The Ultimate Habit Ranking to Prevent Brain Aging! 10 Methods to Keep Brain Cells Young

Entering the era of an aging society, with the population aging, the number of dementia patients is increasing year by year. It is estimated that among people aged 65 and older, approximately one person out of every 13 suffers from dementia; and in the population aged 80 and older, this proportion is even higher, with about one person out of every 10 suffering from dementia! This trend compels us to pay attention to the impact of dementia on individuals and society. As people age, the decline in cognitive function may become a major challenge in life, affecting the quality of daily life. Therefore, in order to maintain cognitive function and prevent its decline, good lifestyle habits are essential. To help people better understand and cope with this issue, Japanese media invited experts to vote and selected the "Ultimate Habit Ranking for Preventing Brain Aging." This ranking provides us with a guide, informing us which behaviors in our daily lives can help us prevent dementia and maintain brain health.

Dementia specialist Dr. Okamura Ayumu elaborated on the condition of poor neuronal connections and slowed activity in the brain, a phenomenon known as "brain aging." He pointed out that this aging state could lead to a decline in cognitive function and the onset of dementia. However, he also emphasized an important point: it is possible to delay brain aging and even restore youthfulness by consuming more brain-activating foods and deliberately engaging in activities that stimulate the brain. To delve deeper into this issue, "Women's Seven" magazine invited 10 experts, including nutritionists, medical doctors, and dementia specialists, to vote. In their view, lifestyle habits are crucial for brain health. Based on the voting results, the experts comprehensively assessed the importance of various lifestyle habits and compiled a detailed "Ultimate Habit Ranking for Preventing Brain Aging." This ranking provides valuable guidance for people to choose suitable lifestyles to maintain brain health and vitality.

Tenth Place: Maintaining Balanced Nutrition, Chewing Food Thoroughly, Quitting Smoking, Emphasizing Grooming

Psychiatrist Hotaruboshi, internist Ousaki Ou, and nutritionist Mochizuki Rieko, among others, pointed out that insufficient dietary intake and lack of balanced nutrition among the elderly can accelerate the aging process of organs throughout the body, especially the brain. Furthermore, thoroughly chewing food can stimulate and activate the brain, making it essential to incorporate foods with rich textures into daily diets.

Additionally, spending time each day dressing up not only makes one feel younger but also increases happiness and prevents depression, benefiting brain health. Lastly, the experts emphasized the importance of quitting smoking because nicotine has a strong vasoconstrictive effect, which may lead to poor blood circulation in the brain, accelerating brain cell death and increasing the risk of dementia.

Ninth Place: Enjoying Leisure Activities Can Prevent Brain Atrophy

Nutrition expert Professor Kumagai Osamu and internist Dr. Yamamoto Kana explained further that any stimulus different from daily life, such as appreciating art or going on outings, can activate the brain. These stimuli include but are not limited to visiting art galleries, attending concerts, and participating in cultural activities. Through these diverse experiences, people's brains receive new stimuli and vitality, helping to maintain healthy cognitive function.

Furthermore, the experts noted that participating in recreational activities and integrating into daily life can effectively reduce stress, which is also crucial for preventing brain atrophy. In modern society, the elderly often face various pressures and anxieties, but by engaging in recreational activities, communicating with family and friends, and enjoying the pleasures of life, these negative emotions can be alleviated, thereby reducing brain stress and promoting the healthy development of cognitive function. Therefore, the experts emphasized that besides nutrient intake, various enjoyable experiences and active activities in life are equally essential for maintaining brain health.

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During the "Bay Area Wonders" Expedition Tour, you will have the opportunity to interact with locals, learning about their lives, work, and daily habits. This interaction not only brings enjoyable conversations and exchanges but also opens the door for you to understand local culture and traditions. Through these interactions, you can gain a richer travel experience, potentially make new friends, and establish lasting friendships and connections. This contributes to improving communication skills, enhancing confidence, and cultivating problem-solving abilities.

