Is Lifestyle the Key to Cognitive Function?

Recent research indicates that certain lifestyle factors can play a significant role in the retention of cognitive function over time. For individuals who wish to take proactive steps to retain mental prowess as they age, recent research points to a number of key areas in which to focus efforts for optimal results.

Muscle Strength Linked to Brain Function

In November of 2009, researchers from the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago published a study in the ‘Archives of Neurology’, which indicated that maintaining muscle strength may aid in the retention of cognitive functionality over time.

The study followed men and women aged 54 and 100 over a four year period, testing muscle strength and brain function, and concluded that patients who demonstrated continued strength also retained the highest cognitive functioning.

Dwindling Social Lives can Cause Cognitive Decline

These results are an interesting adjunct to those of an earlier study conducted by the same research group which examined the correlation between a decline in cognitive function and decreased social activity, finding that a diminishing social life may adversely impact motor skills.

Dr. Aron S. Buchman of the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center said the study demonstrated that a decrease of just one point on the social activity scale produced a cognitive decline equal to that created by five years of the aging process.

Lifestyle Elements Important for Brain Function

The studies bear out the accepted wisdom that in order to retain ones mental faculties, individuals must pay attention to balance in their lifestyle. Key areas on which efforts should be focused include:

*Programs of physical exercise, which can help retain muscle strength and therefore have positive implications for the retention of mental function.

*A balanced and active social life, which is proven to help combat the effects of aging on cognitive function.

As with many other areas of health and aging, the key to keeping performance at an optimum level would seem to lie in achieving a balance of work and play, albeit maintaining an appropriate nutritional intake also appears (unsurprisingly) beneficial.

Nutritional Approach to Optimum Cognitive Function

Nutritionists have long extolled the virtues of key dietary elements in fighting age related degeneration, and cognitive function is no exception. When taking a holistic approach to the retention of both physical and mental prowess, certain dietary elements and supplements should not be ignored. A balanced diet is vital in retaining both mental and physical strength and should be supplemented with a premium quality multivitamin to ensure that deficiencies are avoided.

Antioxidants: Weapons Against Cognitive Degeneration

Antioxidants such as alpa lipoic acid, or ALA, and acetyl L-carnitine, or ALC, are widely believed to be powerful tools in the fight against age related mental degeneration, and should be a component in a premium quality multivitamin complex. Additionally, the soy-sourced supplement phosphatidylserine has been qualified by the FDA as a possible weapon in the fight against dementia.

Can We Retain Cognitive Function?

While no one single factor can definitively insure against the age related decline of mental faculties, studies would seem to show that combining careful lifestyle and nutritional choices can offer significant protection against the loss of cognitive function. UltraFitnessDynamics