What habits help keep your brain active as you age?

The best way to support your brain as you age isn't through a single "magic" habit, but through a combination of several: regular exercise, controlling blood pressure, sugar, and cholesterol, quitting smoking, eating a healthy diet, preserving your hearing, and being socially and intellectually active. This comprehensive approach is currently best aligned with World Health Organization recommendations and current research on the prevention of cognitive decline. [1]

However, even the healthiest lifestyle does not guarantee that a person will never develop Alzheimer's disease or other dementias. Age, heredity, and biological processes remain important. Lifestyle can primarily influence the likelihood and pace of cognitive decline, rather than provide complete protection. A commission for The Lancet journal calculated in 2024 that the combined proportion of dementia statistically associated with 14 potentially modifiable risk factors is approximately 45%. This is a population estimate, not a promise to reduce a specific person's individual risk by 45%. [2]

The most significant update occurred in 2026. The World Health Organization released the second edition of its guidelines for reducing the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. They consider physical activity, nutrition, smoking, alcohol, cognitive and social activity alongside hypertension, diabetes, lipid disorders, excess weight, hearing loss, sleep, depression, head injuries, vision, and exposure to air pollution. This means that modern prevention is increasingly less about finding a single exercise "for memory" and more about maintaining overall health throughout life. [3]

What does it mean to "keep your brain active"?

With age, some changes in memory and thinking speed are normal. A person may need more time to remember a name, learn a new skill, or quickly switch between several tasks. This in itself does not indicate dementia. A more serious problem is a decline that begins to interfere with everyday life: a person repeats the same questions, gets lost in familiar places, and has trouble managing payments, medications, or other routine tasks. [4]

Therefore, the goal of healthy habits is not to keep the brain completely the same at age 80 as it was at 25. A realistic goal is to maintain memory, the ability to learn, plan, navigate, communicate, and make independent decisions for longer, while simultaneously reducing the impact of factors that accelerate vascular and neurodegenerative brain damage.

Current data is particularly interesting because many interventions act through multiple mechanisms. For example, physical activity simultaneously impacts cardiovascular health, metabolism, sleep, mood, and motor function; hearing correction facilitates communication and can reduce social isolation; and blood pressure control reduces the risk of stroke and other cerebrovascular accidents.

Which habits have the strongest evidence base?

Habit or direction	What is known today
Regular physical activity	One of the most strongly supported interventions for reducing the risk of cognitive decline
Control of blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol	It is important for brain blood vessels and is included in recommendations for reducing the risk of dementia.
Quitting smoking	Recommended as part of the prevention of cognitive decline and for numerous other benefits
A healthy balanced diet	May be recommended; moderate certainty evidence
Maintaining a healthy body weight	Particularly important in midlife; evidence for dementia prevention is weaker than for general health
Cognitive activity	It may be helpful, but the evidence for dementia prevention is weaker than often assumed.
Social activity	Associated with better health; recommendation for reducing dementia risk conditional
Correction of hearing loss	Hearing aids may be offered to people with hearing loss; low-certainty evidence
Good sleep	It's important for daily brain function and overall health, but improving sleep alone hasn't been proven to prevent dementia.
Vitamins and omega-3 without deficiency	Not specifically recommended for the prevention of cognitive decline

Source: World Health Organization 2026 recommendations. [5]

Move regularly - it's one of the most sustainable habits

Among behavioral interventions, physical activity has one of the strongest recommendations. The World Health Organization recommends it for adults with normal cognitive function to reduce the risk of cognitive decline; the strength of the recommendation is high, and the certainty of the evidence is moderate. For people with mild cognitive impairment, the recommendation remains conditional due to a less convincing evidence base. [6]

You don't need to engage in any specific "brain sport." Brisk walking, cycling, swimming, dancing, working out at the gym, and other activities that you can do regularly are all suitable. For general health, the World Health Organization recommends adults approximately 150-300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week or 75-150 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, as well as exercise for major muscle groups at least twice a week. In older adults, balance and functional strength exercises are also beneficial. These figures are general health recommendations, not a specific "dementia-preventive dose." [7]

The benefits of movement for the brain don't mean that more is always better. For a sedentary person, the most important change is often the transition from very low activity to regular movement. People with cardiovascular, pulmonary, or severe joint conditions may require adapted exercise.

