Can We Slow The Brain From Aging in Just 15 Minutes a Day?

How old is your brain? Depending on how you treat it, your brain’s age and your physical age could be two vastly different figures. About 15 minutes a day of this one simple practice could make the difference between having an aging brain and having the brain of a 25-year-old.

Research has shown meditation can alter brainwaves and benefit brain health. People who meditate may preserve areas of the brain that normally atrophy with age. Long-term meditators in their 30s and 40s have MRI scans comparable to those of people in their 20s and 30s. See how this happens...

Mind Over Mind

The brain is a powerful organ, and it can affect the body in profound ways. Just as you can worry yourself sick, you can exercise mindfulness in ways that are possibly just as healing. Meditation seems to trigger positive changes in brain activity --- and over time, it may even change the very structure of a person’s brain.

Studies have shown meditation can have numerous effects on electroencephalogram (EEG) patterns, causing changes in numerous types of brainwaves. In fact, different types of meditation may result in different EEG patterns.

Mindfulness, transcending, Zen and other traditional forms of meditation can induce delta waves, which you normally experience during deep, dreamless sleep. Traditional forms of meditation can also cause the brain to produce beta2 waves, which occur when you’re actively working on a mental task.

Physical Changes

MRI scans of people who regularly practice insight meditation show areas of the brain remain thick and robust where they would normally atrophy with age. For example, long-term meditators in their 40s and 50s have frontal cortices that could have come from people closer to 20 or 30 years old. This means meditation could help you preserve much of your cognitive functioning as you age.

Benefits are cumulative, so you can’t just pick up meditation today and expect to see a change in your mental acuity tomorrow. The most experienced meditators show evidence of the greatest benefits. Researchers are still working to unravel the specific mechanisms responsible.

One possibility is the changes in brain waves commonly found in meditation provide a mental workout and keep those vulnerable areas active. Another possible factor is the changes in respiration rate people experience while meditating, which could be responsible for improved vascular efficiency.

Your brain can age faster or slower depending on how you treat it, and whether or not you meditate is just one of many variables that can make a difference. A healthy diet and regular exercise are also important, as is refraining from tobacco and excessive alcohol use. Adhere to a healthy, new routine that includes meditation and other positive habits, and you may just be able to preserve your mind for years to come. It certainly can't hurt.

~ Here’s to Your Health and Wellness