Michael Mosely’s tips for beating brain ageing

Start dancing, learn something new and stay socially engaged is Michael Mosely’s sage advice for remaining mentally adroit. To that we can add the counsel of expert neurologists from the USA who provide additional tips for safeguarding cognitive function.
Ensuring that our blood pressures, cholesterol and blood sugar levels remain within normal limits will help to safeguard the wellbeing of our blood vessels which in turn will go some way to enhancing cognitive function and preventing stroke and dementia.
The healthy brain boosting diet is rich in fruit, vegetables, fish, nuts and seeds. Like the immune system our higher centres benefit from regular exercise which enhances memory and cognitive function as well as augmenting those parts of the brain responsible for language, thinking and positive emotions.
Attention to healthy sleep hygiene with at least seven hours of sleep per night will contribute to reducing the risk of developing dementia. Committing to a host of brain challenging activities like crossword puzzles, Sudoku and others will preserve those higher centres that allow us to remain mentally engaged.
The Wellness Guide to Preventing the Diseases of Ageing lists a number of other measures that can be used to prevent cognitive decline. This part of the book details the special nutrients, hormones and other interventions that might help to fortify our brains.
There probably isn’t one exclusively magical ingredient so I am hoping that a menu which samples all of the above will allow us to remain cognitively vital for as long as possible.