Think your memory is slipping? Build habits for lasting brain health

Healthy habits today can protect your brain tomorrow. [iStockphoto]

Have you ever felt that you are no longer as sharp as you once were? Perhaps you find yourself frustrated when you cannot quite recall the name of an actor or politician, someone you recognise but cannot place, or when you are not as quick at arithmetic as you used to be. Such moments can be unsettling and may even prompt concerns about your mental fitness.

It is true that the brain typically completes its development in our 20s, after which a gradual cognitive slowing may occur with age. Later in life, there is also the risk of dementia, caused by diseases such as Alzheimer’s.