When most people think about aging, they imagine a linear progression towards an inevitable end. They think in terms of birthdays, knowing that the more candles on the cake, the more we should anticipate things like joint pain, lines on the face and even foggy thinking. Yet the most recent research shows us that we have the story all wrong around brain health. The brain changes we associate with aging (for example, memory loss) are far more dynamic and modifiable through the choices we make each day than people realize. Here’s how you can help slow brain aging and protect your brain right now.

While most people count their age in birthdays, our bodies don’t see time in the same way. In fact, research shows us that each organ in our body ages at a different biological rate (this is called “biological age”), and this predicts our risk for having issues with those organs more than our age in birthdays. For example, having a biologically older liver correlates with dramatically higher rates of liver disease. Specific to this conversation, having a biologically older brain (as measured using MRI and other tests) is strongly linked to risk for cognitive impairment, dementia and even conditions like multiple sclerosis. While there are many specifics, brain aging on imaging is usually linked to the rate of brain tissue loss (atrophy).

Unlike our age in birthdays, we can absolutely take steps to positively influence our rate of biological aging. Research just published in the last few years demonstrates that certain lifestyle factors are strongly........

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