I was thinking about this and it was bothering me…
Most people still think crossword puzzles can prevent dementia.
Here’s what you need to understand.
Researchers have not yet identified one thing that can singlehandedly prevent dementia.
Brain health is a lifestyle. To keep the brain healthy requires social connection, learning, sleep, nutrition, exercise and more.
Crossword puzzles alone are not enough to counteract an unhealthy lifestyle.
They may increase vocabulary, but they don’t strengthen skills that generalize to benefit brain function in other areas of life.
“But isn’t it good to challenge your brain?”
Yes, but you want to challenge it with activities that require frontal lobe executive functions (ex: problem solving, decision making, planing, organization, focus and deep thinking). These skills translate to other activities in daily life.
Crossword puzzles are fine if you enjoy them, but don’t count on them to protect you from dementia.
Try these exercises instead.