Humans are living longer than ever before, making healthy ageing an increasingly important conversation. People have become more conscious of their overall well-being, embracing healthier lifestyles and preventive healthcare. Yet one aspect of health continues to receive far less attention than it deserves, your brain health.

The brain shapes how humans think, remember, communicate and connect with the people around us. Yet conversations about keeping the brain healthy often begin only after noticeable changes appear, when valuable opportunities for prevention and early recognition may already have been missed.

This is particularly significant as people age. Cognitive health plays an important role in helping people remain independent, connected and able to participate fully in everyday life. For some, cognitive decline can be associated with dementia, a growing concern in India as the country's population ages. With the country's over-60 population projected to exceed 340 million by 2050 -nearly one in five Indians-the importance of prioritising brain health has never been greater. As India's population ages, greater awareness, early recognition and timely action will be key to helping people maintain their cognitive health and quality of life.

While cognitive care is often treated as an "old age" problem - something to worry about only in your 70s or 80s when a parent starts forgetting names, experts warn that waiting until then may already be too late. "Biological changes in the brain begin before the very first memory slip," explains Dr. Ratnavalli Ellajosyula, Head, Cognitive Neurology clinic, Manipal Hospitals and Annasawmy Mudaliar General Hospital, Bangalore. "True brain health is fundamentally about body health - the status of our heart, gut, and liver are all deeply interconnected with how our brain functions. Caring for our minds is a lifelong priority that demands our attention in our 40s, and 50s. Ideally, this should start in childhood. By actively protecting your brain throughout your life, you build what you call a 'cognitive reserve,' creating a resilient network of neural pathways that buys you time and function even as cells wear down."

Treat Your Brain Like a Savings Account

Dr. Ratnavalli often compares brain health to investing for the future. "Just as financial security is built through consistent investments over many years, the brain also benefits from lifelong investments," she explains.

This investment builds the brain's ability to withstand age-related changes and disease by developing strong and adaptable neural networks over time. The greater this reserve, the better the brain is able to maintain function even when changes begin to occur. "The encouraging part is that building cognitive reserve doesn't require extraordinary measures," says Dr. Ratnavalli. "It is strengthened through everyday habits practised consistently over the course of our lives."

Equally important is recognising when the brain may be signaling that something has changed. Persistent short-term memory lapses, repeatedly asking the same questions, misplacing everyday items, struggling to find familiar words, difficulty performing routine tasks, or becoming disoriented in familiar surroundings are not simply inevitable parts of ageing.

"These symptoms do not always indicate dementia, Dr. Ratnavalli explains, but they do warrant timely medical evaluation. Early recognition allows us to better understand the cause, initiate appropriate management where needed, and help individuals and their families in improving the quality of life and in some cases completely reversible as in depression or B12 deficiency."

Here is what is hopeful. The importance of early recognition is clear from what you know about dementia risk. According to the 2024 Lancet Commission on dementia prevention, nearly half (45%) of dementia cases globally are linked to fourteen modifiable factors across a person's lifetime, ranging from childhood education and hypertension to alcohol use and physical activity.

How to Build Brain Resilience Everyday

"The good news is that brain health is shaped by the choices you make every day," says Dr. Ratnavalli. "There is no single solution. Rather, it is the cumulative effect of multiple healthy habits that help protect the brain over time."

According to Dr. Ratnavalli, "regular physical activity improves blood circulation to the brain and supports the growth of new neural connections. Even a brisk 30-minute walk most days of the week can make a meaningful difference.

Dr. Ratnavalli also emphasises the importance of quality sleep. During deep rest, the brain literally flushes out toxic proteins, including the plaques linked to Alzheimer's disease. Consistently getting less than seven hours deprives your brain of this critical maintenance.

India's traditional joint families used to provide a natural buffer against isolation. Today, changing family structures and increasing digital lifestyles have made loneliness incredibly common. The human brain craves social interaction. Having meaningful conversations, debating ideas, or simply spending time with family, friends and communities forces the brain to process complex social cues, keeping it sharp.

Keeping the brain challenged is equally important. While puzzles can help keep the mind active, the brain benefits most from learning something genuinely new. Whether it's a new language, a musical instrument or even exploring unfamiliar routes, novel experiences encourage the brain to create new neural pathways. The more you challenge the brain, the more adaptable it becomes," says Dr. Ratnavalli.

For generations, people have brushed off cognitive slowdowns as just a "normal part of getting older." But you have immense power to change the trajectory of our brain health. It is time to make brain health a routine part of conversations around healthy living and preventive health.

"We need to normalise conversations about brain health just as we do with other aspects of healthy ageing. Protecting brain health is about preserving our ability to think clearly, remain independent and continue participating fully in life. The earlier we start, the greater our opportunity to age with resilience." says Dr. Ratnavalli.



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