What Is Cognitive Health and Why Should We Care?

We track our steps, monitor our diet, and invest in skincare yet many of us overlook the very organ that enables us to do any of those things in the first place: the brain.

Cognitive health refers to the brain’s ability to perform essential mental functions such as remembering, focusing, planning, and making decisions. But beyond that, it is also about maintaining the integrity of who we are our clarity, independence, and personality. When cognitive health declines, individuals often report not just forgetting things, but feeling less like themselves.

While the term often appears in conversations about ageing and dementia, cognitive health should concern everyone. It is not a topic for later in life it is a foundation we build (or erode) throughout it.

Beyond Memory: Why Cognitive Health Is About More Than Ageing

It is a common misconception that cognitive health only becomes relevant in older adulthood. However, research consistently shows that many of the biological and environmental factors that affect cognitive decline begin much earlier often decades before any clinical symptoms appear (National Institute on Aging, 2024).

This means that our 30s, 40s, and even earlier years play a crucial role in shaping how our brains will function later in life. Cognitive resilience or “cognitive reserve” is the brain’s ability to adapt and find new ways to perform tasks, even when physical damage is present. It is built over time through education, meaningful relationships, mental challenges, and social and emotional stimulation. The more diverse the experiences, the more adaptable the brain becomes.

Hidden Influences on Brain Health: More Than Lifestyle Tips

Most articles on brain health focus on the usual advice: eat well, exercise, do puzzles. These habits are indeed helpful, but they are only part of the picture. There are several lesser-known and equally powerful factors that shape cognitive health.

Sensory Health and Cognitive Decline

Untreated hearing and vision loss are among the most significant modifiable risk factors for dementia (Levett et al., 2025). When the brain is forced to work harder to interpret poor sensory input, other cognitive functions such as memory and decision-making can suffer. Correcting hearing loss with hearing aids, for instance, has been shown to reduce cognitive decline and improve quality of life.

Gut-Brain Communication

The gut microbiome plays a surprising role in brain health. It produces neuroactive compounds that influence mood, focus, and inflammation levels. Diets rich in plant-based fibre, fermented foods, and polyphenols (berries, olive oil) support beneficial gut bacteria that in turn support cognitive performance (Appleton, 2018).

Cognitive Overload and ‘Mental Clutter’

In a culture of constant stimulation, multitasking, and digital interruptions, the brain is often overloaded. This “cognitive clutter” reduces attention, working memory, and long-term recall. Contrary to popular belief, brains do not thrive on being constantly busy. Mental whitespace unstructured, quiet time allows the brain to reset, consolidate memories, and maintain clarity.

Deep Sleep and Brain Detoxification

During deep sleep, the brain clears out metabolic waste products, including beta-amyloid and tau proteins linked to Alzheimer’s disease (Voumvourakis et al., 2023). Chronic sleep deprivation impairs this process, increasing risk for cognitive decline. Sleep is not merely rest it is essential brain maintenance.

The Interplay Between Emotional and Cognitive Health

Cognitive health is closely tied to mental and emotional well-being. Chronic stress, depression, and anxiety are known to negatively affect brain structures such as the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex regions critical for memory, learning, and executive functioning.

Conversely, emotionally healthy individuals often demonstrate stronger attention control, problem-solving abilities, and resilience. Practices that support emotional regulation such as mindfulness, purposeful activity, and social connectedness simultaneously support the brain’s cognitive integrity.

Cognitive Health as a Public Health Priority

Dementia is now one of the leading causes of disability and dependency worldwide. According to the 2024 Lancet Commission, the number of people living with dementia is expected to nearly triple by 2050, reaching 153 million globally. However, an estimated 40–45% of dementia cases could be prevented or delayed by addressing modifiable risk factors (Livingston et al., 2024).

These include cardiovascular health, smoking, alcohol use, education, physical activity, air pollution, social isolation and the aforementioned sensory loss. These factors do not simply prevent disease they also promote better cognitive outcomes for everyone, regardless of age or background.

Strengthening the Brain: Practical, Evidence-Based Approaches

Unlike many aspects of health, the brain is rarely static. It can change structurally and functionally in response to stimulation, injury, stress, or enrichment. This is known as neuroplasticity, and it means that cognitive health is something we can build.

Here are a few research-backed strategies:

Learn new skills: Taking on cognitively demanding tasks (e.g. learning a language or new technology) can stimulate neural growth and increase cognitive reserve.

Be physically active: Regular aerobic exercise increases blood flow to the brain, supports neurogenesis, and reduces inflammation.

Prioritise quality sleep: Aim for 7–9 hours of restorative sleep. Avoiding screens before bed, maintaining a consistent schedule, and creating a sleep conducive environment are key.

Protect hearing and vision: Address sensory loss early. It is not a cosmetic issue it is a neurological one.

Nurture relationships: Social interaction supports memory, emotional regulation, and brain resilience.

Reduce cognitive clutter: Allow space for reflection, daydreaming, and monotasking.

These habits are not only protective; they are also enriching, adding clarity and quality to daily life.

Conclusion: Our Minds Deserve Maintenance

Cognitive health is not a luxury or an abstract concern for older adults. It is a central pillar of who we are and how we function now and in the future. Like any system, the brain requires care, challenge, and rest.

By understanding and investing in our cognitive health, we do more than prevent disease. We cultivate attention, identity, purpose, and possibility.

And that is something worth caring about.

References

Appleton, J. (2018). The Gut-Brain Axis: Influence of Microbiota on Mood and Mental Health. Integrative Medicine: A Clinician’s Journal, 17(4), 28. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6469458/

Levett, B. A., Chandra, A., Jiang, J., Koohi, N., Sharrad, D., Core, L. B., Johnson, J. C. S., Tutton, M., Green, T., Jayakody, D. M. P., Yu, J.-T., Leroi, I., Marshall, C. R., Bamiou, D.-E., Hardy, C. J. D., & Warren, J. D. (2025). Hearing impairment and dementia: cause, catalyst or consequence? Journal of Neurology, 272(6). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-025-13140-x

Livingston, G., Huntley, J., Liu, K. Y., Costafreda, S. G., Selbæk, G., Alladi, S., Ames, D., Banerjee, S., Burns, A., Brayne, C., Fox, N. C., Ferri, C. P., Gitlin, L. N., Howard, R., Kales, H. C., Kivimäki, M., Larson, E. B., Nakasujja, N., Rockwood, K., & Samus, Q. (2024). Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2024 report of the Lancet standing Commission. The Lancet, 404(10452). https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(24)01296-0

National Institute on Aging. (2024, June 11). Cognitive Health and Older Adults. National Institute on Aging. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/brain-health/cognitive-health-and-older-adults

Voumvourakis, K. I., Sideri, E., Papadimitropoulos, G. N., Tsantzali, I., Hewlett, P., Kitsos, D., Stefanou, M., Bonakis, A., Giannopoulos, S., Tsivgoulis, G., & Paraskevas, G. P. (2023). The Dynamic Relationship between the Glymphatic System, Aging, Memory, and Sleep. Biomedicines, 11(8), 2092. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines11082092