socially helps you keep up the areas of your brain responsible for learning and processing information.
One study out of the University of California, Irvine, demonstrated that structured learning in adults activated a substance called the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (“BDNF”). This molecule helps the signaling cells in your brain to grow.
According to the study’s lead scientist, Lulu Chen, “The findings confirm a critical relationship between learning and brain growth.” What’s more impressive is that BDNF plays a critical role in forming memories and can even help preserve your brain later in life.
Here’s a fun and FREE way to strengthen your brain and protect against dementia.
Many of the top universities in the world are now offering completely free classes on the Internet. You can learn from professors at Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and even overseas universities like the University of Edinburgh.
Learn more about topics that interest you to keep your mind young and healthy.
No. 3: Sleep well.
The research on sleep is expansive. Right now, researchers are piecing together how the brain processes and stores memories. The theory is that sleep helps us “fix” memories in place. Getting enough REM and slow-wave sleep helps us keep our minds sharp.
Sleep clears out debris from the brain. In fact, several studies show that sleeping well helps us clear out Alzheimer’s-causing plaques from our brains. Not sleeping enough leads to plaque buildup.
No. 4: Exercise.
This one seems like a no-brainer. Exercise has many proven benefits, including heart health, fighting depression, and warding off cancer.
The University of British Columbia ran a study showing that aerobic exercise helps your hippocampus grow. The hippocampus is the area of the brain responsible for verbal memory and learning.
And if aerobics is too strenuous, try some Yoga. Scientists from Frontiers in Human Neuroscience showed that people who practiced Yoga saw significant increases in gray matter. In fact, the more hours a week someone did Yoga, the greater the amount of gray matter.
No. 5: Meditate.
The benefits include everything from boosts of happiness to lower blood pressure and increased longevity.
Even better, regular meditation helps preserve your brain cells. That’s because meditation helps preserve connections in your prefrontal cortex. This is the area of the brain responsible for higher-level organizing, planning, and memory.
Incorporate these five easy tips into your life today to start protecting your brain. They might even help you become a super-ager!
Until next month, have happy and healthy brain positive days and watch the benefits accumulate,
shelli
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