There's another practical point: movement has an impact beyond its potential impact on long-term dementia risk. Physical activity helps maintain independent walking ability, preserves muscle strength, and reduces the risk of falls—that is, it supports precisely the level of functional independence that is especially important in old age. The US National Institute on Aging also notes the potential benefits of activity for planning, switching between tasks, and suppressing irrelevant information. [8]

Monitor your blood pressure, sugar, and cholesterol.

One of the most underrated "brain habits" doesn't even feel like mental training: regularly monitoring your vascular parameters and treating any identified issues. The brain depends on vascular health, which is why hypertension, diabetes, and lipid metabolism disorders are now considered potentially modifiable risk factors for cognitive decline. [9]

In its 2026 guidelines, the World Health Organization (WHO) allows for the treatment of hypertension and diabetes, including as a strategy for reducing the risk of cognitive decline and dementia, although the certainty of dementia-specific evidence remains low to very low. For lipid metabolism disorders, the recommendation is particularly relevant for middle age. This does not make blood pressure or cholesterol medications "dementia drugs": they are prescribed primarily for appropriate medical indications, and the potential for brain protection is an additional argument in favor of good vascular risk management. [10]

In 2024, The Lancet Commission added high levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in midlife to the list of major modifiable risk factors for dementia. The authors linked cardiovascular factors to a significant portion of the population risk. [11]

Therefore, the habit of "taking care of your brain" includes rather mundane things: checking your blood pressure, monitoring your diabetes, monitoring your lipid levels, and following your doctor's treatment plan. This is often more important from a medical standpoint than buying another memory supplement.

Don't smoke

Tobacco cessation remains one of the most clear-cut measures. The World Health Organization includes tobacco cessation in strategies for reducing the risk of cognitive decline and dementia, along with a host of other benefits for cardiovascular, pulmonary, and cancer prevention. [12]

The connection is logical and biologically sound: smoking damages the vascular system, increases the risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease, and contributes to chronic exposure to toxic substances. But what's more important is that quitting smoking is beneficial regardless of how much it changes a person's risk of dementia.

The Lancet commission also includes smoking in its list of 14 modifiable factors. These estimates are derived primarily from epidemiological data, so it cannot be guaranteed that quitting smoking will reduce personal risk by a certain percentage. [13]

Don't start drinking alcohol "for your blood vessels and brain"

Alcohol should not be used as a preventative measure. The World Health Organization clearly states that alcohol consumption is not recommended in any quantity for its health benefits, and that reducing harmful consumption is part of strategies to reduce the risk of cognitive decline. [14]

This is especially important given the long-standing notion of a "healthy glass of wine." Some observational studies have previously found a lower risk of certain diseases in moderate drinkers compared to abstainers, but such data are highly susceptible to confounding factors: the groups differ in health, income, smoking, diet, prior alcohol use, and other characteristics.

If someone doesn't drink alcohol, there's no reason to start for the sake of brain health. If consumption has become significant or is poorly controlled, cutting back on it can potentially benefit not only the brain, but also the liver, cardiovascular system, risk of injury, and many other aspects of health.

Eat a varied and balanced diet, rather than looking for one “brain food.”

The second edition of the World Health Organization's guidelines recommends a healthy, balanced diet for people with normal cognitive function and mild cognitive impairment. The certainty of the evidence is rated as moderate, but this does not mean there is one mandatory "brain diet." [15]

A modern healthy diet is built primarily around vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and other minimally processed foods, while limiting excess salt, free sugars, saturated fats, and trans fats. Specific diets may vary depending on country, culture, health conditions, and food availability. [16]

The Mediterranean diet aligns well with these principles and has long been studied for its role in cognitive health, but the 2026 guidelines shifted their focus to a more general, healthy eating pattern. Therefore, it's not necessary to consume a specific food such as berries, walnuts, or olive oil every day to "feed the brain."

Much more important is what healthy foods replace in the diet. For example, replacing some processed meat with legumes or fish and some sugary snacks with fruits and nuts changes the entire eating pattern. Adding a "healthy product" to a diet high in calories, salt, and sugar doesn't produce the same effect.

Don't rely on vitamins and omega-3s without a known deficiency.

