You know, all of us (ok, those of us on the dark side of 50) are petrified we are going to succumb to Alzheimer’s, dementia, or other sorts of mental decline.
So, some folks succumb to the snake oil salesfolks of the 21st century. You know (at least if you’ve been reading my blog)- Neuriva, Privagen, and the rest of the lot that claim to improve your brain function. (I have a bridge for sale, should you need one 😊).
Any way, it turns out that there is a great way to ensure we don’t fall subject to cognitive decline as we age. Except- we have to start long, long before our current age. But, if you have young kids at home- then you can make sure that cognitive decline isn’t in their cards.
What is it? Make sure your home is filled with books and you read to your kids- and your kids read. This seems to hold- despite the wealth or education of the parents. Cognitive enrichment at an early age is the long-term protective for the brain. (This is another reason why we need early childhood training- you know, the stuff that President Biden is including in his other infrastructure bill.)
This is way beyond the studies that demonstrated that kids with home libraries and early ready would be the ones who excelled in school and their careers. This study involved some 8000 folks (across Europe) aged 65 or older- none of whom manifested Alzheimer’s disease. They were part of the Survey of Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe; this survey involved memory tests at two different times (not in the same year either).
Dr. Ella Cohn-Schwartz (Ben Gurion University, Negev, Israel), Dr. G Weinstein (Haifa University, Israel), and Dr. N. Damri (Hebrew University, Israel) published their findings in the Journal of Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders. (Book-Oriented Environment in Childhood and Current Cognitive Performance among Old-Aged Europeans.)
The subjects were asked to identify the family library when they were children; the classifications- no books, one shelf (25 books), one book case (100 books or so), or two bookcases or more. And- those with the larger libraries performed best in the memory tests and manifested the lower dips in cognitive decline. The results weren’t affected by the subjects’ wealth, education, or health. That means the effects of larger home libraries were not a function of wealth or better nutrition, but due to the connections the brain made at an early age (which could also have been augmented by musical education [instrument playing], which also boosts cognitive reserves)- and those connections persist as we age.
These results match a more limited study effected at Rush University Medical Center (Chicago, IL) by Drs. S Oveisgharan, RS Wilson, L Yu, JA Schneider, and DA Bennett. Their results involved 800 seniors and was published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) Neurology (Association of Early-Life Cognitive Enrichment With Alzheimer Disease Pathological Changes and Cognitive Decline). Like the Israeli study, the questions revolved about encyclopediae or atlases at home, newspaper deliveries, book reading, and foreign language. Here, the test was brain autopsies- and those with more early enrichment demonstrated fewer signs of Alzheimer’s disease.
Maybe too late for you and me- but not for our kids -or is that our grandkids?
Yay!!! (imagine the GIF of the little girl clapping in excitement) I’ve been reading since I was 3 and devouring books whole since Dr, Seuss first came for a visit. Plus, my son read even more than I did – until I let him on the Internet! Thank god I didn’t do that until he was around 12.
Great reading promotion, there, Jeanine!
These are very interesting studies. Although we only had one bookcase at home, we lived 1/2 block from the public library, so there was never any shortage of books. I hope that will protect my brain from dementia!
Me, too, Kate! I wouldn’t wish that on anybody. (Oh, wait a minute. Maybe one or two bodies…)
I’m not surprised by these findings. Reading has so many benefits. My son sort of taught himself to read when he was turning 4. His visual memory helps along the way.
Very concerning though how some kids excel and other don’t, and there’s little that’s being done. My friend who’s an elementary school teacher just told me the other day how her library budget got cut yet again. So discouraging.
Tamara recently posted..Ultimate Blog Challenge – Day 23: Picture… Also: Answers
Yes, what we are doing to the education of our youth is very depressing, Tamara. Thanks for bringing that into the discussion.
Hey Roy, those of us who grew up in the Caribbean Islands didn’t have libraries at home, but we frequented the public library in our town/city.
In addition to reading, I believe that a healthy lifestyle, which includes proper nutrition, regular exercise, drinking adequate water, and getting enough rest is essential to maintain cognitive health.
The exercise component may be the most important one of those attributes, Florence.
This is awesome news since we have so many books!
Unfortunately, my dad spend his life reading profusely and now suffers from Lewy Body disease and dementia. He still reads as he is able.
I think that reading is an excellent way to grow our minds. Look at Ben Carson and his brother!
Laurie
Ridge Haven Homestead
Laurie recently posted..Seven Things I Like about Wearing Skirts and Dresses on Weekdays!
Lewy body disease… whew. Folks don’t realize that it is not really Alzheimer’s- unless we can finally discern if there is a link between it, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimers. Here’s some more information… https://www.adjuvancy.com/wordpress/2018/11/15/gut-feeling-3/
My parents were members of “The Great Books Society” and had over 1000 books in their library. They knocked down a wall in the living room to house all of those books. When nyou walked into the house, the first thing you’d see were the books. To this day, books give me an immediate sense of security. And I am an avid reader.
My house even had a library by the toilet boil. (Bad idea when there was only bathroom in the house, I might add.)
Glad to see you still love to read, Kate!
Roy, fascinating! Btw I have been taking Neuriva+ and noticed a strong uptick in cognition during a draining year. I am a huge fan of nutrition for health– not a cause/effect association everyone makes :-). I am also a huge fan of literacy. My parents had a living room lined with bookshelves and books. Good stuff.
Kebba+Buckley+Button recently posted..Healthy Happy Loving Life: Eating for Better Memory
My house is still replete with books. (OK, I did donate some 20,000 tomes when I downsized, but still have about 1000 roaming around- still needing a downsize.)
Thanks for the comment and the visit, Kebba.
Interesting! I was (am) an only child so my parents got me a lot of books. It didn’t hurt that I would read anything — cereal boxes, milk cartons, anything! They also took me to the library on most Sundays so I could check out my max 6 books. So this makes me feel good that all that reading may help my brain later!
Dominique recently posted..Start & End Your Day By Counting Your Blessings
So, what was your favorite cereal box, Dominique? (I, too, read everything…)
Loved the research Roy.I am a reader and so is my daughter.She is 9 and reads everything too.My home library currently has 5 book cases currently.I also read a lot of ebooks.I am hoping this will help the brain.
We all do, Dr. A. Thanks for adding to the conversation.
We had a very small home library, but we went to the public library a couple of times a month. Once I had access to a school library, I was in heaven! Happy to say our kids grew up in a home with shelves and shelves AND SHELVES of books all over the house. When they moved into their own houses, the first furniture they wanted was bookcases.
Marian Allen recently posted..How To Clean A Carpet #1LinerWeds
Sounds fantabulous, Marian! Thanks for adding to the conversation.
I would read everything and anything as a child. As an adult my house overflows with books, although some of my reading nowadays consists of eBooks I take out from the NYC Public Library (anyone living in NY State can take out their eBooks.) I gave many of my son’s books away to his elementary school when he outgrew them. When he was young I read to him each and every night. He should be set for life. This post was the happiest thing I’ve read all weekend.
Thanks for sharing your tale, Alana. And, for letting me know that the NYC Library resources are avaialble to all NY State residents. Almost enough of an incentive to have me move back.