Forgetting where you put your keys or having trouble remembering someone’s name are rites of passage for many of us as we get older.
But even if we expect such struggles, that doesn’t make them any easier to accept. Fortunately, there are simple things you can do to slow down memory decline.
A decade-long study of more than 29,000 elderly people – aged 60 and over – in China found that the following half-dozen healthy lifestyle factors are associated with slower memory decline .
This finding held true even among the 20% of participants who have the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene, the strongest known risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and similar dementias.
Eat healthy
Perhaps surprisingly, eating healthy foods has the strongest effect on slowing memory decline.
To determine which people had the healthiest diets, the researchers looked at their intake of:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Fish
- Meat
- Dairy products
- Salt
- Oil
- Eggs
- Cereal
- Legumes
- Nuts
- Tea
According to the study:
“Ultimately, these factors were found to be healthy when participants consumed appropriate daily amounts of at least 7 of the 12 diet foods…”
For more tips on what you should – and shouldn’t – eat, check out:
Engage in cognitive activity
According to the study, keeping your mind active and engaged has the second strongest effect on memory preservation. Examples of such activities – which should be undertaken at least twice a week, according to the researchers – include:
- In writing
- While reading
- Play mahjong and other games
To find out more, see “Crosswords or online games: which protects the brain better?”
Stay active through physical exercise
Exercise has the third strongest effect in preventing memory decline, according to the study.
At least 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week is considered a “health factor,” according to the researchers.
If you’re on a budget but want to get more active, read “5 Free and Cheap Ways to Exercise at Home.”
Stay socially active
Having regular social contact — like seeing family and friends — also helps preserve memory, the researchers found. Doing it at least twice a week is most likely to confer benefit.
Other examples of social interaction cited by researchers include:
- Participation in meetings or parties
- Traveling
- Chat online
Quit or never start smoking
Both former smokers and those who have never smoked see memory benefits from avoiding cigarettes.
Smoking is also expensive, putting the health of your wallet at risk. For more on how you shouldn’t spend your money during your golden years, check out “10 Dumb Ways Retirees Blow Their Savings.”
Abstain from alcohol
Never drinking a drop of alcohol is believed to be the most likely to protect memory against decline over time.
In the study, researchers note that the more healthy lifestyle factors a person pursues on this list, the better off they are likely to be:
“Although each lifestyle factor contributed differently to slowing memory decline, our results showed that participants who maintained healthier lifestyle factors had significantly slower memory decline than those who had fewer healthy lifestyle factors.”