This is one of the most specific points in current recommendations. The World Health Organization does not recommend B vitamins, vitamin E, omega-3, and vitamin and mineral supplements specifically to reduce the risk of cognitive decline or dementia in people without known deficiencies. The recommendation against such prophylactic use is strong, with moderate certainty of evidence. [17]

This doesn't mean vitamins are useless. If a person has a confirmed deficiency of vitamin B12 or another nutrient, it should be corrected according to medical indications. But treating a deficiency and taking a supplement "just in case" by a healthy person are different situations.

This leads to a useful principle: food and an isolated capsule are not equivalent. Positive data on a diet containing fish, vegetables, or nuts should not automatically be translated into a recommendation to buy the substances contained in them separately.

Maintain the ability to hear and communicate normally

Hearing has proven to be significantly more important in preventing cognitive decline than previously thought. Hearing loss is associated with an increased risk of cognitive decline, and The Lancet commission ranks hearing impairment among the most significant potentially modifiable factors at the population level. [18]

In 2026, the World Health Organization first formulated a more specific recommendation: adults with hearing loss can be offered hearing aids as part of a strategy to reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. The recommendation is conditional because the certainty of the evidence is still low. [19]

Particularly significant was the randomized ACHIEVE trial, which involved 977 people aged 70–84. In the overall sample, a hearing intervention did not slow three-year cognitive decline compared to a health education program. However, in a pre-selected group of participants with a higher baseline risk of cognitive decline, the decline was approximately 48% slower. This is an interesting result, but it does not mean that a hearing aid reduces the risk of dementia by 48% for every person. [20]

The practical conclusion is simpler: if you've started having trouble understanding speech, especially in noise, don't dismiss it as a harmless part of aging and put off getting a hearing test for years. Hearing correction improves communication in and of itself, and for some people, it may even provide additional benefits for cognitive health.

Keep learning and challenging your brain, but don't turn it into a puzzle cult.

Intellectual activity is beneficial, but the evidence base is weaker than that of physical activity. The World Health Organization recommends that specialized cognitive training be offered to older adults with normal cognitive function or mild cognitive impairment; the recommendation is conditional and the certainty of the evidence is low. For broader cognitive stimulation—reading, storytelling, games, and other intellectual activities—the certainty of the evidence is very low. [21]

This doesn't make reading, language learning, music, chess, or puzzles useless. They force you to use different cognitive functions, maintain your interest in the world around you, and can simultaneously provide social activity. The fallacy begins when one activity is declared a proven way to prevent Alzheimer's.

Activities that remain complex enough to require learning appear particularly beneficial. If someone has been solving the same simple puzzles automatically for twenty years, the cognitive load is different from mastering a new instrument, language, computer program, or dance. However, there is no medical standard such as "30 minutes of a new language daily to prevent dementia."

The National Institute on Aging also recommends staying mentally active, learning new skills, and staying engaged in activities that require thinking, while emphasizing that evidence for specific "brain simulators" is limited.[22]

Maintain social connections

Communication is more than just a pleasant addition to intellectual life. Social activity requires perceiving the speech and emotions of others, formulating responses, recalling events, making decisions, and constantly adapting to changing situations. It also reduces social isolation and supports emotional well-being.

The World Health Organization (WHO) will allow social interventions for adults with normal cognitive function or mild cognitive impairment in 2026, but the certainty of evidence for dementia prevention is still very low. Therefore, it is more accurate to say that social engagement is likely beneficial and clearly important for overall health, but it cannot be presented as a proven cure for cognitive aging. [23]

The World Health Organization's Commission on Social Connections in 2025 specifically highlighted that social isolation and loneliness have serious consequences for physical and mental health. [24]

In practice, social activity doesn't necessarily mean a large number of acquaintances. Regular contact with loved ones, going on walks together, joining a club, volunteering, participating in group activities, or simply having a stable circle of people with whom one talks and interacts can be more significant than the formal number of social contacts.

