Annabel and I make no secret of our aspiration to be superagers. After all, that’s what ageing well is all about – living a long life in good health. And, of course, that’s not just physical health, but cognitive health too. We know that superager brains atrophy slower and experience less neuroinflammation than those of the general population.
Now, new research has shed further light on what’s happening in the superager brain. A study published in leading journal Nature reveals that superagers grow more neurons than other older adults. The research team studied neurogenesis – the process of creating new neural connections – in the hippocampus, the part of the brain where new memories are formed and organised. Superagers were able to create more of these connections. The lead researcher explained, “[This finding] may suggest that one of the ways (SuperAgers’) brains function so well and exhibit strong cognition is due to the availability of more neurogenesis.”
Better brains
What causes this isn’t yet clear, but it may well be that other aspects of superagers’ lives help boost the process of neurogenesis. We can all encourage this process by:
- Regular aerobic exercise to boost the production of BDNF, the brain’s fertiliser for new neurons
- A brain healthy diet – the MIND diet is the one I recommend to clients
- Protecting sleep. The brain’s ‘housekeeping team’ gets to work during deep sleep. Sleep deprivation has been linked to reduced neurogenesis in animal models
- Keep learning and staying socially engaged. I wrote about recent research into social connection and superagers here
And even if you don’t fall into the superager brain category, and only about 10% of the population does, fear not. Research published by Glasgow University late last year found that adults aged 55-87 often outperform 18-27 year olds in tasks requiring focussed attention and accuracy. The young ones may be faster, but us over 55s are more accurate and strategic in our thinking. In my coaching practice, I often talk to women who feel their brain’s best days are behind them and they won’t be able to regain their sharpness. This study offers evidence that our brains still have much to give.
Valuing elders
One way to boost attention and accuracy, that Annabel and I both love, is reading. If you share our passion, you may enjoy the BBC Radio 4 series, How Reading Made Us. The ever-intellectual journalist James Marriott undertakes a three-part deep dive into the role of reading in the development of cognition, culture and democracy.
There’s a fascinating discussion at the end of episode 2 about how cultures that use phonetic language value their elders less. The argument being that if you can write down information in a relatively accessible way, in a language that requires understanding a mere 26 characters, the need for the knowledge of elders reduces. In a country like Japan, however, where writing is more complex and harder to learn, more people need to rely on information passed down orally through generations. So elders are more valued. No wonder Japan is full of superagers.
How Reading Made Us is definitely worth a listen – it’s available on BBC Sounds now.
Stimulation
A couple of new books have crossed my desk that are also worthy of your time.
Invincible by Dr Florence Comite – published at the end of the month, but we were sent advance proofs. Dr Comite is an expert in endocrinology and longevity. The book focusses on the need for individualised medicine and understanding how our own biology impacts how well we age. There’s a strong emphasis on testing – and the long list of tests she suggests are more accessible in the US than here in the UK. But much of the advice is similar to our own books: eat well, reduce refined carbohydrate consumption, optimise sleep, strength train and manage stress.
The Stimulated Mind by Dr Tommy Wood – out now. I’m a big fan of neuroscientist Dr Wood’s approach to optimising brain health and his book doesn’t disappoint. It’s a pretty dense tome though, and less accessible than Invincible. He shares his ‘3-S’ model for cognitive longevity: Stimulation, Sleep and Supply (of nutrients). I like the emphasis on stimulation – our brains thrive on challenge. He makes the point that we’re both over- and under-stimulated at the same time – too many notifications and distractions, not enough deep engagement. His answer is that we should aim for appropriate stimulation – like reading!
Which longevity-focussed books have you read recently? Let us know in the comments
Susan
Totally agree with you about The Stimulated Mind. Dr Tommy Wood’s book is one of the best ‘brain’ books I’ve read in ages partly because he covers so many areas in an evidence based approach (2000 references online!) plus he’s very readable and at times amusing. His podcast is v good too.
So glad you enjoyed it too! And yes I like his podcast and dry British humour
Hi Susan,
I thought that I haven’t really had the time for reading books, and that health information has come via internet searches plus Youtube videos; often around topics which you and Annabel have been discussing. But then I remembered that there is a book, one book, which I’ve been working my way through recently.
(Having said that, mustn’t forget TV; watched all the recent Tim Spector series (on British TV) “What Not To Eat”, about reducing the ultra-processed food intake.)
This book is by Scott B Fulton and it’s called “Function”; function meaning fitness on 5 fronts: cardio, strength, flexibility, mobility and neurological. It’s a to-do book; it’s about testing these 5 functions, and then taking action with targeted exercises, focussing on your weakest areas, and then re-testing. You work towards getting into the top 10% for your age group for all 5 functions. The long term aim of this is seen as lengthening your “healthspan” compared to your lifespan, so as to reduce the amount of end of life-time spent in a morbid condition without quality of life.
You mentioned testing. There’s a common factor between the Fulton book and the Spector TV series, it being this focus on testing, taking action and re-testing. Fulton’s tests seem, apart from VO2-max, easy to do at home while Spector’s tests also seem to be either do-able at home or cheap to send away for.
I do have a problem though: the “Function” approach represents a challenge: can I move away from being ultra-focussed on one thing at any one time (at the moment it’s about there being a connection between gait and brain health), towards looking at overall health and then concentrating the efforts on the areas where I’m at my weakest?