What is the secret to maintaining mental acuity and brain health as you age? Online crosswords; Dietary supplements; Mall strolling; Pickle ball competitions, Dancing, and Expressive Art Therapy could help you a lot.  Seek consultation with the best Geriatric Counselor, Online Geriatric Therapies at India’s best elder care platform can help you to overcome cognitive health issues like dementia. According to Prof (Dr) R K Suri, there isn't a single "wonder treatment" for memory issues or other aging-related brain changes. However, there is reason to be upbeat. Science suggests that a combination of social aspects and healthy behaviors can help you develop, maintain, and safeguard the function of your brain over time” Best Psychologists are there to help you.

Preventing Forgetfulness

It was once believed by experts that brain growth peaked in late adolescence and that things only got worse from there. They held the opinion that memory loss and brain function were irreversible if brain cells were lost as a result of issues like head trauma, stroke, or drug usage. We now understand that the brain can create new neural connections and generate new cells as a result of advancements in neuroscience. The brain can regenerate itself through exercise and frequent use, just like our muscles and other bodily parts.

For those who hope to live a long time, this is fantastic news. This means that by emphasizing mental, physical, and social activities that support healthy brain development, we can prevent memory loss. A healthy lifestyle can help those who have dementia and other diseases like Alzheimer's.

Consider your brain as a reservoir that collects rainwater to be used later. This image might be helpful. Before birth, the brain starts to form and accumulate "reserves" that it will later use. Your brain responds to your experiences and surroundings throughout your entire life, continuing the interaction.

Here are some things you can do to support healthy brain activities:

1. Engage your brain.

According to studies done on mice and people, brain activities have been found to stimulate new connections between nerve cells. They may even assist the brain in producing new cells, establishing neurological "plasticity" and building a functional reserve that serves as a buffer against further cell loss.

Your intellect should be strengthened by any activity that excites it. Attend classes, read, and engage in cerebral exercises such as crossword puzzles or math problems. Take into account activities that require mental effort such as drawing, painting, and other crafts and good hand-eye coordination.

2. Perform physical activity

Research suggests that working your muscles also helps your thinking. Regular exercise increases the number of small blood capillaries that carry oxygen-rich blood to the part of the brain that controls cognition in animals. Exercise also increases connectivity between brain cells and encourages the development of new nerve cells (synapses). Because their brains are much more efficient, pliable, and adaptive, older animals perform better. Exercise can help both your heart and cerebrum since it brings down circulatory strain, supports cholesterol, keeps a sound glucose level, and brings down mental pressure.

3. Make dietary changes

Both your body and your mind can benefit from a good diet. For instance, those who follow a Mediterranean-style diet that prioritizes fruits, fish, vegetables, nuts, unsaturated oils (like olive oil), and plant-based protein sources are less likely to suffer from dementia and cognitive decline.

4. Reduce blood pressure.

With midlife high blood pressure, the likelihood of cognitive decline in old age increases. To the greatest extent possible, alter your lifestyle to reduce your blood pressure.  Engage in regular exercise, maintain a healthy weight, limit your alcohol consumption to two drinks per day, and control your stress.

5. Lower your blood sugar level

Diabetes is a significant dementia risk factor. You can lower your risk of developing diabetes by eating properly, exercising frequently, and maintaining a healthy weight. However, you'll have to take medication if the blood sugar level of your body doesn't decrease.

6. Lower your high cholesterol

Elevated levels of LDL ("bad") cholesterol are associated with an increased risk of dementia. You can greatly reduce your cholesterol by following a healthy diet, engaging in regular exercise, keeping a healthy weight, and quitting smoking. But if you need additional help, talk to your doctor about medication.

7. Avoid using tobacco products and consuming excessive alcohol

According to the Alzheimer's Association, it's advisable to stop smoking and drink only in moderation because both excessive drinking and smoking increase your risk of developing dementia.

On days when alcohol is consumed, moderate consumption is defined as fewer than two drinks per day for men and less than one drink per day for women. 12 ounces of beer, 8 ounces of malt liquor, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits or liquor are all considered to constitute "drinks."

A study released in July 2022 discovered that drinking more than seven units per week is linked to increased brain iron levels, which are then linked to poorer cognitive function. Three ordinary wine glasses or four beer bottles contain roughly seven units of alcohol.

8. Take care of your mental health

People, who are worried, sleep-deprived, depressed, or exhausted usually do badly on cognitive function tests. Low scores don't automatically mean a person is more likely to experience cognitive decline as they age, but obtaining enough sleep and keeping good mental health are important goals. Accomplish it by taking Online Counselling with the Best Psychologists at TalktoAngel.

9. Guard your head.

Even without known concussions, moderate to severe head traumas raise the chance of cognitive decline.

10. Become More Social

Spending time with existing friends or making new ones could be beneficial for your mental health. A study that examined older persons in Japan and was published in 2021 discovered that participants who consistently engaged in high or enhanced social activity had a decreased risk of dementia than those who continuously engaged in low activity.