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As we grow older, the communication networks connecting the brain’s nerve cells can begin to break down, slowing memory and thinking. A new study suggests that speaking many languages may help protect these networks. The more languages people spoke, the younger their brains appeared.
Speaking several languages is associated to a brain that appears years younger, with some people showing a difference of up to 13 years. The results support growing evidence that lifelong multilingualism may strengthen cognitive reserve and help protect the brain from age-related decline.
The analysis involved 728 participants who spoke several languages. Researchers measured the tiny magnetic fields generated by active brain cells using artificial intelligence to assess the results. This allowed them to develop a “brain aging clock” that estimates how brain activity typically changes with age.
Brain age appeared to decrease as the number of languages spoken increased. Compared with people who spoke only one language, speaking two languages showed a brain that appeared about 6 years younger. The difference grew to around 7 years among three-language speakers and reached roughly 13 years among those who spoke four languages.
The findings suggest that it is not just how many languages a person knows that matters. People with stronger language skills and those who learned another language earlier in life showed signs of more delayed brain aging. In other words, the potential benefits of multilingualism may build over time and depend on how deeply and how long someone engages with another language.
Learning another language may offer benefits that go well beyond communication. While learning a new language can be challenging, the potential social, cultural and brain-health benefits make it a worthwhile pursuit at any stage of life.
To view the original scientific study click below:
For many people, grabbing a hot drink in a disposable cup is part of their daily routine. Yet the container holding your coffee or tea may not be as harmless as it seems. New research suggests the very cup designed to keep your drink hot could also be releasing tiny plastic particles into it.
Not all disposable cups release microplastics at the same rate. Researchers found that the cup material and beverage temperature both affect how many tiny plastic particles leach into a drink. Although microplastics were detected across all temperatures tested, hotter beverages triggered significantly greater particle release.
Measuring less than 5 millimeters, microplastics have emerged as an increasing public health concern. These tiny particles can enter the body through food, beverages, or the air we breathe, where they may build up in organs including the lungs and digestive system and contribute to inflammation and other health problems.
The study combined evidence from previous research with new laboratory testing. Researchers first reviewed 30 published studies, compiling 237 observations to assess how variables such as water temperature and soaking time influenced microplastic release. They then tested two popular types of disposable cups, those made entirely of polyethylene (PE) and paper cups with a polyethylene coating, to compare how much microplastic each released.
Researchers found that hot water caused the surface of polyethylene (PE) cups to become increasingly rough and irregular, a sign of physical degradation that likely contributed to greater microplastic shedding. By comparison, paper cups coated with polyethylene maintained smoother surfaces with less visible damage, which may have helped limit the release of plastic particles.
The study estimated that a single 10-ounce hot beverage consumed each day could add hundreds of thousands of microplastic particles to a person's yearly intake. Drinks served in polyethylene (PE) cups were associated with roughly 360,000 particles per year, while polyethylene-coated paper cups were estimated to release about 240,000 annually.
The healthiest and most environmentally friendly choice is a reusable cup made from stainless steel, glass or ceramic. Because these materials are non-reactive, they won't break down or release chemicals or plastic particles when filled with hot beverages.
Maintaining a healthy weight is becoming increasingly uncommon, with only one in four U.S. adults falling into that category. New research suggests excess weight may be responsible for significantly more cancers than once thought. After analyzing data from more than 450,000 people, researchers estimated that excess body fat is linked to over 11% of all cancer cases, nearly twice earlier estimates.
Being alone isn't necessarily harmful, but feeling lonely may be. According to a new study, older adults who experience persistent loneliness may face a faster decline in both cognitive and physical health. The researchers found that loneliness remained strongly linked to poorer brain health and an increased risk of early death, regardless of how socially isolated a person was.