People often ask me if there’s only one thing I can do to slow down the process of aging in my brain, what would it be?

No doubt, the answer for me would be making more friends. We all intuitively know social interaction is beneficial for us but now science have confirmed our suspicion all along.

In an experiment with rats, Elizabeth Gould from Princeton University found running stimulates new neuron growth – but that benefits, for some reason or another, disappears if the rat is housed in isolation. I’ve written much about the positive effects of exercise on the brain but this study showed rats that exercise but deprived of social interaction actually had less cell neuron growth.

Social Interaction is a basis for any brain growth

Social interaction, it seems, is a base, without which your brain could not grow.

In normal circumstances, your brain should adapt and grow when exposed to stress. That’s just how the human body works. For example, we know complex brain exercises can stimulate neuron growth.

Of course, in all such studies, no one thought of the effects of social interaction.

In fact, a study by McGuire and Raleigh (1986) found people with low social support are more likely to suffer from mental illness. A more recent study by Ybarra, published in 2008, found social interaction causes an improvement in brain functions – which in turn prevent cognitive decline.

Does anyone know why?

Not really.

One theory say social interaction, in itself, is a form of mental exercises. Do you know that your brain is working over time whenever you interact with another human being?

In addition to thinking about social norms (what to do and what not to do), you’re also sizing him/her up while at the same time being wary (is he a convicted criminal?) and doing a thousand other things at the back of your mind.

Sure you may not realize you’re all these things but brain scans show exactly that kind of activity.

So there, a perfectly legitimate reason to spend time on Facebook.

Image by Cia De Foto