How does the habit of reading affect our brain?

Just as the body needs physical activity to stay healthy, the brain also benefits from exercise. According to experts, the habit of reading can be a catalyst for improving the quality of mental health.

“Reading, because it involves imagining, reasoning, anticipating and learning, acts as an ‘exercise’ for the human brain. Although not a muscle, our brain needs stimulation,” highlights Augusto Puchowitz, a researcher at the Instituto do Cérebro (InsCer), in an interview with Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), published in location for the institution.

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Reading promotes healthy aging

Studies show that reading can be a way to protect the mind from the onset of neurodegenerative diseases. This is because reading, according to the PUC text, improves brain function, which delays the onset of symptoms of diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Scientific article Reading activity prevents long-term decline in cognitive function in older adults: evidence from a longitudinal study. Published in 2020 in the journal International Geriatric Psychiatry, of the University of Cambridge (UK), says that reading protects cognitive function in the brain during aging. The study followed more than 1,900 people over the age of 60 over 14 years.

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The conclusion of the study is that frequent reading activities – at least once a week – pose a low risk of cognitive decline for older adults, regardless of educational level.

Evidence suggests that reading is a way to have a healthy aging process, because according to the World Health Organization (WHO), maintaining cognitive function is important for older adults with higher rates of life satisfaction and well-being.