Dr. Rhonda Patrick

Yes, there is a correlation between delaying brain aging.

Because, you know, when you are experiencing, when you're basically doing novel, having novel experiences, novel being things that are different.

So learning a different language, something that you're not used to, right?

That takes a lot of work, a lot of cognitive power, and it's also novelty as well.

I mean, that is absolutely stimulating a variety of pathways in the brain that are protective from brain aging.

So for example, brain drive neurotrophic factor is increased.

And that's been shown in people that do learn other languages.

And it's not just languages.

It's even like, for example, like taxi drivers in London, you know, where they have to use their, before GPS, I mean, these people like use their brain to have mental maps of the city.

And there are studies showing that even that is correlated with reducing the risk for Alzheimer's disease.

It's a workout.

You're working your brain out.

It's very important.

And again, it comes down to like, when you stimulate your brain,

You are increasing dopamine.

You're increasing trophic factors in the brain that are causing strengthening synapses, the connection between neurons.

They are growing new neurons.

It's doing a lot of stuff that even exercise can do.

So there's other roads to improving brain aging besides exercise.

And one of them is really mental stimulation.