Mental Health10 min read
Mental Health and Brain Health: Depression, Mood, and Dementia Risk
Depression is one of the 14 modifiable risk factors — but the link is more nuanced, and more hopeful, than the headlines suggest.
Read the guide →14
Modifiable risk factors identified
45%
Of dementia cases potentially preventable
5
Daily habit domains backed by research
Latest articles
Specific, actionable guides on the topics that matter most.
Rest6 min read
Best Sleep Habits for Brain Health After 50
Sleep changes as you age — here are the habits with the strongest research behind them, and why they matter more after 50.
Read the guide →By Age11 min read
Dementia Prevention by Age
What matters most for your brain in your 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond — the same 14 risk factors don't carry equal weight at every age.
Read the guide →The Evidence11 min read
The FINGER Trial, Explained
What the trial behind this site's five-domain framework actually found — and what it didn't prove.
Read the guide →Hearing & Vision11 min read
Hearing, Vision & Brain Health
Why untreated hearing and vision loss are now among the biggest modifiable dementia risk factors — and what treating them shows.
Read the guide →Heart Health11 min read
Heart Health Is Brain Health
Why blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar are among the most modifiable influences on your dementia risk.
Read the guide →Move10 min read
Does Strength Training Help Prevent Dementia?
Resistance training activates different brain pathways than aerobic exercise. Here's what the emerging evidence shows — and how much you need.
Read the guide →Sharpen11 min read
The Best Brain-Stimulating Activities Over 50
Not all mental activity builds cognitive reserve. Research points to activities with specific properties — here's what the evidence actually supports, ranked.
Read the guide →Connect11 min read
How Loneliness Affects the Brain
A 2024 analysis of 600,000+ people found loneliness carries a 31% increased dementia risk — comparable to physical inactivity. Here's what's happening in the brain, and what to do about it.
Read the guide →Rest10 min read
How Poor Sleep Affects Memory — and What to Do About It
Every night of poor sleep disrupts memory consolidation and brain waste clearance. Here's what the research shows — and the one habit change with the strongest evidence.
Read the guide →Sharpen11 min read
What Is Cognitive Reserve — and How Do You Build It?
Some people show no dementia symptoms despite significant brain changes. The difference often comes down to cognitive reserve — and it's something you can actively build.
Read the guide →Rest10 min read
What Happens to Your Brain While You Sleep
The glymphatic system, beta-amyloid clearance, and why deep sleep may be one of your brain's most important maintenance windows.
Read the guide →Connect10 min read
Social Isolation and Dementia: The Overlooked Risk Factor
One of the largest modifiable dementia risk factors gets almost no attention — and it's one you can address today.
Read the guide →Move12 min read
Best Exercises for Brain Health After 50
Six types of exercise ranked by evidence — what the research says, how much you need, and how to start.
Read the guide →Move10 min read
How Much Walking Prevents Dementia?
The research gives a surprisingly specific answer. Here's how much, how often, how fast — and what happens in your brain when you do it.
Read the guide →Nourish11 min read
Mediterranean vs MIND Diet: Which Is Better for Your Brain?
They overlap heavily but differ in specifics. Here's what the research says about each — and which one to actually follow.
Read the guide →Nourish10 min read
The Brain-Healthy Grocery List
What to buy, what to limit, and why — the MIND diet translated into a practical shopping list with the evidence behind every category.
Read the guide →Sharpen12 min read
Best Brain Exercises for Seniors
The research-backed cognitive activities that actually build reserve and protect memory — ranked by the strength of evidence behind them.
Read the guide →Move11 min read
Exercise for Brain Fog: A Practical Guide
How specific types of movement clear mental fog, sharpen focus, and restore mental energy — with protocols you can start this week.
Read the guide →Nourish10 min read
MIND Diet Meal Plan: A Week of Brain-Healthy Eating
A practical 7-day meal plan built around the MIND diet, with a grocery list, breakfast ideas, and simple recipes for beginners.
Read the guide →Nourish12 min read
Foods That May Reduce Dementia Risk
The research-backed foods that consistently show up in brain health studies — and the ones worth limiting.
Read the guide →Built on the research, not around it.
Every recommendation on this site traces back to peer-reviewed research. Here are some of the landmark studies that inform our guidance.
2024
Lancet Commission
14 modifiable risk factors account for ~45% of dementia cases worldwide
2015
FINGER Trial
Multi-domain lifestyle intervention improved cognition in at-risk adults
2015
Morris et al.
MIND diet associated with 53% lower rates of Alzheimer's disease
2011
Erickson et al.
Aerobic exercise increased hippocampal volume ~2% in older adults
2023
ACHIEVE Trial
Hearing aids linked to slower cognitive decline in a higher-risk subgroup; overall trial result was not statistically significant