Health Hotline Magazine | September 2023

MAINTAINING STRONG

AS YOU AGE (P.S., it’s never too early to start!) MENTAL FUNCTION

By Lindsay Wilson

There was a time, not too long ago, when “old” meant feeble, frail, and forgetful, and we just accepted that physical and cognitive decline were an inevitable part of aging, but aging is not what it used to be. We have evolved past that very limited view and today’s older adults are living their best lives—vital, strong, active, and independent. And even better? Adults don’t seem to be afraid of aging. A recent survey of 2,000 U.S. adults found that more than half were not afraid of growing old, and the older people got, the less they feared it. Yet, there are some fears and concerns that come with the privilege of growing older. For example, 63 percent of respondents said they feared declining health as they got older, with cognitive decline being at the top of the list (Gen Z, Gen X, and baby boomers feared cognitive decline the most). The older people got (77 and up), the more concerned they were about cognitive decline.

But people are being proactive about maintaining brain health as they age—a large number of adults report regularly playing brain stimulating games/puzzles, staying socially engaged, prioritizing sleep, taking supplements, and embracing fitness and nutrition as ways to support cognitive health. A Healthy Diet = A Happy Brain Your diet has a tremendous impact on brain health—our brains rely on a continuous supply of nutrients that affect both the structure and function of the brain (i.e., everything from brain cell health to neurotransmitter production)—and research continues to prove that a poor diet will lead to negative changes in the brain. For example, a study published in 2022 in JAMA Neurology, found an association between the consumption of ultra-processed food and cognitive decline. The study, conducted between 2008 and 2017

analyzed the diets of 10,775 adults between the ages of 35 and 74; results showed that the people who ate the most ultra-processed food had a faster rate of cognitive decline compared to those who ate the least amount. A more recent study, published in May 2023, concluded that a diet low in flavanols—a family of antioxidants found in certain fruits and vegetables—drives age-related memory loss. The study, conducted by researchers from Columbia University and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, found that flavanol intake among older adults correlated with scores on tests designed to detect age-related memory loss and that replenishing these antioxidants in the flavanol-deficient adults improved performance on these tests. The study builds on previous research that linked age-related memory loss to changes in the hippocampus, a region of the brain that is vital for learning new memories, showing that flavanols improve function in this region.

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