Sleep is important, but its connection to dementia prevention needs to be described with caution

Good sleep is essential for the brain to function properly in the here and now. It's linked to attention, learning, memory formation, reaction time, and decision-making. In older adults, poor sleep can also increase daytime sleepiness, impair memory, and increase the risk of falls. [25]

But there's an important distinction between daily cognitive performance and long-term dementia prevention. In the second edition of the World Health Organization guidelines, experts acknowledged that sleep disturbances are consistently associated with cognitive decline, but the available research is insufficient to specifically recommend improving sleep duration or quality as a proven way to prevent dementia. [26]

Therefore, chronic insomnia, severe snoring, episodes of sleep apnea, or severe daytime sleepiness should not be ignored; they require evaluation for their own medical reasons. However, the evidence base does not yet support the claim that a certain amount of sleep will directly prevent Alzheimer's disease.

Take care of your vision, but don't call vision correction a proven dementia prevention

In 2024, The Lancet commission added untreated visual impairment to the list of potentially modifiable risk factors for dementia. Their model suggested that it accounted for a small but significant proportion of the population risk. [27]

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization adopted a more cautious stance in 2026. Screening and treatment of vision impairment are recommended for health and daily functioning, but evidence that vision correction itself reduces the risk of cognitive decline or dementia is insufficient. Most of the data concerns observations after cataract surgery, and the certainty of the evidence is very low. [28]

This is a good example of how a risk factor and a proven preventative measure are not the same thing. Vision correction is definitely worthwhile, but it's still too early to promise that glasses or surgery will prevent dementia.

Don't ignore depression

Depression is associated with cognitive complaints, difficulty concentrating, and an increased risk of subsequent cognitive decline. It is also included in The Lancet Commission's risk factor model. [29]

However, the World Health Organization emphasizes an interesting nuance: depression should be treated with psychological methods and/or medications according to existing clinical indications, but there is insufficient evidence to recommend treatment for depression specifically to reduce the risk of dementia. [30]

In practice, this means that prolonged loss of interest, depression, anxiety, and social withdrawal should not be explained away as "just getting older." Support is essential for quality of life and everyday functioning, regardless of how it affects future risk of dementia.

Protect your head from injury

Traumatic brain injury is among the potentially modifiable risk factors for dementia identified by The Lancet commission. Therefore, wearing a helmet when cycling or engaging in activities that pose a risk of head impact, seat belts, and sensible fall prevention are also elements of long-term brain care. [31]

Fall prevention is especially important in older adults because the consequences of an injury can be more serious, while decreased balance, muscle strength, and vision, as well as certain medications, can all increase the risk of falls. Strength and balance exercises are beneficial not only for the brain indirectly, but also for safety directly.

Try to reduce your exposure to polluted air

The second edition of the World Health Organization guidelines for the first time specifically addresses air pollution as a preventative measure for dementia. WHO includes reducing exposure to pollution in current risk reduction strategies. [32]

Individual options are limited here: air quality depends on transportation, industry, and urban policy. Therefore, this shouldn't be interpreted as advice to "just move somewhere else." However, on days of high pollution, one can use official air quality data, reduce heavy traffic near busy roads, and choose less polluted routes if available.

Why a combination of habits is more important than one

Modern research increasingly tests not single diets, exercise programs, or mental exercises, but rather the simultaneous impact of multiple risk factors. In 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) first formulated a separate recommendation: individually tailored multicomponent interventions can be offered to reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia. The certainty of the evidence is rated as moderate to high. [33]

A strong confirmation of this approach was the US POINTER randomized trial, published in 2025. It involved 2,111 people aged 60–79 years at increased risk of cognitive decline. Over the course of two years, two programs were compared, including physical activity, nutrition, cognitive and social stimulation, and health monitoring; one program was more structured and intensive. Both groups improved cognitive performance, but the structured program produced statistically more favorable dynamics in overall cognitive function. [34]

The effect was small. The most significant benefit was found for executive functions; there was no significant difference between the groups for episodic memory. Furthermore, the study lasted two years and did not prove that the program prevents dementia in the long term. Continued follow-up should show how sustainable the results are. [35]

This conclusion is most useful for the average person: there's no need to choose between walking, eating right, controlling blood pressure, and being intellectually active. It's more realistic to combine several moderate changes, because different factors influence different mechanisms of brain aging.

What might a practical strategy for the week look like?

There's no official "ideal brain week," so the following plan should be understood not as a medical prescription, but as a way to translate evidence-based principles into everyday life.

