Exercise, Diet, and Sleep: The Real Brain Boosters for Aging Adults

A healthy lifestyle can be said to be a panacea “miraculous medicine” for preventing and regulating diseases. Recently, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a study completed by researchers from Wake Forest University in the United States. The results showed that adhering to improved lifestyles within two years can significantly improve the cognitive abilities of the elderly. Compared to self-exploration and execution, experts guide you to achieve greater benefits by completing higher-intensity exercises, standardized meal plans, etc.

Exercise and eat rationally

Healthier brains

This 3 Phase, “multi-center, two-year randomized clinical trial” 2019—2023 Recruitment was completed in 2016, and a total of recruitment came from the United States 5 “clinical Center” 2111 “Elderly people at high risk for cognitive decline and dementia” 60~79 Years). The participants’ inclusion criteria included sedentariness, poor diet, and compliance with at least two other high-risk factors, such as family history, cardiovascular risk, etc. The study used a single-blind design, with participants randomly assigned to structured intervention groups or self-directed groups.

The structured intervention group received higher intensity and organized interventions, including aerobic exercise (4 days a week for 30~35 minutes), strength training (two days a week for 15~20 minutes) and flexibility training (two days a week for 10~15 minutes), with intervention activities mainly at facilities in the community. In addition, participants received dietary instruction in MIND (Mediterranean-style intervention method to delay neuronal degeneration, combining Mediterranean diet and dietary therapy to terminate hypertension), cognitive training (3 times a week for 15~20 minutes), and regular health monitoring every six months. Self-instruction groups, for their part, are encouraged to make lifestyle adjustments based on individual needs and timing, with low intervention intensity and supervision, and no professional guidance.

The primary outcome of the trial was the Global Cognitive Composite Score, a combined score mean of executive function, episodic memory, and processing speed. In terms of results, after adjusting for the covariate, the overall cognitive composite score improved over time in both groups. Statistical analysis confirmed that the improvement was significantly higher in the structured intervention group than in the self-directed group.

Improve brain health

Can’t rely on health products

Published in Nature · A study in “Mental Health” shows that adhering to a healthy and balanced diet will make the brain and mind healthier. The researchers note that food preferences have potential effects on brain structure, and that these different patterns of brain structure may play an important role in forming cognitive functions and mental health outcomes.

According to an American study, middle-aged people who only do more than 10 minutes of moderate-to-high-intensity physical exercise a day can help maintain their brains. Researchers hypothesized that physical exercise may partially affect brain cognitive function by affecting small blood vessels in the brain.

There’s also a study that shows that sticking to exercise for half a year, even on foot, can make the brain a little younger. Changes were more pronounced in those who simultaneously insisted on improving their dietary health, including eating more fruits and vegetables.

With the advent of aging, more attention is paid to the improvement and maintenance of brain health, and brain health products are quite popular in the market. However, there are currently no studies that confirm that any one health product can effectively treat or delay the decline of cognitive function, and in some cases, there are potential dangers. For most people, the best way to improve your brain health is to maintain a good diet and lifestyle such as exercise.

Persistence

“Eight elements of life, the brain is more flexible”

An American study showed that heart health is related to brain volume; maintaining a healthy heart at a young age is more likely to have a healthy brain in the future. Studies in recent years have demonstrated that the American Heart Association proposes to promote cardiovascular health “ Simple life 7 Law ” Conducive to improved cognitive function. 7 The rules include: maintaining healthy blood pressure, controlling cholesterol, lowering blood sugar, strengthening physical activity, eating healthily, maintaining a normal weight, and quitting smoking.

Later, the American Heart Association proposed the “Eight Elements of Life”, which is to add sleep health based on the “Seven Laws of Simple Life”. The mechanisms by which sleep affects brain health include the consolidation of memory by sleep, the effects of sleep on homeostasis within the neurosynapse, and the removal of waste products by the lymphatic system. Where sleep plays a central role in optimizing cognition, a key feature of lymphatic waste disposal is dependence on sleep status.

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