[original article seen on Alive.com, written by Ellen Neimer]
According to researchers at St. Michaels Hospital in Toronto, bilingualism may delay the onset of Alzheimers symptoms, because the brains of people able to fluently speak a second language may be better able to compensate for Alzheimers damage by creating new brain networks or pathways.
The study did not show whether learning a second language while young is more beneficial than learning it later on in life. The fact that the minds of bilingual people was in general more active might have some role to play as well.
Some tips to stay mentally active:
- Engage in intellectual activity: crosswords, Scrabble or Sodoku
- Read regularly
- Keep physically active or practice a sport
- Be curious, learn new things (maybe another language?)
