Real Possibilities
September 11-17, 2017
The Global Council on Brain Health
By Nan Selz
Executive Council, AARP Arkansas
A healthy brain is vital to wellbeing at any age, but most discussion of brain health seems to focus on the aging brain. Therefore, AARP, in collaboration with Age UK, established the Global Council on Brain Health (GCBH) to provide trusted information on how to maintain and improve cognitive function. Age UK is the United Kingdom’s largest charity dedicated to helping people make the most of later life.
The GCBH provides clear and dependable recommendations on how to lead a brain-healthy lifestyle. The information is based on scientific evidence in consultation with scientists, doctors, scholars and policy experts from around the world.
There is a torrent of information on brain health available to the public, but much of it is conflicting, misleading or simply untrue. For example, many vitamins and supplements claim to improve brain function or to prevent loss thereof, but the evidence on their effectiveness is inconclusive.
The GCBH discusses the latest results in scientific research about brain health in order to reach consensus on what works. Their goal is to help people make informed decisions and provide simple steps that people can take every day to boost their cognitive health and live life to the fullest.
The GCBH examines priority areas that impact brain health, including physical exercise, mental engagement, diet, sleep, stress levels, socialization, medications and supplements. Building on the Institute of Medicine’s Cognitive Aging Report (April 2015), the GCBH focuses on priorities identified by scientists, the popular press and AARP surveys.
The GCBH has published the following reports:
– The Brain-Body Connection
– The Brain-Sleep Connection
– The Brain and Social Connectedness
Upcoming topics include:
– Cognitively Stimulation Activities
– Nutrition
– Supplements
For more information about the Global Council on Brain Health, go to aarp.org/globalcouncilbh or globalcouncilonbrainhealth.org
