We’re fairly well-versed in the brain-health to-do list: exercise regularly, eat healthy, and get seven to eight hours of sleep each night. Now, there’s a new and surprising bit of advice for supporting cognitive function: help people.
A 2025 study published in Social Science & Medicine found that helping others could improve cognitive function and slow cognitive decline. Whether it’s volunteering or lending a hand to people around you, acts of kindness may be one of the best antidotes to dementia.
A Simple Habit
Using Health and Retirement Study data tracking more than 30,000 Americans aged 51 and older over two decades, the study examined how two types of helping activities, as well as changes in the time commitment, affect late-life cognitive function—measured by memory, attention, and mental processing tests.
Lynn Zhao
Author
Lynn Zhao is a health writer for The Epoch Times, covering topics in psychology, neuroscience, and broader health issues. She holds a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and a master’s degree in physiology and biophysics from Georgetown University. She has conducted research in social psychology and neuropharmacology and previously worked as a researcher on the NIH/NINDS Preclinical Screening Platform for Pain program.
