Reprinted from the Health District's quarterly publication mailed to district residents (Summer 2006)

Feeling forgetful? If you’re in the baby boomer years, you probably are. After all, you’re not getting any younger. Remember: That’s true for your brain, too.

Thankfully, the kind of occasional absent-mindedness we all experience – like misplacing car keys or drawing a blank for a friend’s name – is likely not age-related.

“The brain is, by far, the most important organ in the body – the one that gives us a sense of well-being, happiness and sense of accomplishment,” says Dr. Bruce Cooper, medical director at the Health District.

Yet, the heart and organs other than the brain have historically consumed the bulk of medical research. It is from these studies that we’re told to eat right, exercise and take our medicines.

So, is it time to put our minds on a treadmill?

Well, yes, but the workout may be less grueling than you think.

For starters, you get to choose activities that you enjoy.

“Choose ones that require the gears to turn in your head,” says Dr. Richard Popwell Jr., a neurologist at Advanced Neurology of Colorado in Fort Collins. “Watching TV is not on the list.”

“The key is to stay active cognitively,” he says. “It doesn’t have to be taking college-level courses, but something that’s challenging or stimulating – learn to play a musical instrument, learn a new language, take up a hobby, do puzzles.”

Engaging your mind can build what researchers call “cognitive reserve,” or additional capacity in the brain. Learning builds complex connections between brain cells. In the event that disease strikes the brain, these “neural networks” essentially delay the start of symptoms.

“If people who have been more active do get Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, they have longer time from disease onset to disability,” explains Dr. Popwell, who treats patients with brain diseases.

Alzheimer’s, a form of dementia, is linked to abnormal protein formation in the brain. Unfortunately,  no medical therapies to slow or stop this underlying process are currently available. What people might do to keep their minds sharp has been relatively uncharted territory, too.

But that’s beginning to change. Studies have found that older adults who took part in leisure activities – like those Dr. Popwell describes – had a reduced risk of dementia. People with dementia lose the ability to think, perceive or learn to the point where they can’t function.

Of course, as we said earlier, forgetfulness isn’t always a hint of a serious problem. Cause for concern might include a variety of behaviors such as not paying bills, botching recipes, inattentiveness to personal hygiene, missing important appointments, irrational thoughts and changes in personality, Dr. Popwell says. Often, friends and family will notice these changes, too. Either way,  if symptoms occur, talking with your primary-care doctor about it is a good idea.

Engaging in physical activity and consuming omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish and other sources, have each been linked in separate studies with slower mental decline. One study of elderly people in Chicago published last October found eating just one serving per week of fish was linked to a 10 percent slower rate of cognitive decline.

That may be welcome news to the country’s largest age group – baby boomers consumed with taking charge of their health.

And if these lifestyle changes sound all too familiar, they should. Many are ones a doctor may have already told you are good for the rest of your body.

For example, omega-3s that are turning heads for reducing inflammation that damages the heart are showing promise in keeping the brain healthy. Omega-3s are found in fish, fish oil capsules as well as DHA supplements that are made from a specific algae and listed as Neuromins DHA under ingredients.

“Our lifestyle – consuming trans fats, stress and other environmental factors – promotes inflammation,” says Dianne Moeller, registered dietitian at the Health District. “A diet of whole foods, grains, fruits and vegetables and including a source of omega-3s can help counteract that.”

Eating more fruits and vegetables, which are high in anti-oxidants, has long been a must for overall health. But now research suggests that blueberries and other blue or purple foods, like plums and grape juice, may have additional benefit to the brain.

Omega-3s and fruits and vegetables have won favor as brain food with one of America’s leading proponents of combining alternative and conventional medicine to maximize healing. As Dr. Andrew Weil points out: “None of those foods is bad for you, and they certainly won’t make you any less smart.”

When it comes to physical activity, what’s good for body is good for brain, too. Studies have found walking boosts mental function and lowers risk for dementia.

“Physical activity is one of the things that is most well-supported with empirical evidence to show impact on mental abilities,” says Julie Bugg, who recently received a doctorate degree in cognitive psychology at Colorado State University.

Bugg helped conduct a study of older adults in Fort Collins that looked at the effects of physical activity and time of day on memory performance. Those who were physically active performed similarly on morning and evening tests, while sedentary people showed a significant decline on memory tests from morning to evening, the study showed.

Still, more research needs to be done on the type and duration of exercise needed to achieve the most benefit, Bugg says.

A healthy brain has become increasingly important, she says, as more and more older adults are staying in the workforce. “It also gives older adults more independence,” she says.

Independence is a concern Dr. Popwell shares. He predicts brain diseases will take an enormous toll not only on baby boomers and the healthcare services they require, but on caregivers who quit working to care for ailing family members. Currently, modern medicine has no cure for Alzheimer’s or dementia, only medications to help slow the course.

“If we can get around the front end – the behavior changes, diet, exercise and preventive drug therapies, that will have a huge benefit down the road,” he says.