I tell my patients to pick a brain activity they enjoy. The most eff ective is a trifecta that combines mental, social, and physical activity — like dancing. You learn steps, get exercise, and do it with other people.”
be as harmful as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and is linked to higher risks of early death and dementia.
EXERCISE
Physical activity is one of the best defenses against brain aging.
The Alzheimer’s Society reviewed 16
studies and found that regular exercise can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by as much as 45%. Exercise increases the production
of a brain protein called BDNF, which helps create new neurons, strengthens existing ones, and supports the hippocampus — the brain’s memory center. The Lancet review also found that
early-life education helps protect against dementia. While you can’t change your
schooling history, you can keep learning and challenging your brain throughout life. “I tell my patients to pick a brain
activity they enjoy,” says Wengel. “The most eff ective is a trifecta that combines mental, social, and physical activity — like dancing. “You learn steps, get exercise, and do it with other people.”
DIET AND SLEEP The MIND diet — developed at the University of Chicago — combines elements of the Mediterranean and DASH diets to support brain and heart health. It emphasizes leafy greens, berries,
nuts, whole grains, fi sh, olive oil, and beans while limiting red meat, butter, fried foods, cheese, and salt. A healthy diet helps control risk
factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, all of which accelerate brain aging. “We don’t know as much about
which foods are best for brain health,” says Wengel, “but we do know that ultra-processed foods are among the worst.” Getting enough sleep (at least seven hours) is also essential. Scientists recently discovered
the glymphatic system — the brain’s waste removal process that clears out debris, including amyloid proteins that contribute to Alzheimer’s. “Sleep is when your brain takes out the trash,” explains Wengel. “That’s why sleep deprivation increases your risk of dementia.”
ALCOHOL Moderate alcohol consumption was once thought to protect the heart and brain, but newer, larger studies show otherwise. Current cancer guidelines state
that no amount of alcohol is safe, as even moderate drinking increases the risk of cancers of the breast, colon, mouth, and liver. “Neuroscientists believe that
moderate drinking is better than heavy drinking, but nothing is better than no drinking,” says Wengel.
— Steven Wengel, M.D. “Alcohol kills brain cells, and
there’s no evidence it slows brain aging.”
MEDITATION Finally, there is some good evidence that meditation can change your brain by increasing gray matter in the hippocampus — the brain’s memory center. Years of research on mindfulness
meditation have shown that it can reduce stress, depression, and pain. More recently, a landmark study
compared brain imaging studies before and after eight weeks of a daily (30-minute) meditation program given at the University of Massachusetts Center for Mindfulness. After taking the course,
meditators had increased the density of gray matter in the hippocampus, as well as the area of the brain responsible for compassion and self-awareness. “This suggests another trifecta
for the aging brain. Consider a yoga class that combines mindfulness, exercise, and a group setting,” suggests Wengel. The bottom line is that you may
or may not be born a super-ager, but you can become one. The old belief that brain aging
is relentless and unavoidable is no longer valid, and the outlook for the aging brain is becoming much brighter.
JANUARY 2026 | NEWSMAX MAXLIFE 93
GRASS/MUSTAFAU/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS / PILLOW/
ISTOCK.COM/SUDOWOODO / SLEEPING/
ISTOCK.COM/LJUBAPHOTO / MEDITATION/
ISTOCK.COM/SKYNESHER
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108
