BEING SOCIAL, PROTECTIVE OF BRAIN FUNCTION

-

 

BEING SOCIAL, PROTECTIVE OF BRAIN FUNCTION

Social activities include dining out, traveling, and even playing bingo.




    

Want to keep your brain sharp as you age? The answer might be more straightforward than you think: grab lunch with friends, join a book club, or even head to church. New research from Rush suggests these everyday social connections might be your brain's best friend.

The findings, published in Alzheimer's & Dementia, paint a fascinating picture. Compared to their more isolated peers, people who stay socially active could delay the onset of dementia by a whopping five years. That's not just a slight difference—it's like giving your brain an extra half-decade of clarity.

"Think of it as a 'use it or lose it' situation," explains Dr. Bryan James, who led the study. "When you're chatting with friends or planning group activities, you're actually giving your brain a workout." Those social circuits overlap with the same neural pathways we use for thinking and memory.

The numbers are striking. Regular social butterflies showed a 38% lower risk of developing dementia and were 21% less likely to experience mild cognitive impairment. But here's where it gets exciting: a five-year delay in dementia onset could add three years to someone's life and save about $500,000 in healthcare costs. That's not bad for simply hanging out with friends.

The research team tracked nearly 2,000 older adults, averaging around 80 years old, with none showing signs of cognitive decline at the start. They monitored six everyday social activities: restaurant outings, sporting events, bingo nights, trips with friends, volunteer work, and family visits. Over five years, they watched how these social connections influenced cognitive health, even after accounting for other factors like exercise and general health.

Of course, the big question is why social activity works so magic on our brains. Dr. James suggests it might be due to the mental gymnastics required for social interaction. Every conversation is like a tiny workout for your brain, keeping those neural networks firing on all cylinders.

While more research is needed to prove whether actively increasing social activities can prevent cognitive decline, one thing's clear: those coffee dates and family gatherings might be doing more for your brain than you ever imagined. So maybe it's time to stop thinking of socializing as fun – it could be one of the best investments you make in your cognitive future.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Learn How the NEW Nutrition Facts Label Can Help You Improve Your Health

-
Image
  Learn How the NEW Nutrition Facts Label Can Help You Improve Your Health The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued new regulations changing the  Nutrition Facts  label external  icon  on packaged foods. This is the first major change to the label since it was introduced in 1994. The changes are based on updated science, the most  recent dietary  recommendations, external  icon , and public input. Using the new label can help you choose foods for a healthy diet. The label will be required on all packaged foods made in the United States and imported from other countries. The new label is already appearing on packages. Most items will have the new label by January 1, 2021. What is changing? Calories & Fat Larger, darker letters make calories the easiest item to see on the new label. When it comes to health outcomes, the type of fat you eat matters more than the overall amount of fat. For this reason, the label will no longer show the per...
Read more

WHAT PERSONALITY TRAITS IMPACT YOUR ACTIVITY LEVEL?

-
Image
  YOUR PERSONALITY IMPACTS YOUR ACTIVITY LEVEL A study conducted at the Gerontology Research Centre and the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Jyväskylä observed associations of personality traits with physical activity and sedentary behavior . Individuals characterized by high conscientiousness and extraversion are likelier to accumulate more extended periods of physical activity and sedentary behavior. In contrast, individuals with higher neuroticism scores tend to interrupt their sedentary behavior more often. Your personality might influence how you move throughout the day, not how you think. A fascinating study from Finland's University of Jyväskylä has uncovered some surprising connections between who we are and how we move. Think of the friend who can't sit still and is constantly fidgeting or who goes for long, scheduled runs. These behaviors might be tied to personality traits. The researchers tracked the same people aged 33, 42, 50, and 61, exam...
Read more

FDA Approves Generic GLP-1 Medicine For Diabetes Treatment

-
Image
  FDA Approves Generic GLP-1 Medicine For Diabetes Treatment Big news for anyone wrestling with Type 2 diabetes: the FDA just gave the green light to a cheaper version of a popular diabetes drug. Think of it as the store-brand equivalent of Victoza – the same active ingredient (liraglutide), but likely easier on your wallet. If you've been following the Ozempic craze, you might recognize the family resemblance. Liraglutide is a cousin to semaglutide, the superstar ingredient in Ozempic. While everyone's been talking about these drugs for weight loss, their original purpose was helping people manage diabetes. The timing couldn't be better. With Ozempic and similar drugs flying off the shelves faster than hotcakes, this new generic version could help keep supplies steady. It's a big deal considering more than 38 million Americans are living with Type 2 diabetes – that's more people than the entire population of Canada. Here's how it works: Type 2 diabetes occurs w...
Read more