Mickey Z

Cool Observer

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Myth #43,060: We lose brain cells as we age

Quite often, we humans choose convenient cop-outs as a way to avoid responsibility and self-control. For example, if everyone were to believe that our brains automatically weaken as we age, no one could be blamed for passively embracing a sedentary lifestyle.

“It is now recognized that brain cells do not normally die off,” declares Snowdon Parlette, author of The Brain Work-Out Book: Aerobics for the Mind. “If we choose a healthy, mentally active life, our brain should last at least as long as our body.”As for memory loss, Parlette sees it this way: “As you get older, you have more to remember and naturally more to forget.” He explains that forgetting is often our brain’s way of getting rid of mental clutter.