Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
05 June 2014 09:17
Learning a second language at any point in your life could help keep your brain sharp as you age
Being bilingual helps to keep the brain sharp as a person gets older, research suggests.
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh observed a pattern of slower mental decline over a significant period of time in people who were able to communicate in at least one language other than English.
Those who spoke two or more languages, meanwhile, had considerably better cognitive abilities in their 70s than their peers.
Findings from previous research had suggested that bilingualism might improve cognition and delay dementia.
What is for sure, however, is that the ability to speak more than one language is extremely beneficial when it comes to holidaying abroad.
It can make things easier when it comes to ordering food and drink in a local restaurant or speaking to staff at the resort where you are staying.
Travel insurance is a necessity when visiting an overseas destination, just in case something goes wrong, and there are numerous options available for seniors when it comes to cover.
The research team from the University of Edinburgh analysed a group of 835 people who were all born in 1936.
They gave each of the participants an intelligence test in 1947 at the age of 11, and then retested them in their early 70s between 2008 and 2010.
A total of 262 had a grasp of another language in addition to English. This second language was learnt before the age of 18 by nearly 200 of these participants.
Dr Thomas Bak, who led the research, claims bilingualism, even when acquired in adulthood, may benefit the ageing brain.
He believes the findings, which are published in the Annals of Neurology, open the door to further investigations which may help doctors find new ways to understand mental decline in older people in the future.
12 October 2018
The rising cost of fuel could force more airlines out of business, the boss of easyJet has warned.
[more...]
11 October 2018
The image of the boozy backpacker might be a thing of the past as a new study suggests more and more youngsters are shunning alcohol completely.
10 October 2018
The NHS says just one in 10 drinks sold in English hospitals will be sugar-sweetened, as part of its bid to curb rising obesity levels.
09 October 2018
More than 260,000 diabetes patients were put at risk of lasting harm or even death during hospital stays last year due to medication errors, a new report has revealed.
06 October 2018
NHS patients with a specific type of lymphoma will soon be able to access a "game-changing" new treatment, health officials have revealed.
05 October 2018
People living with diabetes are being warned they might be "unwittingly" storing their insulin incorrectly.
04 October 2018
The world's first commercial jet part-powered by a new form of biofuel touches down in London on Wednesday (3rd October).
03 October 2018
New 'hotel-style' carriages that were due to be rolled out for the Caledonian Sleeper have been delayed until next year.
02 October 2018
Budapest has been revealed as the cheapest destination for UK holidaymakers looking for a cultural break, according to a new report.
29 September 2018
Holidaymakers heading off by train will soon be able to check their blood pressure at the station, as part of a new scheme aimed at boosting the number of people getting checked.
28 September 2018
Taking an aspirin every day might not only help keep cancer at bay, it could also play a life-saving role in treatment, new research suggests.
27 September 2018
Holidaymakers heading to Southern Europe for some autumn sun will be pleased to know that a Mediterranean diet could help prevent depression.