Benefits of reading for the brain

The cognitive reserve coach and specialist in cognitive stimulation therapies for people with and without cognitive impairment Nora Rodríguez talks about how important it is to read books and the benefits of reading for the brain.

The World Health Organization (WHO, n.d.) states that every three seconds a person in the world develops some type of dementia, so, faced with this imminent and worrying reality, we must know strategies that allow us to confront pathological and non-pathological cognitive impairment. The use of Non-Pharmacological Therapies (NPTs), through tools such as reading and writing, is, in addition to being effective, a pleasurable form of cognitive stimulation.

Non-Pharmacological Therapies (NPTs)

NPTs have been defined (Olazarán, 2010), as “any non-chemical, targeted and replicable intervention, supported by a theoretical basis, carried out on the patient or the caregiver, with the potential capacity to achieve some relevant benefit”. There is a wide variety of NPTs, among which we can find interventions focused on the person’s cognitive functions, which concentrate on information processing, orientation to reality and recall of memories, among other objectives.

In this type of NPT interventions, we can find activities based on memory, attention, concentration, language, executive and visuospatial function exercises, both in group or individual formats, with or without the use of new technologies.

One can also use Place Orientation, temporal and personal therapies, as well as reminiscence exercises to bring past memories into the present, using elements such as songs, photographs, scents, tastes and other objects.

Another way to cognitively stimulate, especially older adults, is through the commented reading of a topic or a previously selected book, so that individually or in groups comments, debates and arguments are made that deepen, clarify and reflect on the content and meaning of the reading.

By cognitively stimulating the brain through continuous reading, we benefit because we are increasing the strength of brain tissue and, consequently, we are helping to reduce cognitive decline due to age; likewise we prevent neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Multiple studies show a positive association between reading and cognitive impairment, which implies that there is more cognitive decline if we lack the habit of reading and have a low educational level.

The importance of books

For thousands of years, books have been the support for everything that is known and that is desired to be shared, serving to perpetuate knowledge and provide recreation, yet without really knowing the true benefits of reading for our brain.

Throughout all these years, the book has been within reach of people in different forms, but it was in the year 2000 when the first electronic book was published on the internet, this honor corresponding to the book Riding the Bullet by Stephen King.

Currently, there are countless publishers and bookstores where we can access innumerable literary works physically or digitally.

Knowing this information serves to confirm that reading, one of the main tools to face cognitive decline, is being wasted or underutilized precisely due to a lack of knowledge of the multiple benefits of reading for our brain health.

Multiple studies support countless benefits of reading that range from increased imagination and creativity, to more prominent issues when we reach old age, such as protecting us against cognitive decline.

What happens when we read?

When we read, very specific parts of the network of our brain are activated, located mainly in the left hemisphere, which is responsible for reason and logic, in addition to language and knowledge.

When reading we begin to scan the text with our sight, seeking to recognize the letters printed in it. We activate brain areas as we decipher the meaning of that union of letters and are able to transmit information to other regions of our brain.

The more we read in a concentrated and attentive way, the more we modify and strengthen our brain and its neural connections, even generating more neurons; all of this is the central part of the benefits of reading.

One point to emphasize is the importance of the frequency and the way reading is carried out so that it truly becomes a protective factor against cognitive decline.

Various studies have shown that the habit of frequent reading for more than five years and having at least completed primary education can be considered protective factors against age-associated cognitive decline (Esteve, 2013).

Likewise, reading should be done slowly, carefully and, above all, engaging our senses to truly experience what we are reading.

We must set imagination free to make mental representations of the protagonists and of the landscapes described, as well as to evoke memories of the scents, tastes and colors sometimes mentioned in the reading. Reading should be a vigorous, intense and highly rewarding experience.

Benefits of reading

We have already mentioned as benefits of reading that it increases our imagination, creativity and the activation of brain processes. There are many other benefits of frequent reading, among which we can point out:

1. Memory activation

People who are regular readers find it easier to understand sentence structures, which refers to a better comprehension and greater exercise of memory.

