You Must Know, This 6 Ways to Sharpen Your Brain as You Get Older

Baca Juga

As you know, many people on this world think we’re born with all our brain cells, but studies have shown it’s possible to create new ones in the learning and memory part of the brain.

And brain training games, such as sudoku, can work wonders on our mental function, but a recent report from the Global Council On Brain Health says they don’t do enough on their own. Here are some easy ways to boost your brain health every day:

1. Learn a new skill
   The best way to keep your brain active and healthy is by learning something new, like dancing or Tai Chi."Active learning is the perfect complement for doing jigsaws, sudoku and crosswords," says Dr Marilyn Glenville, leading nutritionist and author of Natural Solutions For Dementia And Alzheimer’s.
   
   Physical activity will not only keep your body healthy, but your brain too. The more you enjoy it, the more likely you are to stick with it.
   
   Dr Glenville says,"Walking a different route or taking up line dancing fires up new neural pathways that keep your brain active. Needing to remember the steps in a dance is also a wonderful workout for your brain."
2. Watch what you eat
   Who would have thought the nation’s favourite takeaway could boost your brain function? Curries use a lot of turmeric, which has been shown to reduce memory loss. Its yellow-orange colour comes from a substance called curcumin, which has an anti-inflammatory effect, so try to add a pinch to your cooking every day.
   
   The antioxidants found in tomatoes and the B vitamins in fish, eggs and leafy green veg have also been shown to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s too.
   
   For a snack, the zinc in a handful of pumpkin seeds will enhance thinking skills, and between meals try chewing gum, as chewing increases your heart rate, which in turn boosts oxygen to the brain. People who chewed throughout memory tests scored 35% higher than people who didn’t.
3. Get jiggy between the sheets
   Dr Glenville says, "A huge study of more than 6,800 people showed that those who were active in the bedroom had sharpened cognitive function. It’s thought the benefit could come from the release of neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, during intercourse."
4. Give the dog a hug
   The purpose and structure we find in looking after an animal each day can contribute to good brain health. A cuddle with your furry friend decreases levels of stress hormone cortisol and releases oxytocin in the brain – an important hormone in social bonding, and also known as the ‘cuddle hormone’.
5. Find some calm
   Meditating each day for 15 to 30 minutes "can help relieve stress and also improve brain function", says Dr Glenville. Participants in studies have shown better cognition and wellbeing, and a slowed shrinkage of the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory.
   
   Try sitting alone in a quiet place, and breathing in for the count of three and out for the count of five, allowing your thoughts to drift through your head. You could also sign up to a yoga class, or try practising at home with free online videos.
6. Speak out
   When you say words out loud you remember them twice – because you have the memory of both producing them and hearing them. Scientists call this the production effect, and it leads to your brain storing the information for longer.

"Both yoga and brain training improve verbal memory, but yoga has the added benefit of improving visual-spatial memory too – the memory that helps with remembering locations," explains Dr Glenville.

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