Making lifestyle changes in your 30s, 40s, and 50s sets you up for a better brain health trajectory.
Against the backdrop of technological advancements and medical breakthroughs, the concept of health is growing beyond its conventional boundaries. Sally Duplantier, a renowned gerontologist and founder of Zing, is not just advocating for health, but supporting a revolution focused on the brain and the core of our being.
Sally doesn’t mince words when defining her mission. “Brain health,” she states, “is about more than just cognitive abilities; it’s about sustaining the essence of who we are as we age.” She emphasizes that gerontology approaches aging holistically, considering biology, psychology, sociology, and policy aspects. This all-encompassing approach focuses on helping people “live their most fulfilling life longer,” a concept known as Healthspan—a period of life free from chronic disease and disability.
The journey into brain health research began in Sally’s 60s when she returned to school, first for a Certificate in Nutrition Science from Stanford University, and then for a Master of Science degree in Gerontology from the University of Southern California (USC). While at USC, Sally had the unique opportunity to do an internship at Stanford University with Christopher Gardner, PhD, the director of nutrition studies at the Stanford Prevention Research Center and the Rehnborg Farquhar Professor of Medicine. Sally’s internship project was a literature review to examine the link between dietary patterns and cognitive decline. After evaluating more than 50 studies, she co-authored and published her paper in the journal, Nutrients, in 2021. This research sparked greater curiosity about ways to keep our brains healthy.
Sally’s subsequent research has explored various lifestyle factors, including exercise, sleep, stress management, supplements, and cognitive activities like “brain games.” Throughout her research, she aimed to distinguish between marketing hype and misinformation regarding brain health in order to discern scientific facts. “Making lifestyle changes in your 30s, 40s, and 50s sets you up for a better brain health trajectory,” she explains. As she points out, an early start and commitment to brain health are essential to thwarting cognitive decline in later life.
Bringing this point to light, Sally argues that the fight against cognitive decline is more important than ever before. Alzheimer’s disease, for example, the most prevalent form of dementia, currently affects millions worldwide, with an increase to 115 million cases projected by 2050. With such a disease with no cure, prevention through brain health becomes crucial.
Within this context, Sally expresses that there are many steps we can take now to protect our brain health. The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that at least 40% of dementia cases could be prevented or delayed through lifestyle choices.
Sally offers these practical tips for individuals committed to protecting their brain health:
- Cut back on sugar. While excess sugar in the bloodstream plays havoc with the heart and is linked to diabetes, it is also highly correlated with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. CDC research shows that excess sugar consumption damages blood vessels in the brain, resulting in brain atrophy which impairs memory and cognition. How much sugar is “too much?” Sally follows the guidelines of the MIND diet (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay), one of the neuroprotective diets she has studied. The MIND diet recommends no more than five (5) small servings of sweets each week.
- Add some steps. Movement plays a critical role in brain health for many reasons. Not only does movement increase blood flow to the brain, but it also lifts our spirits and may include social interaction—all important for brain health. For people daunted by exercise, Sally suggests simply trying to “move more.” For example, the UK Daily Step Count Study showed that even 3,800 steps a day (less than two miles) could reduce the risk of all-cause dementia.
- Prioritize sleep. Sally describes sleep as “nature’s garbage truck,” a vital mechanism for removing toxins from our body and brain, including the build-up of beta-amyloid proteins associated with Alzheimer’s. “This ‘garbage truck’ – known as the glymphatic system – only works at night. If you don’t sleep, there is no pickup,” Sally says. According to the CDC, most adults require 7-9 hours of sleep a night, every night. “You can’t make up for it by sleeping in on the weekends,” Sally says.
- Check your blood pressure. “One of the most important things we can do for brain health is one of the simplest,” Sally says. “Get your blood pressure checked annually, and if it is high, or borderline high, work with your healthcare provider to reduce it. “Borderline” high blood pressure is considered 130/80, which is too high for optimal brain health, according to the recent SPRINT MIND clinical trial. High blood pressure is seen in 73% of people with Alzheimer’s, making it one of the highest risk factors.
- Learn something challenging. “As much as we’d like to believe that a crossword puzzle will stave off dementia, research shows that novel activities that require sustained engagement are the best at stimulating neural activity,” Sally says. She cites a research study from the University of Texas that demonstrated a positive change in brain activity in adults aged 39+ who were assigned to 14 weeks of learning a new skill like quilting or digital photography. The key here was that the learning was new and challenging for a sustained period. “Kind of like returning to graduate school in my 60s,” quips Sally.
