One common side effect of the aging process is a loss of memory. What happens is that hormones and proteins that work in the protection and repair of brain cells while stimulating neural expansion (referred to as the hippocampus) decline as one gets older.
What experts in the field have discovered, however, is that it actually does not have to be this way. According to an article in HelpGuide.org:
“The brain is capable of producing new brain cells at any age, so significant memory loss is not an inevitable result of aging. But just as it is with muscle strength, you have to use it or lose it. Your lifestyle, health habits, and daily activities have a huge impact on the health of your brain. Whatever your age, there are many ways you can improve your cognitive skills, prevent memory loss, and protect your grey matter.”
The reason it is more important to work on memory when one ages is also scientific. According to research assembled by WebMD, even though the elderly population may take longer to recall things, they can still be alert and capable as they age.
While memory loss is often a natural part of aging, it can be halted through the right brain exercises. One source is memory games, which keeps the brain more active. In addition, memory and brain-enhancing games aid in everyone’s concentration, attention level and reasoning skills irrespective of age since the brain is trained in strategic and critical thinking.
According to research conducted on mice by biologist Irina Conboy of the University of California, Berkeley, “Age is just a number, and it’s not a chronological number of years, but a number representing the strength of signaling pathways within cells. Which means we can start with an old cell, change its signaling, and make it behave like new again.”
