Lifestyle Habits Can Make Your Brain Appear Up to Eight Years Younger

Your brain may be much younger—or older—than your actual age, depending on how you live. A new study from theUniversity of Florida (UF), published in the journal Brain Communications shows that certain everyday lifestyle habits can make the brain appear up to eight years younger. UF researchers used machine-learning tools and MRI scans to estimate the “brain age” of 128 adults, many of whom lived with chronic musculoskeletal pain. The difference between a person’s real age and their MRI-based brain age — known as the brain age gap — helped researchers understand how lifestyle influences whole-brain health. The study found that hardships such as chronic pain, low income or limited education were linked with older-looking brains. But over time, the protective factors proved even stronger. Participants who practiced the most healthy habits — including restorative sleep, optimism, stress management, healthy weight, social support and avoiding tobacco — showed brains that looked up to eight years younger at the start of the study and continued to age more slowly. “These are things people can control,” saidDr. Jared Tanner, UF clinical and health psychology researcherand one of the study leaders. “Poor sleep is treatable. Optimism can be practiced.” Senior authorDr. Kimberly Sibille, UF professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation,added that each additional healthy lifestyle factor showed measurable neurobiological benefit. “Lifestyle is medicine,” she said.