Think you’re doing everything possible to protect your brain and maintain your memory as you age? Well, here’s an additional technique that could help you stave off Alzheimer’s: learning a second language. Research has shown that being bilingual can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s by up to five years.
Bilingualism and its benefits
It’s no secret that keeping your brain active is crucial to maintain its health. This can be done through playing brain games, engaging in new hobbies, reading or writing. However, studies have suggested that learning a second language could be one of the best ways to keep your brain sharp and healthy as you grow older.
A study by the University of Milan discovered that being bilingual makes your brain more resilient in the face of a devastating brain disease like Alzheimer’s. People with Alzheimer’s who spoke two languages scored three to eight times higher on short-term and long-term memory tests than people who only spoke one language.
Research has shown that bilingual people with Alzheimer’s have better functional connectivity in their frontal brain regions, which enable the frontal regions of the brain (associated with memory, language, and learning) to communicate better with each other. As a result, bilingual people with Alzheimer’s were able to think more clearly than those who only spoke one language.
These bilingual individuals also benefitted from better neural compensation, meaning their brains found alternative brain pathways that helped them function despite the degeneration caused by Alzheimer’s. This process is known as neuroplasticity, proving that the brain can rewire itself to perform incredible feats with a little help.
Lastly, bilingual speakers also had better neural reserve. This means that, after a lifetime of making their brain work harder, their brain had become more resistant to damage caused by aging.
It’s never too late
You might be wondering if it’s too late to reap the brain benefits of bilingualism if you’re already in your later years. The answer is no.
Although the brain benefits of bilingualism may be more significant if you’ve been speaking two languages since childhood, it’s never too late to build neuronal networks in your brain. Learning a new language is an excellent way to achieve this. Some researchers believe learning a language later in life is even better for your brain, precisely because it is more challenging than when you were younger. This challenge provides your brain with even more of a workout, much like physical exercise.
Of course, when it comes to preserving your brain health, you don’t want to rely solely on learning a second language. You should adopt various other scientifically-proven brain-boosting habits to prevent dementia, such as:
- Consuming enough foods with HDL (healthy) cholesterol to fuel your brain.
- Taking a daily probiotic to maintain your gut-brain connection.
- Exercising your body along with your brain.
- Clearing dementia-causing wastes from your brain with omega-3s.
- Relaxing regularly in a sauna.
- Getting your daily dose of B-vitamins to ward off brain diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
