Good news for those of you who like to keep your nose in a book – experts have learned that reading any new fiction books can help prevent degenerative brain diseases like Alzheimer’s and Dementia
Experts have found that reading any type of fiction can help prevent brain diseases like Alzheimer’s and Dementia.
Keeping your brain active through activities like reading can help delay the onset of dementia by up to five years. The scientific journal Neurology published a study that tracked almost 250 older adults throughout the end of their lives.
After they died, scientists examined their brains for signs of degenerative brain disorders. They found that those individuals who actively read books, visited libraries, and wrote letters were far less likely to have Alzheimer’s and Dementia.
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“Our study suggests that exercising your brain by taking part in activities such as these across a person’s lifetime, from childhood through old age, is important for brain health in old age,” said study author Robert S. Wilson, at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. The findings appeared in Neurology, the American Academy of Neurology’s medical journal.
While the researchers in this study didn’t differentiate between the content their study subjects actually read, other researchers have found that any kind of fiction is helpful for the brain as it can often challenge feelings and emotions and bring up memories. Other researchers say that as long as you’re learning any new information, that’s already beneficial.
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“Fiction may elicit more intense emotions and imagery in addition to new facts and ideas from reading non-fiction books,” said Dr. Zaldy Tan, a professor of neurology and medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center told the Daily Mail in an interview.
So no matter what you prefer to read, as long as you’re reading, it’s a good sign. The original study also found that individuals in their study group regularly visited a library, completed mentally challenging tasks, and were habitual writers and readers. In addition to reading, exercise, a balanced diet, and getting good sleep are some of the ways you can prevent Alzheimer’s.
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Another important symptom to keep an eye on that may prevent you from focusing and exacerbate the onset of Dementia symptoms is hearing loss. “Those with untreated hearing loss are 90 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with dementia than those with normal hearing” – yet very few people are aware of this. The takeaway? Get your hearing checked regularly and if you notice any hearing loss or it’s detected on a test, don’t ignore it.
Beyond this, leading public health expert Sir Muir Gray, author of Increase Your Brainability And Reduce Your Risk Of Dementia (published by OUP), says “challenge and purpose” is an interesting area and evidence on this “has come through very strong in the last five years.”
So, beyond intellectual learning tasks, think about being mentally stretched and challenged in a deeper sense. “I often say to people, if you become a volunteer, even if you do other people no good, it’ll reduce your risk of dementia – particularly if you get on the committee! They’re challenging things,” quips Gray. “Expose yourself to stimulation and challenge, and if you have a sense of purpose, that’s very helpful.”