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The expression “we harvest what we sow” may be only an expression, but a new study reveals that helping others could have important beneficial effects on our brain as we age.
According to this study, published in the journal Social Science and Medicine, adults of middle and older age who regularly help people with whom they do not live know a much slower cognitive decline than those who do not help others.
Researchers have analyzed data of more than 30,000 adults aged 51 or older in the United States, whose brain health was followed from 1998 to 2020.
Scientists have studied how formal aid, such as volunteering in an organization, and informal help, such as assistance to a neighbor or a friend outside the house, affect cognitive well-being and health over time.
The study revealed that formal and informal aid was associated with higher levels of cognitive functions and a slower cognitive decline later in life, while withdrawing from these activities was linked to lower cognitive capacities.
“Informal aid is sometimes considered less beneficial for health because of its lack of social recognition,” said Sae Hwang Han, assistant professor of human development and family sciences at the University of Texas and one of the perpetrators of the study.
“We were pleasantly surprised to note that he provides cognitive advantages comparable to those of formal volunteer,” he added.
According to the study, the elderly do not need to devote a lot of time to help others to draw cognitive advantages. Even a moderate commitment of two to four hours a week was linked to substantial benefits for brain health.
“The cognitive advantages of helping others were not only short -term boost, but were cumulative over time with a sustained commitment,” said Han.
However, the study presents certain limits. It does not provide details on the exact methods of volunteering, is based on self -depressed data and cannot affirm with certainty that there is a cause and effect relationship between volunteering and brain health.
Despite this, the results comply with previous conclusions. Previous research has suggested a positive link between cognitive performance and volunteering, some studies even stressing that profits are particularly important for women.
However, it should be noted that volunteer possibilities are often intended for young people. In the European Union, official regional programs such as the European Solidarity Corps are open to people aged 18 to 30 to contribute to social projects throughout the Union.
No program of this type exists for adults of middle or older age. In 2021, the European Commission recommended that the elderly people volunteer in its green book on aging, but the emphasis was placed on intergenerational cooperation and improving self -esteem, not on cognitive health.
According to Han, the latest conclusions suggest that the elderly should remain active members of their community as long as possible, for their own good and that of others.
“This suggests the importance of maintaining the elderly engaged in a form of help as long as possible, with appropriate support and arrangements,” he said.