When reading we are exercising our memoristic capacity by relating characters, events and places, recalling these relationships to be able to analyze what has happened in the story and then predict and infer where it is going.

2. Improves cognitive functions

Improve cognitive functions such as concentration, attention, language and verbal fluency. All of them will improve as the brain becomes accustomed to reading continuously.

3. Promotes empathy

Reading allows us to perceive and understand diverse situations experienced by the characters, better understanding their feelings and mental states.

Reading in old age and at any age

The habit of reading is not, by itself, a guarantee that will make us immune to facing neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s or other dementias. However, it is important to emphasize that the habit of reading does succeed in delaying and slowing cognitive decline due to age.

Reading is one of the activities recognized as most beneficial for having a healthy brain at any age. Unfortunately, throughout life, enough care is not given to the brain to keep it exercised and healthy.

It is a reality that “everything that is good for the heart is good for the brain,” however, it is not enough to do physical exercise, maintain a balanced diet and good hydration.

Benefits of reading for older adults

The brain requires many more things that we are not used to relating to brain health. As we approach or become older adults, we must strive to maintain a good reading habit, since it promotes our brain health by providing, in addition to everything already mentioned, the following benefits:

1. Learning new things

Through reading we can learn about different places, cultures and ways of thinking or of solving situations.

2. Reduced stress

Reading is capable of reducing heart rate, achieving the relaxation of the person, significantly decreasing stress and anxiety. Studies have shown that reading is even more effective at reducing stress, compared to listening to music or going for a walk.

3. Reduced insomnia

The habit of reading can be used as a tool to obtain a proper sleep hygiene routine.

As already mentioned, reading allows us to relax, which contributes to our being able to fall asleep more easily. It is important to emphasize that this is more likely to be achieved if reading physical books; if using electronic devices, reading should be done using matte screens.

Reading and socialization

A benefit of reading that has not yet been mentioned is that reading is a great companion for people of any age.

In reading we can find a world of experiences and characters that help us survive isolation and so-called “unwanted loneliness”, a problem that prevails mostly among older adults, and that little by little is gaining ground until perhaps very soon becoming an epidemic.

Books have the quality of being easily portable and are currently very easy to acquire, since there are thousands of digital books that can be downloaded for free.

On the other hand, books allow us to join reading workshops, where we can read, reflect and socialize based on the theme of the selected book.

Also, when reading, we are acquiring knowledge, facts, ideas and vocabulary that allow us to engage in more interesting, fluid and deeper conversations with people close to us or perhaps to make new friends.

Conclusion

As can be seen from what has been expressed, reading is one of the main tools at our disposal to face cognitive decline and be able to slow the onset of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s or other dementias.

Reading deeply, consciously and attentively allows us to obtain multiple benefits such as improving our memory, attention, concentration and language, as well as reducing stress and insomnia.

Fortunately, reading is currently within reach of most people, thanks to digital versions of great literary works. It is truly a waste to set aside all this vast brain health that awaits us on a bookshelf or on a web page.

“Reading has no side effects, give books, give brain health”.

Bibliography

ESTEVE ESTEVE, Miguel y  COLLADO GIL, Ángel. The reading habit as a protective factor against cognitive impairment. Gac Sanit [online]. 2013, vol.27, n.1 [cited  2023-03-01], pp.68-71. Retrieved from: http://scielo.isciii.es/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0213-91112013000100013&lng=es&nrm=iso

Olazarán, J., Reisberg, B., Clare, L., Cruz, I., Peña-Casanova, J., del Ser, T., … & Muñiz, R. (2010). Efficacy of non-pharmacological therapies in Alzheimer’s disease: a systematic review. Retrieved from: https://www.ceafa.es/files/2012/05/4cef943853-2.pdf

Organización Panamericana de la Salud (n.d.). Dementia. Retrieved from: https://www.paho.org/es/temas/demencia

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Beneficios de la lectura para el cerebro