Protandim

Doing the crossword puzzle everyday will do more than keep you entertained for an hour or so. According to some recent studies, crossword puzzles help you stay young longer by creating new brain cells and “exercising” your mind. It is easy for those of us who are older to let our minds rest, but that will only allow the effects of aging to creep in that much quicker. Retirement from work is great, but don’t ever let your mind retire.

But crosswords are not the only brain game that will keep you young. Any brainteaser does essentially the same thing. All you really want to do is stimulate your brain. Just as you workout, you need to keep challenging yourself. If you have never done a Sudoku game, start on a easier level, and slowly work your way up. Personally, I know I couldn’t have started with the New York Times Crossword puzzle; I had to work my way up.

Brainteasers, especially crossword puzzles, lower the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease by almost 50%! So the question is why aren’t people doing crosswords everyday if they have such great results? The answer remains to be seen, but it seems that most people either do not know they can decrease those risks, or have mentally checked out and don’t really care anymore once they are done with work and retired. If you can get in a habit of doing the crossword when you are younger, it will benefit you greatly down the road.