How to Keep Your Brain Young in 2026

‘Tis the season when many of us forget that moderation means one cup of eggnog, not three, and we trade our running shoes for a pair of fleece-lined Teddy Bear slippers.  

If you need a reminder to prioritize your health over the holidays, consider two recent reports suggesting how to keep your brain in the game as we head into the New Year. The first is great news for those who’ve rounded the midlife mark. A study of adults in the Framingham Heart Study Offspring cohort found that high levels of exercise or physical activity at midlife and late-life stages were associated with reductions is risk for all-cause dementia.

The research, published in JAMA, followed more than 4,000 dementia-free offspring in the original Framingham Heart Study from early adult life, midlife or late life and tested them for 37, 26, and 14 years, respectively, for the development of all-cause or Alzheimer’s disease dementia. Physical activity was self-reported using a physical activity score weighted by hours spent sleeping and in sedentary, slight, moderate, or heavy activities. The study found that participants with the highest levels of physical activity at midlife and late life had 41% and 45% lower risk of all-cause dementia, respectively, compared with those with the lowest levels of physical activity. Early adult–life physical activity was not associated with dementia risk.

Belly Fat and Brain Aging
Other research presented at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual conference in Chicago earlier this month spotlighted a relationship between belly fat, skeletal muscle, and brain age.

The researchers from Washington University Medical School in St. Louis discovered that people with higher visceral fat (the deep, hidden fat surrounding organs) and lower muscle volume had brains that appeared older than subjects’ chronological age.

More than 1,000 healthy men and women, average age of 55, were studied using whole-body MRI scans and a high-resolution brain MRI technique that identifies neurodegenerative changes in the brain’s anatomy. The investigators found that participants with more hidden belly fat relative to their muscle mass had older-looking brains, while those with more muscle and less visceral fat had younger-looking brains.

"Brain age is a really important way to understand brain health because the older the brain looks, the less healthy it is, and the younger the brain looks, the more healthy it is," Cyrus Raji, MD, PhD Raji told MedPage Today.

"People want to know what the health metrics they can optimize are before they are so sick that trying to optimize things will not be as helpful," he added.

Raji noted that building muscle and reducing visceral fat are "actionable goals," and that this research "demonstrates how body and brain health are closely linked." He also suggested that the study findings could "inform the design of future therapeutics, such as GLP-1 medications that target visceral fat more than subcutaneous fat and minimize muscle loss."

These two studies suggest the best present you can receive this holiday season is the gift of regular exercise (at least two days of strength training, three of cardio, plus restorative practices like yoga and meditation) and healthy food.  

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SEASON'S EATINGS
When the holidays feel like a food free-for-all, remember that how you fill your plate not only affects your waistline, but your brain health and overall risk for chronic disease.

Before bellying up to the holiday buffet, think PFD.

Protein First: Start your meal or appetizers with lean protein like shrimp, turkey, chicken, roast beef or beans. Protein promotes satiety and slows the digestion of carbs eaten afterward, blunting their impact on your glucose.

Fiber Up: Fill your plate with vegetables. These fiber-rich, low-calorie foods will fill you up and leave less room for heavier sides.

Drink Water: Consume a full glass with your meal. Being hydrated will help you feel full faster.

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