Several large studies have found a lower risk for developing Alzheimer's disease in intellectually active people compared with their mentally stagnant counterparts. And the mental activity can take many forms, such as reading, working jigsaw puzzles, woodworking, painting, knitting, and playing board games. Some studies have even found that people with mentally demanding jobs - professionals, managers, etc. - experience less memory decline as they age when compared with their counterparts who have less demanding jobs.

Dr.- Joe Verghese and his associates at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York asked 469 older adults how often they participated in leisure activities like 'dancing, playing cards, or doing crossword puzzles. Over the years, the scientists kept track of who developed mild memory loss or full-blown dementia. They found that the people who were the most active mentally had a 63 percent lower risk of getting dementia compared with those who rarely played board games, read, or did similar activities. The people who played the most had the most productivity: doing crossword puzzles four days each week translated into a 47 percent lower risk of dementia compared with once-a-week puzzle solvers. For each day of the week that people exercised their minds, the researchers found nearly a 10 percent reduction in the risk for dementia.


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