Baby boomers may be able to lower their risk of developing memory problems if they speak more than two languages.
According to a newly released study by researchers at the Center for Health Studies in Luxemborg, people who speak four or more languages were five times less likely to develop cognitive problems compared to those people who only spoke two languages.
The study involved 230 men and women with an average age of 73 who had spoken or currently spoke two to seven languages.
Researchers say based on their findings it appears that speaking more than two languages has a protective effect on memory in older people who practice foreign languages over their lifetime or at the time of the study.
People who spoke four or more languages were five times less likely to develop cognitive problems compared to those people who only spoke two languages.
People who spoke three languages were three times less likely to have cognitive problems compared to bilinguals. In addition, people who currently spoke more than two languages were also four times less likely to have cognitive impairment. The results accounted for the age and the education of the participants.
Come se llama? Me llamo es Beverly. Como estas? After taking Spanish for a total of 3 years, that's as much as I know so I'd better brushen up on my second language skills and add a third language if I want to improve my memory.
To read the entire report, click here: Newswise
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