Do puzzles stop dementia?
Not exactly. Puzzles do not prevent dementia, but they can delay the symptoms.
What is dementia?
Dementia is a group of illnesses that make the brain work less well. People can lose memory and thinking skills.
How do puzzles help?
When we use the brain, more blood goes to the area we use. The blood gives food and oxygen to the brain and also cleans away waste. To do this, blood vessels must stay soft and flexible. If we do puzzles, the brain areas for memory, vision, and thinking all work. This makes more blood flow, even in weak blood vessels, which helps keep the brain healthy.
Other factors:
Some things make the brain weaker: family history (genetics), high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, or a poor diet. These can make blood vessels stiff, so the brain cannot get enough food or clean waste well.
Extra benefits :
Puzzles also make people feel happy when they finish one. Doing puzzles with other people helps reduce loneliness, which is very bad for older people.
Best advice :
For a healthy brain, it is good to move, eat well, and do activities with others. Walking with a friend, dancing, or going to an exhibition are all helpful. If you are at risk of dementia, these things cannot stop it, but they can slow the symptoms.
Vocabulary :
• dementia (noun): illness that damages the brain and causes memory loss.
• symptom (noun): a sign of an illness.
• vessel (noun): a small tube in the body that carries blood.
• flexible (adj): easy to bend, not stiff.
• loneliness (noun): the feeling of being alone, without friends.