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Francesca Bond is a freelance writer, newspaper reporter, and film photographer. She writes about fashion and culture in her newsletter, things i probably wrote in caffe aroma. She received her bachelor’s degree in journalism from SUNY Buffalo State and lives in Buffalo, New York.
Image by Carles Rodrigo Monzo / Stocksy
June 29, 2023
If you’ve been meaning to get around to cooking healthier meals or carving out time in your schedule for exercise, then maybe a recent study will be the final the push you need. Research shows that weight loss induced by healthy lifestyle changes may help keep your brain sharp.
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How weight loss affects “brain age”
Aging is inevitable, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing we can do to give ourselves the best chances of living long, healthy lives.
A recent study assessed the impacts of weight loss, improved diet, and heightened physical activity on the “brain age” (or brain health) of adults. Brain age doesn’t necessarily match a person’s actual age. Researchers assess brain age based on how old brains appear to be in brain scans.
Past studies have found that people with obesity are more likely to have higher brain ages1 because of decreased white matter2 in their brains and that weight loss is effective in lowering brain age.
Researchers studied 102 participants who were over 30 years old and met the threshold for obesity. The mean age of participants was 51.5 and the mean brain age was 52.8. The vast majority of participants were men, which researchers said was a limitation of their study. More research is needed that includes women.
Participants were asked to up their exercise and follow diets rich in vegetables and poultry for 18 months. Researchers assessed their brain age, along with other health factors, at the beginning and end of the 18-month time period.
Weight loss was associated with a decrease in brain age, researchers found. Specifically, a loss of 1% body weight resulted in a 9-month decrease in brain age in the study.
Decreased brain age was also associated with improved liver biomarkers, decreased liver fat, and decreased body fat. The study concluded that decreased brain age was associated with a lower consumption of sweets and processed foods, too.
How to improve brain health
There’s a lot to aging that is beyond our control, but there are some tried-and-true lifestyle changes that we can make to improve our brain health and overall well-being as we grow older.
Eat a balanced diet: When it comes to your health, eating a balanced diet full of fruits, vegetables, and protein is nearly always helpful. Try loading at least half your plate with vegetables during every meal and snacking on vegetables in between meals. If you struggle to eat more veggies, cook simple recipes to make the act of cooking feel less like a time suck and remember to prep as much as possible so busy weekdays won’t leave you reaching for a processed snack that lacks much nutrition.
Try a supplement for memory health: Memory supplements support memory and promote overall brain function. Look for supplements that contain ingredients proven to support cognitive functioning and memory. We’ve rounded up a list of the 16 best memory supplements to try out.
Get moving: There are countless reasons to incorporate more movement into your day. It boosts your mood, increases your energy, helps your heart—and the list goes on. Physical activity is linked to benefitting cognitive health and may improve spatial memory, according to the National Institute on Aging. Walking 10,000 steps a day is associated with a 51% reduced risk of dementia3. Not sure where to start with exercise? Start small by developing daily movement habits.
Address your stress: It’s worth it to manage stress, beyond the obvious relief of feeling calmer. Chronic stress can also increase your risk of Alzheimer’s and impact memory. Manage your stress by talking to friends, working through your thoughts in a journal, exercising, meditating, and seeking out therapy.
Engage your mind: Your body isn’t the only thing that needs to stay active as you age. Keep your mind active by participating in engaging activities, including reading, puzzles, socializing, and volunteering. People who engage in purposeful and productive activities may live longer, happier lives, and see improvements in cognitive function.
RELATED READ: 7 Mind-Sharpening Exercises To Do As You Age, According To Brain Experts
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The takeaway
Long-term lifestyle changes, such as improved diets and increased exercise, may play a positive role in our brain health as we age. Research shows that weight loss, particularly in people with obesity, is associated with decreased brain age.
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Francesca Bond
Francesca Bond is a freelance writer, newspaper reporter, and film photographer. She writes about fashion and culture in her newsletter, things i probably wrote in caffe aroma. She received her bachelor’s degree in journalism from SUNY Buffalo State and lives in Buffalo, New York.