Of all the recommendations for a long and healthy life, not smoking is probably the one with the most scientific support. Lifestyle management can prevent you from slipping into a mental fog stereotypically associated with aging. When it comes to advancing age, healthy habits of diet, exercise, and not smoking can make the journey more pleasurable.
Another Reason Not to Smoke
To the familiar list of reasons not to smoke such as heart disease and lung cancer, medical researchers have added declining memory in middle age. The effects of tar and nicotine on blood vessels that feed the brain are not unlike those that feed the heart: constriction and hardening. The result is that smokers experience a more rapid decline in cognition than non-smokers, according to a study published in the "American Journal of Public Health."
British researchers tracked a group of 3,035 people in England, Scotland and Wales born in 1946 and followed 21 times between birth and age 53. Among smokers, verbal memory, speed and concentration were tested at ages 43 and 53. The researchers found that smoking at age 53 was correlated with a faster decline in memory between 43 and 53 years, primarily among people who smoked more than 20 cigarettes per day.
Forgetting Names and Faces
According to the Harvard Health Letter, smokers have more trouble recognizing people's faces and names than nonsmokers. It's known that smoking is more prevalent among depressed persons and that depression impairs memory. Because smoking causes damage to the lungs, it deprives brain cells of adequate oxygen, which affects memory.
Besides quitting smoking, middle-aged people can improve their memory by eating lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats from fish and nuts. It's important to avoid saturated fats and to eat nothing containing trans fats. Maintenance of normal weight through diet and exercise is crucial, too.
Good News for Quitters
The good news? The British study detected "a slowing of memory decline among those who stopped smoking, particularly those who did not smoke at age 43 and 53 years, relative to those who had never smoked." In other words, you will reap substantial health benefits if you quit smoking at any age. And this could help to reduce the mortality rate of 30 percent among smokers between 35 and 69 years---the biggest single cause of premature death in the industrialized world.
Vitamins, Sleep, Society
Other suggestions for memory maintenance include regular aerobic exercise, getting enough sleep---usually between six and eight hours, consuming antioxidants, especially Vitamin E. According to the Harvard Health Letter, people who consume high amounts of Vitamin E have about 36 percent less cognitive decline than people who do not.
Other important steps to prevent memory loss include maintaining close social and familial ties. Relationships that nurture self-esteem are the ones that are most supportive.
Use It or Lose It
Memory loss and decline in cognitive abilities are not imperatives of aging. Not smoking is one of the best things you can do to preserve your mental functioning. Besides diet, exercise and social support, it also helps to keep learning and confronting new challenges. Reading, keeping current with the news, playing mentally challenging games and taking classes also help to strengthen mental acuity.
Other suggestions include walking instead of driving, taking the stairs rather than the elevator, joining a health club or taking an exercise class, swimming regularly and planting a garden.
