It’s possible to maintain a sharp memory even in old age, provided you give your brain the tools it needs to stay healthy.

STORY AT-A-GLANCE
- A healthy lifestyle can support your brain health and even encourage your brain to grow new neurons, a process known as neuroplasticity
- Your brain’s hippocampus — the memory center — regenerates throughout your entire lifetime (even into your 90s), provided you give it the right tools to do so
- Lifestyle factors that may improve memory and promote neurogenesis include exercise, eating right and getting proper sleep
- Other memory tricks include avoiding multitasking, learning a new skill, playing brain games and using mnemonics to help you remember information

It was once believed that brain function peaked during early adulthood and then slowly declined, leading to lapses in memory and brain fog during your golden years. Now it’s known that our modern lifestyle plays a significant role in contributing to cognitive decline, which is why exposure to toxins, chemicals, poor diet, lack of sleep, stress and much more can hinder the functioning of your brain.
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