What is helping us associate with? With the satisfaction of the volunteer and the joy of the person he helped. It’s not everything. The latest research shows that by helping, we gain more than just feeling better. Volunteering protects against… dementia.
The British study covered over 9 people aged 33-50. Experts collected information on their involvement in activities for the benefit of the local community as part of voluntary work, religious group, neighborhood group, political organization or trying to solve some social problems.
At the age of 50, all subjects underwent standardized mental performance tests, including memory, thinking, and reasoning tests. It turned out that those who were involved had slightly higher scores on these tests.
This relationship persisted even when scientists included the beneficial effects of higher education or better physical health in their analysis.
As they emphasize, it cannot be unequivocally stated that it is volunteering that directly contributes to higher intellectual performance in middle age.
Ann Bowling, the head of the research, emphasizes that social commitment can help people maintain their communication and social skills, which could better protect the brain and slow down the aging process, so it is worth encouraging people to do this.
Dr. Ezriel Kornel, a neurosurgeon from Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, is of a similar opinion. However, he emphasizes that socially active people are a very special group of people. They are often characterized by a great curiosity about the world and relatively high intellectual and social abilities.
However, it should be remembered that volunteering alone is not enough to enjoy intellectual efficiency longer. The lifestyle and health condition, i.e. whether we suffer from diabetes or hypertension, are of great importance. Research shows that the same factors that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease contribute to the development of dementia.
In addition, there is growing evidence that exercise has a direct beneficial effect on brain function, adds Dr. Kornel. Its beneficial effect was observed even in people with mild cognitive impairment, while mental skills training did not give such good results.