How to Slow Brain Aging
When most people think about aging, they imagine a linear progression towards an inevitable end. They think in terms of birthdays, knowing that the more candles on the cake, the more we should anticipate things like joint pain, lines on the face and even foggy thinking. Yet the most recent research shows us that we have the story all wrong around brain health. The brain changes we associate with aging (for example, memory loss) are far more dynamic and modifiable through the choices we make each day than people realize. Here’s how you can help slow brain aging and protect your brain right now.
What is “brain aging”?
While most people count their age in birthdays, our bodies don’t see time in the same way. In fact, research shows us that each organ in our body ages at a different biological rate (this is called “biological age”), and this predicts our risk for having issues with those organs more than our age in birthdays. For example, having a biologically older liver correlates with dramatically higher rates of liver disease. Specific to this conversation, having a biologically older brain (as measured using MRI and other tests) is strongly linked to risk for cognitive impairment, dementia and even conditions like multiple sclerosis. While there are many specifics, brain aging on imaging is usually linked to the rate of brain tissue loss (atrophy).
Can we slow brain aging?
Unlike our age in birthdays, we can absolutely take steps to positively influence our rate of biological aging. Research just published in the last few years demonstrates that certain lifestyle factors are strongly linked to the speed with which our brains age, and a recent diet study even showed that adopting a specific food pattern was linked to a slower rate of brain aging. While we may not be able to stop our brains from aging, this science points to powerful strategies to help combat more rapid aging. Here are four of the most important to prioritize today.
1. Eat the right diet
Every bite of food is information that programs brain structure and function. According to a study just published, lower diet quality between childhood and adulthood is linked to a higher risk for developing dementia. Multiple previous studies have also demonstrated that eating a healthy diet akin to the Mediterranean or MIND diet patterns could reduce dementia risk, and that higher diet quality is linked to larger brain volumes. However, there’s also some interventional data suggesting a protective effect on brain aging.
In an18 month study on 284 people published in 2022, researchers found that people assigned to either a Mediterranean diet or a Mediterranean diet plus additional sources of plant molecules called polyphenols demonstrated slower rates of brain atrophy, with the biggest benefit seen in the group consuming the most polyphenols. Beyond consuming a diet rich in fiber, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables and polyphenols and low in processed foods, research also suggests that avoiding excess alcohol is a powerful way to prevent rapid brain aging.