Scientists have refuted the mandatory deterioration of brain function with age

A person's cognitive function and mental acuity can increase at any age, including in people over 90 years of age, provided they carry out short daily brain training. This conclusion was reached by scientists at the University of Texas at Dallas following a three-year study involving 3,966 people, Science Daily reported on June 13.

"A three-year study involving almost 4,000 adults aged 19 to 94 years has shown that brain health can improve at any age, refuting the widespread belief that mental acuity necessarily decreases with age. Participants spent just a few minutes a day on brain—training exercises, and the researchers found measurable improvements in many aspects of brain health, including clarity of thought, emotional well-being, and a sense of purpose," the publication says.

It is noted that the study participants spent from five to 15 minutes a day on such workouts. It is noteworthy that the people who initially had the lowest brain health index showed the greatest changes in the end.

"Those who start at the lowest level seem to have the most opportunities for growth, and they may come with more pronounced problems. Therefore, they may be more motivated to invest the time needed to achieve greater growth potential," said Lori Cook, lead author of the study.

The researchers note that positive dynamics was recorded even among 80-year-old participants. This proves that taking care of cognitive health is effective in old age and benefits long before the first signs of disease appear.

"For too long, we've been guided by the outdated notion that we need to wait until something bad happens to our brain before doing anything about it," said Sandra Bond, senior author of the study.

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Science Daily reported on June 9 that a group of scientists from the universities of Monash, Sao Paulo and Deakin learned that the consumption of ultra-processed foods can negatively affect the ability to concentrate and increase the risk of factors associated with the development of dementia. The researchers include carbonated drinks, salty snacks, semi-finished products and ready meals of industrial production among ultra-processed products. According to the authors of the study, the negative effect persisted even among those participants who generally followed a healthy Mediterranean diet.