How friendships reduce dementia
Here’s the perfect reason to organise a catch up with your friends. Several separate research studies have found that being socially active lowers your risk of developing dementia. Those people with large social networks were less likely to experience cognitive decline over time, and taking part in a variety of activities can actually build up the resilience of the brain. The studies also found that loneliness specifically doubles one’s risk of developing dementia.
This makes sense when you think about someone with an active social life, as this tends to mean they are using their brains for talking, listening, empathising and reasoning. These activities increase your “cognitive reserve,” giving your brain cells a workout to strengthen them in the same way that you train your muscles at the gym. For the brain, it leads to the formation of new connections between neurons.
Quality is more important than quantity too when it comes to who you spend your time with. A meta-analysis of 148 studies, which studied 300,000 people over seven years, found that those with stronger social connections were more likely to survive than those with weaker relationships. It’s not about having more friends on Facebook, but rather real and true connections with like-minded people.
The negative effect of loneliness and poor social connections on health was shown by the researchers to be equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day or being an alcoholic. The effects were worse for you than not exercising; and were in fact twice as bad for you as obesity.
Related links:
Why friends are key to our happiness
The 20 best quotes about friendship
Tips for making (and maintaining) friends in retirement