In this section  Risk factors: Introduction  Diet and lifestyle  Social interaction  Stress and emotional wellness  Mental agility and capacity  Smoking, toxins, and alcohol consumption  Head Trauma  Print the Healthy Brain worksheet  Back to main Healthy Brain page

Building good relationships is a vital aspect of brain health that is often lost amidst all the information about diet and exercise.

Research shows that to keep the brain healthy, people need to be in positive relationships and in contact with others.

Fact 1. In a study that followed a group of people as they aged, those with an active social life exhibited relatively fewer symptoms of dementia even if, after their death, their brains were found to have the hallmark plaques and tangles in their brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease. (Rush Memory Project 2006)

Fact 2. People who opt for complete retirement have been found to score more poorly on mental health tests. (National Bureau of Economic Research and Bentley College 2006)

Fact 3. A study showed that people who were rated as pessimistic and anxious in tests went on to develop dementia at higher rates than those whose attitudes showed to be more positive. (Dr. Yonas Geda – Mayo Clinic, Rochester Minnesota 2005)

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