As You Think So You Might Become

Do you believe that the outlook you have about aging when you are younger can affect your brain function when you are older? There is no doubt about the mind-body relationship, but for many of us it would have been a stretch to believe that our thoughts when we are younger could contribute to the development of dementia when we are older.

Yet, and for the first time, recent studies linked a person's negative thoughts about aging with brain changes associated with Alzheimer's disease 25 years later. The researchers also looked at brain autopsies of people in the study. They found that the buildup of amyloid plaques, a marker of Alzheimer's disease, was significantly higher in those who held more negative stereotypes about aging.

The take away message is what we have been saying and what we have written about for years. A positive attitude about life will do more for you than many of the pills that you have been taking!