Women, Brain Health and Cognition
Women have long been concerned about the damaging effects of aging on health and appearance. In recent decades, the aging brain has been a more prominent and significant focus of concern.
Recent findings, which appear in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, indicate that women’s brains appear to be about 3.8 years younger than men’s of the same chronological age, metabolically speaking. This could explain data showing that women don’t experience as much cognitive decline in later years and tend to stay mentally sharper longer than men do. Older women tend to score better than men of the same age on tests of reason, memory, and problem solving.
Nonetheless, it is a frightening fact that many women do continue to report increased loss of cognition and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
Nancy Lonsdorf, M.D., is a Johns Hopkins and Stanford-trained physician and renowned author and expert in the integrative health system of Maharishi AyurVeda and women’s health. According to Dr. Lonsdorf, a healthy brain maintains balance between two critical factors: building new connections (memories and learning) and breaking down connections (forgetting irrelevant details). With the phenomenon of cognitive decline, the breakdown of brain cells and connections exceeds the build-up of new connections, resulting in a progressive loss of important memories and functions.
In her most recent book, The Healthy Brain Solution for Women over 40: 7 Keys to Staying Sharp—On or Off Hormones, Dr. Lonsdorf describes a multifaceted breakthrough combining ancient and modern approaches for maintaining brain health and a resilient mind. These modalities include lower stress, exercise, healthy diet, good sleep, balanced blood sugar, and normal blood flow. She emphasizes that a key component of a successful approach to brain health is the Transcendental Meditation technique.
The TM technique is a vital component in maintaining or increasing balance in our neurophysiology as a foundation that can support the healing process. Dr. Lonsdorf explains that the regular practice of the stress-busting Transcendental Meditation technique can reduce excess cortisol which can damage our brain’s memory centers. She writes, “I also recommend the TM technique to patients experiencing memory or cognitive issues for its demonstrated ability to reduce anxiety, a frequent companion of memory loss and cognitive issues.”