Physical activity can be accumulated over the course of a week: brisk walking, cycling, swimming, or other aerobic activity, totaling approximately the World Health Organization's recommended 150-300 minutes of moderate activity, plus strength training twice a week and balance exercises in older adults. [36]

Intellectual activity doesn't have to be scheduled. You can read, learn a new language, master digital skills, play a musical instrument, do crafts, plan trips, or solve problems. It's more beneficial to choose activities that truly require attention and learning rather than mechanically completing the same test.

It's best to integrate social activity into your daily life: combine walking with conversation, exercise in a group, meet regularly with friends, participate in a club, or volunteer. This allows you to maintain movement, social interaction, and cognitive stimulation simultaneously.

It is more convenient to improve nutrition not through prohibitions, but through sustainable substitutions: more often choose vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts and other predominantly plant foods instead of some highly processed foods, sweets and foods with excess salt and unhealthy fats. [37]

And once a medical plan is established, it makes sense to check things that can't be felt without measurement: blood pressure, lipids, and glucose. There's no universal interval for everyone—it depends on age, medical conditions, and previous results.

Which "brain habits" are overrated

Constantly solving puzzles alone. They may train certain skills, but the evidence for their use in preventing dementia is limited. The World Health Organization rates the evidence for cognitive stimulation as very low-certainty. [38]

Memory supplements: Vitamins B and E, omega-3s, and multivitamins are not recommended for the prevention of cognitive decline in people without known deficiencies.[39]

One superfood. There's no convincing evidence that berries, chocolate, coffee, nuts, or any single oil can prevent dementia on their own. The quality of the overall diet has been much better studied.

One "perfect" sport. There's no need to choose running over walking or swimming over cycling for the sake of brain health. Regularity and sufficient overall activity are more important than a trendy workout name.

A strict sleep schedule protects against dementia. Good sleep is vital for normal daytime cognitive function, but intervention studies have not yet confirmed that improved sleep alone prevents dementia. [40]

Is it worth starting after 60-70 years if your lifestyle was far from ideal before?

Yes. Old age does not make changes meaningless. Many studies of preventive interventions have been conducted in people aged 60–80 years. The US POINTER study included people aged 60–79 years, and the ACHIEVE hearing therapy study included participants aged 70–84 years. [41]

Moreover, the effects of individual factors vary by life stage. For example, The Lancet commission particularly highlights high cholesterol, hypertension, and obesity in middle age, while hearing impairment, social isolation, and physical inactivity remain significant later in life. Therefore, prevention makes sense throughout life, although optimal priorities change. [42]

Professor Jill Livingstone, who chaired The Lancet commission, puts the practical principle very simply: assess your own risk factors and start with those that are easiest to change. Her explanation following the 2024 report emphasizes that intervention is beneficial at any stage of life. [43]

If there is Alzheimer's in the family, do habits make sense?

Yes. Genetic predisposition doesn't make lifestyle a meaningless factor. It modifies the baseline risk, but doesn't negate the influence of vascular health, physical activity, smoking, hearing, and other potentially modifiable factors.

In the US POINTER, the effect of a structured multicomponent program on the overall cognitive score did not differ significantly between carriers and non-carriers of the apolipoprotein E ε4 variant. This does not mean that the program neutralized the genetic risk, but shows that people with different genetic backgrounds are able to derive cognitive benefits from lifestyle interventions. [44]

Therefore, a family history of the disease is an argument for more careful monitoring of modifiable factors, and not a reason to consider prevention useless.

When prevention alone is no longer enough

If memory and thinking changes gradually, but the person still fully functions in everyday life, the cause may be normal age-related changes, mild cognitive impairment, or reversible conditions. A physician's evaluation becomes especially important if the changes become noticeably more severe. [45]

Reasons to seek a medical evaluation include repetitive questions, disorientation in familiar surroundings, difficulty with payments or medications, regular disruption of habitual routines, or significant changes in speech or behavior. These symptoms cannot be alleviated by walking, dieting, or puzzles alone. [46]

The cause is not necessarily dementia. Memory can be affected by depression, anxiety, medications, sleep disorders, thyroid disease, vitamin B12 deficiency, alcohol, kidney or liver disease, and other conditions. Some of these causes can be treated. [47]

