Critics have expressed concerns about US President Joe Biden's age after he announced he was running for re-election – but are they right to worry? Photo / Joy Asico
Critics have expressed concerns about US President Joe Biden's age after he announced he was running for re-election – but are they right to worry? Photo / Joy Asico
When US President Joe Biden announced this week he was running for re-election, critics were quick to point out that he would be 86 at the end of his second term. This, some argue, is a problem.
While Biden has occasionally tripped over and made the odd gaffe, he is clearly seen as a highly impressive and clear-thinking figure by those who work with him, whose maturity and strategic thinking make up for the odd lapse.
Concerns about the Democrat leader’s age are not based on science; they are based on the myths that persist around how our thinking changes with our advancing years. It is wrongly believed that our number of brain cells maxes out when we’re in our mid-20s and that after that, we are using up what remains in the gas tank. By the time we reach about 90, this logic goes, we are running on empty.
Not so. In fact, we make new brain cells all our life – even into our 90s. It’s also not entirely true to say that if fate has handed you a good set of genes (or parents), your brain will thrive into old age, and vice versa.
But a 2012 study by the University of Edinburgh indicated that only a quarter of the cognitive changes that occur as we age are determined by genetics. The other three quarters are dictated by lifestyle choices. And we now know it is never too early or too late to make lifestyle changes to improve your brain.
Yes, you can expect some decline in brain function as you age – but you can also expect some improvements. Our embedded knowledge and wisdom remain with us and improve. Perhaps surprisingly, our vocabulary and use of words also improve with age, generally speaking (although, of course, there will be exceptions).
So, what are the changes we can make now that might enable us to think like a president even into our 80s?
Declare war on the chair
Biden, who’s 80, jogged to the stage for his victory speech in 2020 and was seen running back to the White House after a medical check in January. Physical fitness really is key to mental acuity as we age. Doing 30 minutes in the gym every day or two is of little use if you’re sedentary the rest of the time. The longer you sit down, the more you must exercise to counter it.
Get moving: exercise improves brain health and provides physical benefits. Photo / Getty Images
In 2020, Norwegian researchers concluded a 14-year study with over 44,000 volunteers and found a link between the risk of death and prolonged sitting down, only lessened by 40 minutes of vigorous exercise.
When you’re exercising in any way – whether walking, playing bowls or tennis, swimming or anything else – you are not just making your body fit, you are also improving your brain health, in part because exercise promotes the release of a cell-making protein in the brain called BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), which is linked to learning and memory.
Retain a sense of control and purpose
While we can’t all be leaders of the free world, feeling we are able to influence our environment has been shown to be good for health in older people, and improve our “health behaviour”. A four-year study in Canada reported in 2021 that “being in control” was shown to confer a lower risk of ill health – including stroke, lung disease, physical limitations, cognitive impairment and chronic pain.
It seems that “being in control” changes our health behaviour for the better – for example, seeking early medical help before a disease becomes serious. Last year, researchers in the US found individuals with a greater sense of purpose not only live longer but have fewer health problems, including depression, blood pressure problems and heart attacks.
Set regular goals
Goals give us a more positive outlook on life. Research shows that setting a realistic goal – whether to run for president or “lose 10 pounds before Christmas” can immediately make you feel more confident and boost your self-efficacy, even if you don’t achieve the goal straight away. Your goals should have personal meaning and align with your values.
Research published in The Neuroscience of Goals and Behaviour Change in 2018 also shows that you’re more likely to achieve your goals if you word them positively. Believe your goals are achievable – something you’re working toward, not trying to avoid.
Stay sociable
While we can’t all be meeting and greeting foreign heads of state or attending lavish banquets, remaining social is vital in one’s old age and not to be underestimated. Humans are social animals and social cognition is a survival adaptation. If you are chronically lonely once a week or more, it will seriously impact your brain health.
Keep in touch: loneliness suppresses new brain cells, so remaining social is vital in one's old age. Photo / Getty Images
For most people who are lonely, brain performance declines 20 per cent faster than for those who aren’t, a remarkable finding of a 12-year study at Harvard University. Loneliness suppresses new brain cells. But this doesn’t mean you’re doomed if you live alone. What matters is acquiring and maintaining meaningful social relationships.
Stimulate your mind
But don’t rely on brain games. They don’t deliver all the benefits you’ve been led to think they do. They’re good for concentration, but there’s no evidence they can stave off your risk of cognitive decline or dementia.
However, there is evidence, from the Disconnected Mind study at Edinburgh University, to suggest that if we take up activities that allow us to learn continuously and improve – such as dancing, or learning a foreign language – this will have the desired effect.
According to the Washington Post, Biden loves a chopped green salad with some added protein in the form of grilled chicken (he’s also said to love a plate of pasta pomodoro). A good diet is hugely important for keeping cognitively fit. Controlling inflammation is important for protecting the brain, and one big way to do this is through eating healthily.
Aim to consume a wide variety of all foods – as many different coloured fruits and vegetables as possible, but also meat, fish and seafood. Fermented foods such as yoghurt and kimchi are good for brain health, and you should aim for four portions a week of cold-water fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel, cod and anchovies.
Fermented foods such as kimchi are good for brain health. Photo / Getty Images
Everyone – even the slimmer among us – should also try to cut 10 per cent of the calories from their diet, as research suggests this can lead to a 10 per cent improvement in memory over the course of a year.
Enjoy a drink (but not too many)
Joe Biden is famously teetotal, but drinking a small amount of alcohol – one drink a day for women and two for men – has been shown to have a beneficial effect. Yes, there are risks from drinking at all, but at this end of the spectrum, they may be outweighed by the positives.
A 15-year follow-up study of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in the US found that, among other health markers, the incidence of cardiac heart disease was lower in those who drank alcohol moderately. Heavy drinking, however, is exceptionally damaging to the brain. It’s highly inflammatory and results in early cell death and memory decline.
Keep your sex life going
While we won’t be commenting about what goes on behind the White House curtains, sex has been shown to be extremely beneficial to the brain, by numerous scientific studies. It produces a feeling of euphoria and releases serotonin, oxytocin and dopamine.
There is also an exercise element to it, equivalent to slow jogging. It raises your heart rate and has the added bonus of being a social activity. An Australian study of over-50s found those who had frequent sex (one to two times a week) had better memories than those who did not.
As told to Rosa Silverman.
· James Goodwin, 73, is director of science and research impact at the Brain Health Network and visiting professor in the physiology of ageing at Loughborough University and the University of Exeter Medical School.
