7 Surprising Ways to Keep Your Brain Sharp, Say New Studies

The brain continues to be one of the most mysterious organs in the human body. Despite centuries of study, its processes aren't totally explainable by the most elite of scientists. For example, we don't fully understand what causes mental health conditions such as depression or degenerative diseases like dementia. But as humans live longer, both types of issues are on the rise, and a surge of research in the field of brain health has uncovered a number of lifestyle choices we can make to directly benefit the brain. Here are seven of them, spotlighted by new research.

In an opinion piece published in Scientific American this week, researchers at the University of California-Riverside described a three-month course they designed for older adults that "enhanced participants' memory and attention so drastically that their abilities came to resemble those of adults 30 years younger at the program's end." Participants were assigned three classes that met weekly for two hours, to learn three new skills. Course options included singing, drawing, iPad use, photography, Spanish language learning and music composition. "Over the course of the intervention, people significantly improved their cognitive scores for memory and attention," wrote Dr. Rachel Wu. "In a follow-up study, we discovered that the participants had not only maintained their gains but had improved further: their cognitive abilities after one year were similar to those of adults 50 years younger."

According to a new Harvard study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, taking a multivitamin for one year was associated with improved memory and cognition—the equivalent to reversing age-related memory loss by three years.  "The benefits of taking a multivitamin were maintained throughout the three years of the study," said board-certified internist Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum. "This confirms numerous earlier studies showing that folate (simple folic acid) dramatically lowers dementia risk."

A 2022 study found that older adults who get moderate levels of exercise—including walking, gardening, swimming, or dancing—have significantly less brain shrinkage than those who are inactive. The difference was equivalent to four years of brain aging, said researchers from Columbia University, who analyzed brain MRIs of 1,557 older people compared to their levels of physical activity. Scientists have long known that exercise increases the flow of blood, oxygen and nutrients to the brain—great at any age, but potentially life-extending in the later years.

A new study at the University of Toronto—which followed more than 7,000 middle-aged and older Canadians for about three years—found that those who participated in volunteer work and recreational activities were more likely to maintain excellent health and less likely to develop physical, cognitive, mental, or emotional problems.  "It makes intuitive sense that social activity is associated with successful aging," said Mabel Ho, the study's lead author. "Being socially active is important no matter how old we are. Feeling connected and engaged can boost our mood, reduce our sense of loneliness and isolation, and improve our mental health and overall health."

According to research published in the April issue of Brain and Behavior, increasing light exposure—to the sun, or with a lightbox or sunlight—improves brain function. "The meta-analysis of 12 randomized studies with 766 dementia patients, showed that phototherapy with bright light, as is used for treating seasonal affective disorder, significantly improved cognition," said Teitelbaum. "Lower dementia risk was also associated with other ways of getting vitamin D, a deficiency which has been associated with dementia."

A 2018 study published in the journal Neurology found that people who lead high-stress lives may experience brain shrinkage and memory loss even before they turn 50. "Higher levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, seem to predict brain function, brain size and performance on cognitive tests," said study author Dr. Sudha Seshadri, professor of neurology at UT Health San Antonio. "We found memory loss and brain shrinkage in relatively young people long before any symptoms could be seen. It's never too early to be mindful of reducing stress."

"The brain is a very hungry organ," Keith Fargo, director of scientific programs and outreach for the Alzheimer's Association, told CNN. "It requires an outsized amount of nutrients and oxygen to keep it healthy and functioning properly. So, when the body needs those resources to deal with stress, there's less to go around to the brain."

Scientists say that getting too much exposure to blue light, the kind emitted from phones and computer screens, may accelerate aging. A 2019 study published in Aging and Mechanisms of Disease found that blue light can damage cells in the brain and eyes. To avoid this, the researchers recommend wearing blue light glasses and reducing the amount of time you spend in front of electronic screens.