Can the aging of our brain be delayed?

is there any way make our brain age more slowly? We have all been able to ask ourselves this question at some time, and it is that we know more and more cases of people suffering from some type of dementia, the best known being Alzheimer's disease.

It is clear that as we get older, our brain ages just like the rest of our body. In fact, neuroscientists believe that our brain begins to age from the age of 30. But don't worry, we can also influence this process with our lifestyle.

• Related article: "Parts of the human brain (and functions)"

How to delay brain aging

The neuroscientist Francisco Mora offers us 12 healthy guidelines that we can establish in our lives, regardless of how old we are, to keep our brain active and delay possible diseases as the Alzheimer disease.

1. eat less

Eating more than we need increases oxidative stress in the brainIn addition, reducing the amount of food enhances the production of new neurons in the brain. hippocampus (region in charge of memory and learning) and strengthens neural connections.

2. Exercise regularly

Physical activity increases the plasticity of the brain, that is, the ability to regenerate neurons and change the functioning of this set of organs of the nervous system.

• Related article: "Brain plasticity (or neuroplasticity): what is it?"

3. Do mental exercise daily

Challenges and new learning are a good option. For example, learning a new language; The objective is not to get to speak it perfectly, but the effort and satisfaction that learning it generates, also increasing our self-esteem.

4. Travel and discover new places

You don't have to travel the world, getting to know places close to where we live is just as enriching. Being in unfamiliar environments requires activating our brain to adapt to new stimuli, in addition to experiencing pleasant emotions. Routine is bad for our brain.

5. Take care of your social relationships

Living together and keeping our relationships with others alive increases our feeling of being supported by someone, we adapt better to changes and keeps us from feelings of loneliness.

6. adapt to changes

We live in constant change, adapting to new situations and the experiences we live is essential, otherwise we increase our level of stress and discomfort.

• You may be interested in: "The 3 phases of old age, and their physical and psychological changes"

7. Avoid chronic stress

Continued stress releases glucocorticoid hormones that directly affect the brain, destroying neurons in the hippocampus, affecting our memory and learning ability.

• Related article: "10 essential tips to reduce stress"

8. Do not smoke

This habit can cause small strokes, and nicotine causes atrophy and neuronal death, which can reduce our cognitive abilities.

9. Sleep well

Enjoying a restful sleep is necessary so that our brain can delete unnecessary information, reinforce the knowledge that we have learned throughout the day and repair tissues that may have been damaged.

• Related article: "The 7 main sleep disorders"

10. Avoid emotional blackout

Being motivated, excited about new projects and looking for things that excite us is part of our life engine.

11. be thankful

Practicing gratitude with others reinforces our social ties, helps create new bonds and forget old emotional ballasts that cause us discomfort.

12. Enjoy the little things

Regardless of how old we are, we must put on magnifying glasses and be aware of the things we experience daily and that make us feel good; A conversation with a friend, coffee in the morning, the feeling of a job well done, singing in the shower... all these things that are within our reach provide us with great pleasant sensations.

Tell us if you already practice some of these habits in your life or if you have decided to start changing any of them!