Where you live may affect how well your brain ages.
Americans who live in areas near the coasts are the most likely to “stay sharp, mentally alert and memory-loss free,” according to nutritionist Elizabeth Somer, RD, who consulted on a study of brain health conducted by Martek Biosciences, a Maryland-based supplement manufacturer. Combining 21 indicators from four categories (nutrition, physical activity, mental stimulation and social interaction), the research concluded that the top 10 brain-healthiest spots are, in order: the District of Columbia, Maryland, Washington state, Vermont, Connecticut, Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Maine and New Hampshire. “Colorado is the only state not on the coast, and that’s a place that’s already known to be one of the healthiest places in America,” says Somers. This map lets you get information on your own state.What’s the connection between coastal living and keeping sharp? Eating a lot of fish, which contains plenty of potentially memory-sparing omega-3 fats. Other factors in the index, which was developed by RealAge cofounder Michael Roizen, MD, include average amount of daily exercise (30 or more minutes a day are best); rates of volunteering; daily fruit and vegetable consumption; prevalence of Alzheimer's; smoking rates, and rates of playing games (studying a language also falls in this category).
“My mother died of complications of Alzheimers, and the last thing I want to do is put my kids through something like that,” says Somer. “There are no guarantees, but what you can do is stack the deck in your favor. So I’m learning Italian, doing crossword puzzles on airplanes, exercising like a fiend and taking DHA [a form of omega-3].”
To see how you score on brain health, take this quiz.
If you also want to find out the status of health care in your state, the government has developed this handy guide.
