Better Health Channel
betterhealth.vic.gov.au Department of Health
betterhealth.vic.gov.au Department of Health
  • Keeping physically fit, eating a healthy diet and doing regular mental exercises may help maintain your brain’s functions, including memory.
  • Prescription medications or disease can contribute to a marked decline in mental abilities.
  • A brain that gets smaller and lighter with age can still function as effectively as a younger brain.
  • Memory loss may be improved by doing mental exercises. Reading newspapers, magazines and books; playing ‘thinking’ games like Scrabble, cards and Trivial Pursuit; doing crossword puzzles and word games; studying a topic that interests you; learning a language; or learning something you’ve never learnt before may all help exercise your brain.
  • Conditions and events more common to older age that affect brain function include atherosclerosis (narrowed arteries), dementia (such as Alzheimer’s disease), Parkinson’s disease and stroke.

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Content on this website is provided for information purposes only. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not in any way endorse or support such therapy, service, product or treatment and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional. The information and materials contained on this website are not intended to constitute a comprehensive guide concerning all aspects of the therapy, product or treatment described on the website. All users are urged to always seek advice from a registered health care professional for diagnosis and answers to their medical questions and to ascertain whether the particular therapy, service, product or treatment described on the website is suitable in their circumstances. The State of Victoria and the Department of Health shall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website.

Reviewed on: 14-10-2015