Learning a second language can help protect against dementia

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If you want an additional guarantee against senile dementia, start learning a new foreign language. Bilinguals are able to delay the development of an insidious disease for 7 years, as scientists have established.

Experts of the Higher School of Economics, led by Federico Gallo, have proven that learning a second or additional foreign language, even if it is not perfect, allows you to delay the development of dementia for up to 7 years. According to scientists, the opportunity to speak a foreign language gives the brain an additional load and provides intellectual stimulation, which is necessary to protect against cognitive decline.

Unlike other protective factors such as specific nutrition, a foreign language remains in our brain constantly, as the scientists emphasize.

They conducted an analysis of already existing studies and found that in bilinguals or people who speak two languages ​​equally well at once, senile dementia manifests, on average, 5-7 years later, compared to those who speak only one language.

In the course of another study, cognitive experiments were conducted that showed that the longer a person learns a foreign language and the better he understands it, the higher the level of protection.

Studies clearly suggest that bilingualism is one of the most powerful defenses against dementia. Exercising on and off, experimenting with different diets, or changing jobs are all temporary stimulations for the brain. But a foreign language stimulates it in a constant mode.