Eighth Place: Having Three or More Interests Almost Eliminates the Risk of Dementia

Psychiatrist Hideki Watanabe and others explain that research has found that individuals who engage in long-term hobbies have a lower risk of developing dementia. Additionally, participating in hobbies can activate the frontal lobe and prevent aging. Takahito Takeuchi, President of the Japan Independent Support and Rehabilitation Association, has also shared in the "Takeuchi Dementia Care Guide" that compared to those without interests, individuals with interests have a 38% lower risk of dementia. Another study found that people with three or more interests have an 80% lower risk of dementia compared to those without interests, statistically speaking, almost eliminating the risk of dementia. This indicates that having interests can effectively prevent dementia. Among various interests, those involving group activities are particularly effective in preventing dementia, such as playing sports together, reciting poetry, and group painting.

Joining KTSF Go allows you to access the latest life information, thereby improving your quality of life. Through KTSF Go, you can learn about healthy eating, exercise plans, mental health, and other important lifestyle recommendations, all of which contribute to maintaining physical and mental well-being. Additionally, participating in various lifestyle activities through KTSF Go is an effective way to improve brain health. Whether it's engaging in social activities, outdoor adventures, cultural events, or learning new skills, they all provide new stimuli for the brain, promoting the connection and activity of nerve cells, thus slowing down the aging process of the brain and enhancing cognitive function and memory. Therefore, actively participating in various lifestyle activities and timely accessing life information will help maintain a healthy body and mind, keeping cognitive disorders such as dementia at bay.

6th place: Stay away from smartphones to prevent "smartphone dementia"

Dementia specialist Dr. Okumura Ayumi and others explained that prolonged daily use of smartphones can lead to brain fatigue due to the unconscious acquisition of a large amount of information. This prolonged input of digital information may exceed the brain's processing capacity, leading to cognitive overload and fatigue. Furthermore, using smartphones can also increase the time spent without using memory or cognitive skills, such as browsing social media or watching videos, which may long-term impair brain function, particularly affecting key aspects such as attention and memory.

Psychiatrist Dr. Yang Congcai explained in a media interview that "smartphone dementia" refers to a decline in brain function due to excessive smartphone use, resulting in symptoms similar to dementia, such as memory loss, forgetfulness, and inability to calculate. This differs from the causes of typical dementia such as Alzheimer's disease but can similarly have serious negative effects on individuals' lives and work. Dr. Yang advised against compromising the golden sleep time from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. for smartphone use and recommended avoiding excessive reliance on smartphones to allow the brain sufficient rest. This is one of the best ways to prevent smartphone dementia and also helps maintain overall brain health and improve quality of life.

5th place: Getting 7 or more hours of sleep helps brain waste metabolism

Cardiologist Dr. Otaki Ryo and neurologist Dr. Kato Toshinori explained that research has found a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia with shorter sleep durations. During deep sleep, the brain can remove waste accumulated in the brain and stabilize memory. This deep rest is crucial for maintaining healthy brain function as it promotes connections and information transmission between neurons, enhancing brain function. A study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease found that to avoid dementia, it is best to develop a habit of going to bed at 10 p.m. to prevent the accumulation of β-amyloid protein in the brain, which affects normal function and increases the risk of dementia. These results suggest that maintaining good sleep habits is essential for maintaining brain health, especially for older adults, who should prioritize sufficient sleep to prevent cognitive decline and other related diseases.

4th place: Engage in conversations! Even with brain atrophy, nuns remain dementia-free

Neurologist Dr. Uchino Katsuyuki and psychiatrist Dr. Wada Hideki stated that conversing with others requires the use of various brain functions, such as reading conversation content, responding, and understanding the other person's expressions and emotions. Communication involves more than just exchanging words; it is a complex cognitive process involving language comprehension, emotion recognition, social skills, and more. Dr. Wada cited the example of elderly nuns in the United States, where research found that although 8% of the nuns' brains had atrophied to the extent diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, they showed no signs of dementia before their deaths. This may be because they continued to engage in activities such as volunteer service and maintained relationships with others. Therefore, it is recommended to stimulate the brain through conversation, social interaction, or even singing to prevent dementia. Communication not only promotes social interaction but also stimulates neurons in the brain, strengthens neural connections, and maintains brain activity and flexibility.

