Brain Health and Ageing: How to Stay Sharp and Support Brain Health as you Age

5 mins to read

Discover key strategies to boost brain health, enhance cognitive function, and prevent age-related decline. Learn how to keep your mind sharp for life.

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You may have heard that most people are expected to live longer lives. According to the United Nations Population Division, global life expectancy at birth is expected to rise to 77.3 by 2050.

We will need our brains to maintain good memory, focus and function to help us enjoy those extra years. Just like our bodies benefit from fitness, our minds can also, and the key is to keep the mind active.

In an interview with Georgia State University, Vonetta Dotson, associate professor of psychology and gerontology and author of “Keep Your Wits About You: The Science of Brain Maintenance as You Age”, says, “A healthy brain requires a healthy brain structure with good blood flow, with brain cells intact and communicating efficiently with each other.”

Genetics play a role in how fast our cognition declines, but here are some lifestyle habits to keep ensuring our brains stay in tip-top shape as long as possible.

What can you do to nurture your brain?

Food for thought

We are what we eat. Eating unhealthy foods translates to poor health, including our brain health. According to a study published in Nature Medicine, eating a diet high in specific types of nutrients — including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, unsaturated fats, nuts, legumes, and low-fat dairy products — is associated with improved physical and mental health in older age.

One such diet is The Planetary Health Diet Index (PHDI), which is most strongly associated with maintaining intact cognitive health. The PHDI emphasises healthy, low greenhouse gas emission foods like plant-sourced protein food.

Monash University researchers report that a Mediterranean diet rich in melatonin and tryptophan is linked to better sleep duration and quality.

These diets include several foods that studies have shown to be associated with maintaining cognitive health, including omega-3 fatty acids due to their inflammatory properties. Fish, nuts, and seeds are great sources of omega-3. Foods such as blueberries, leafy greens, and curcumin (found in the spice turmeric) are also thought to protect the brain through their antioxidant properties, according to the National Institute of Aging.

Exercise benefits blood flow to the brain

Exercise improves blood flow to the brain, enabling the delivery of oxygen, nutrients and other essential factors for brain function. A randomised controlled trial showed that exercise can modify hippocampal volume, a brain structure important to memory and learning.

Several recent studies have reported a link between physical activity and brain health. One recent study published in The Lancet reports emerging evidence suggests that sedentary and unhealthy lifestyles accelerate brain ageing. The report explains that physical activity helps counteract structural and functional decline during ageing.

Another recent study, the largest, most comprehensive umbrella review conducted by the University of South Australia (UniSA) to date, shows that any form of exercise can significantly boost brain function and memory.

According to the study, low—to moderate-intensity exercise had the greatest benefits for brain function and memory. Yoga, Tai Chi, and exergames (active video games) delivered the most significant cognitive benefits.

Lead researcher, UniSA’s Dr Ben Singh says, “In particular, we found that benefits were delivered quickly – with clear gains within 1-3 months, highlighting that even small bursts of activity can make a big difference. It also signals that trying new activities could play a key role in keeping the brain engaged and active.”

Sleep for brain health

According to the Sleep Health Foundation and Monash University, when we sleep, the tiny spaces between the brain cells increase in volume, allowing the removal of toxic proteins from the brain into the cerebrospinal fluid.

Poor sleep may affect the brain’s natural restorative processes, which are thought to play a role in maintaining cognitive function over time.

Getting enough sleep can also help store new memories and transfer information into long-term memory.

A 2023 study found that sleep quality, characterised by difficulty getting to sleep and early morning awakenings, may be associated with an increased risk of brain ageing, particularly when it persists over five years.

Foster a consistent sleep schedule by engaging in a calming sleep ritual each evening. For example, start by relaxing with some calming tea, stretches, and meditation. Then, prepare a dark, calm, and pleasant sleeping environment with no devices.

Learning stimulates the brain

Learning new things and keeping engaged and stimulated with activities may support mental alertness and cognitive performance. According to Harvard University, challenging the brain with mental exercise is believed to activate processes that help maintain individual brain cells and stimulate communication among them. Working in a job can be one way to do this, as can taking up hobbies, learning a new language or instrument, or doing puzzles, board games, or reading.

Repetition is a common method people use to learn new things. Harvard suggests it’s best to repeat the material after increasingly more extended periods rather than within a short period. For example, you might revisit what you are trying to learn after one day, three days, and then one week. According to Harvard, spacing out study periods like this helps improve memory and is particularly valuable when mastering complex information.

An active social life for an active brain

The joy you get from catching up with friends or chatting with your neighbours may help support brain health as you age. As Harvard University reports, research increasingly shows how important strong social ties are to brain health.

A 2022 study research published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity Journal found this also, with the University of NSW researcher Dr Suraj Samtani explaining, “One way is that having other people there provides us with stimulating activities, and just talking to people uses your memory and language skills. The other way is having support from other people, which reduces your stress. Lowering your stress keeps your brain healthier for longer.”

The study showed that any social interaction is better than no interaction to keep your brain healthy. For example, a yearly, monthly or weekly engagement in a community group was associated with slower memory decline than no engagement.

Being socially active can include visiting with neighbours, volunteering, or joining a sports or fitness club. Harvard University also suggests seeking out old friendships, good-quality relationships and using a range of ways to connect, from online to in-person to community groups. Typically, the better we look after something, the longer it will live. Research shows that if we look after our bodies with this same philosophy in mind, we can help keep our minds healthy and strong for longer.