There is no causal relationship between mental exercise and decreasing the incidence of Alzheimer’s and dementia, however, using your brain does increase overall neural stimulation and growth.

Many studies do find that being mentally active is associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease. But the standard caveat applies: association does not prove cause and effect, and there is always the chance that the mentally active people who never got Alzheimer’s simply had healthier brains to begin with.

Even, so, researchers say, there is no harm in telling people to try to stay engaged.

Extended study and learning new things can help overall wellness by contributing to increased confidence, social activity and independence which greatly improves the lives of the elderly.

Green tea drinkers seem to stave off the effects of old age better than non-drinkers.

Following nearly 14,000 adults age 65 and older, they found that people who drank the most green tea were the least likely to develop “functional disability” over the next three years.

Functional disability refers to problems with daily activities like going to the store or doing housework, or difficulty with more-basic needs like dressing and bathing.

Not only their mental and physical health was better but also their emotional well being and social lives were better, as well.

Recent studies show the ways in which exercise benefits the brain.

Levels of a protein known as brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF, which is known to promote the health of nerve cells is the measure of the effect exercise on the brain.

For some time, scientists have believed that BDNF helps explain why mental functioning appears to improve with exercise. However, they haven’t fully understood which parts of the brain are affected or how those effects influence thinking. The Irish study suggests that the increases in BDNF prompted by exercise may play a particular role in improving memory and recall.

So, it is not just vanity that will get you into the gym but the benefits to mind and body that will carry you into old age on your own two feet.

Loved ones exhibiting the early signs of dementia may simply be lacking in a vital dietary nutrient.

The question you might need to ask is, “Old age or low B12?”

B12 is an essential vitamin with roles throughout the body. It is needed for the development and maintenance of a healthy nervous system, the production of DNA and formation of red blood cells.

A severe B12 deficiency results in anemia, which can be picked up by an ordinary blood test. But the less dramatic symptoms of a B12 deficiency may include muscle weakness, fatigue, shakiness, unsteady gait, incontinence, low blood pressure, depression and other mood disorders, and cognitive problems like poor memory.