3rd place: Travel stimulates brain function and enhances happiness

Internist Dr. Sasaki Yu and others stated that traveling can increase life satisfaction, which contributes to preventing cognitive decline. Traveling is not only a pleasant experience but also an opportunity to connect with nature and culture. During travel, people can break free from the constraints of daily life, relax, and experience the wonders of nature and cultural landscapes. This change in mindset and emotional joy helps reduce stress, relieve anxiety, improve mental health, indirectly protecting brain function.

In addition to improving life satisfaction, travel can evoke past memories, activating brain function. Exploring new places and experiencing different cultures while traveling can evoke memories of past travel experiences or enjoyable times spent with family and friends. These memories not only evoke emotional resonance but also stimulate brain activity and retention of memory.

Joining the KTSF travel group can provide a safe and convenient travel experience, allowing participants to enjoy the journey with peace of mind. The carefully planned itineraries of the KTSF travel group cover a diverse range of destinations and attractions, from urban exploration to natural landscapes, from cultural heritage to culinary experiences, catering to the preferences of different groups.

2nd place: Cooking and preparing meals can activate various brain functions

Joining "KTSF Go Cuisine" allows you to explore the latest culinary trends and fresh dining spots, further enriching your cooking experience. Cooking, as a daily activity for many, should not be underestimated for its benefits to the brain. Neurologist Dr. Uchino Katsuyuki and other experts pointed out that cooking requires planning and attention allocation, allowing individuals to handle multiple tasks simultaneously, thereby activating the prefrontal cortex of the brain. During cooking, continuous judgment and decision-making are required, from selecting ingredients to seasoning and mastering cooking techniques. Each step requires mental effort, helping to enhance brain flexibility and responsiveness.

Furthermore, cooking can stimulate creativity and imagination. Before a dish is completed, chefs need to imagine the finished product and organize various cooking methods through other areas of the brain. Then, by actually preparing the food, the entire brain is engaged, performing complex tasks simultaneously, aiding in brain activation and dementia prevention. Therefore, participating in cooking not only allows you to enjoy delicious food but also exercises the brain, promoting cognitive enhancement. By joining "KTSF Go Cuisine," you will have the opportunity to learn new cooking techniques and methods, discover unique ingredients and dining spots, further enhancing your culinary skills, while injecting new vitality into brain health.

1st place: Exercise! Sing while walking, rejuvenate the brain and fight aging!

Dr. Kato Toshinori and others pointed out that the longer the sedentary time, the higher the risk of dementia, depression, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and other diseases, which may lead to a deterioration in overall health. To avoid these health problems, it is recommended to engage in moderate exercise every day. In addition to recommending a one-hour walk in the morning, just walking continuously for about 20 minutes can bring various benefits, such as activating the brain, maintaining mobility, and reducing stress.

Furthermore, by reading the latest health information on KTSF Go, you can obtain advice on how to improve lifestyle and maintain health. KTSF Go provides a diverse range of health information covering nutrition, exercise, mental health, and more, offering a comprehensive health guide. By accessing the latest health information and actively participating in various lifestyle activities, you can improve overall brain health, prevent cognitive decline, and other related health problems. Understanding health knowledge from a scientific perspective, combined with practical health practices in daily life, will help you develop a health plan tailored to yourself, promoting comprehensive enhancement of physical and mental health.

If you use your brain while exercising, such as singing while walking, you can simultaneously activate the brain and body, promote the secretion of neurotransmitters, and rejuvenate brain cells! Additionally, activities like tennis and batting can help you make new friends, increase opportunities for conversation, and effectively keep the brain young!

In summary of the above suggestions and expert opinions, we can conclude that maintaining brain health is not only an important personal responsibility but also a focus of collective societal concern. With the aging population, the incidence of cognitive disorders such as dementia continues to rise, making proactive preventive measures crucial. We can start by cultivating good habits in diet, exercise, social activities, and more to maintain physical and mental health. Additionally, participating in travel and community activities is also an important way to promote cognitive function. Let's take proactive action, starting now, to pay attention to and care for our brain health, laying a solid foundation for future life.