According to a 2022 US study, reading for pleasure later in life could be a good way to improve memory.
Sure, many people enjoy reading because it helps them relax or gets them thinking, but researchers suggest it might also be good for our brains.
The findings come from a small study of 76 people aged between 60 and 79, divided into two groups.
One group was asked to read books chosen by the researchers on an iPad, for 90 minutes a day, five days a week, and eight weeks total.
The other group did crossword puzzles, also on an iPad, for the same amount of time.
Before starting, all participants took tests measuring different types of memory and language skills.
Only 31 people — 16 in the reading group and 15 in the puzzle group — completed the eight weeks of the study.
After testing these people again, the researchers found that the participants in the reading group’s episodic memory and working memory improved compared to those in the other group.
Episodic memory helps us remember specific events or situations in our lives or, as in the study, previous chapters in a book. Working memory, on the other hand, is used short-term: it allows us to keep reading while we process other information.
Both of these often get worse with age, but Liz Stine-Morrow, one of the researchers, said the findings suggest that reading is good for you and helps improve mental abilities.
He adds that reading may also help offset the effects of Alzheimer’s disease.