Key points from experts

Jill Livingstone is Professor of Old Age Psychiatry at University College London and an Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist; she is the Chair of The Lancet Standing Committee on Dementia Prevention, Intervention, and Care. In her explanation of the committee's findings, she recommends considering risk not as a single number, but as a combination of several factors: cognitive, social, and physical activity, vascular health, hearing, and vision, and psychosocial factors. The practical implication of her approach is to start with the risks that are actually present and most modifiable. [48]

Laura Baker, PhD, professor of geriatrics, public health, and epidemiology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and co-director of US POINTER, found that a structured two-year program that simultaneously included exercise, nutrition, intellectual and social activity, and health management resulted in slightly more favorable cognitive outcomes than a less intensive, self-directed approach. The authors emphasize the need for further follow-up to understand the clinical significance and sustainability of the effect. [49]

Frank Lin, MD, PhD, is a professor of otolaryngology and epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University and director of the Center for Hearing and Public Health. His research focuses on the relationship between hearing loss, brain aging, and cognitive decline. Following the ACHIEVE results, he recommends regular hearing screenings for older adults and interventions for any identified impairments; the randomized trial particularly supports potential cognitive benefits in those with increased baseline risk. [50]

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most beneficial habit for the brain?

If we were to choose one area with the most robust recommendation specifically for cognitive health, physical activity has one of the strongest evidence bases. However, the modern approach isn't limited to habit alone: a combination of movement, vascular risk management, nutrition, and other modifiable risk factors is especially important. [51]

How much do you need to walk to preserve your brain?

There is no specific "brain walking dose." For general health, adults are recommended to achieve 150-300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week, or the equivalent of vigorous activity. Walking can comprise a significant portion of this activity if its intensity and health allow. [52]

Is it beneficial to learn a foreign language after 60?

This is a good option for challenging intellectual activity. However, the evidence doesn't support the claim that language learning alone prevents dementia. The benefits lie in regular learning and cognitive stimulation.

Do crosswords help?

They may train individual cognitive skills and are a normal intellectual activity, but crossword puzzles have not been proven to prevent Alzheimer's disease on their own. The World Health Organization rates the evidence for routine cognitive stimulation as very low certainty. [53]

Should you take omega-3 for memory?

It is not recommended to take omega-3s specifically for the prevention of cognitive decline unless a person has another medical indication or an established deficiency.[54]

Should I take vitamin B12?

If a deficiency is confirmed, yes, it should be corrected according to medical indications. However, prophylactic vitamin supplementation by people without a deficiency should not be considered a proven method for preventing dementia. [55]

How important is sleep?

It's essential for memory, attention, and daytime performance. However, there's insufficient evidence to suggest that improved sleep alone reduces the long-term risk of dementia. [56]

Is it beneficial to communicate more?

Probably yes, and social activity is beneficial for overall physical and mental health. For dementia prevention, the World Health Organization gives a conditional recommendation with very low certainty of evidence. [57]

Does it make sense to change habits after 70?

Yes. Randomized trials of cognitive prevention and hearing intervention have included people of this age and show that advanced age does not preclude the benefit of interventions.[58]

Can dementia be completely prevented by a healthy lifestyle?

No. Some of the risk is related to age, genetics, and biological processes that cannot be fully modified. The estimate of approximately 45% refers to a combination of 14 modifiable factors at the population level and does not mean that a healthy person is guaranteed to reduce their individual risk by 45%. [59]

Main

The most compelling strategy for maintaining brain activity as we age is far less exotic than the hype surrounding "nootropics" and memory trainers. Regular exercise, not smoking, avoiding harmful alcohol consumption, eating a healthy diet, controlling blood pressure, sugar, and cholesterol, correcting hearing loss, and continuing to learn and communicate are the focus of modern recommendations. [60]

However, different measures have different evidence strengths. Physical activity has been relatively well studied; confidence in cognitive and social training is significantly lower; good sleep is important for health, but has not yet been proven as a standalone dementia preventative; and supplements without deficiency are not recommended. This distinction prevents a healthy lifestyle from becoming a set of medical myths.

Finally, new research, including US POINTER, supports the idea that the brain benefits not from one perfect habit, but from a system of moderate, sustainable changes that simultaneously impact movement, blood vessels, nutrition, intelligence, and social life. [61]