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Most of us have had the good fortune of becoming engrossed in a wonderful book. Remember the joy of turning those pages and the sense of just not being able to wait until you see what that next page has to share? Reading gives us joy. Research studies have shown that reading not only gives us joy, but it is also a vital part of brain health.
Studies have shown that children and teenagers who read regularly have improved attention, executive function and mental health. Early reading promotes brain health.
In adults, reading has been found to help lower stress and loneliness, and it increases empathy and cognitive or thinking skills. Reading has also been found to help guard against dementia. A simple 6-minute reading session can reduce stress by 68 percent.
Brain imaging, including MRI and CT scans, shows that reading is linked to measurable differences in brain regions responsible for emotional regulation, executive function, and social behavior. Dr. Elizabeth Stine-Morrow, one of the researchers, notes that sustained reading can help people grow in ways that allow them to take full advantage of life’s experiences.
The researchers found that reading for the brain is like exercise for the body. They noted that keeping the brain active and engaged keeps the brain circuits involved in learning and memory functioning longer and preserves memory. Reading is a continuous mental challenge that helps increase brain plasticity and ongoing learning.
Researchers also found that in older adults who read novels for 8 weeks, there was greater improvement in their memory than in the memory of people who solve crossword puzzles. The researchers believe that with puzzles, you eventually hit a plateau because puzzles have a formula whereas reading requires constant innovation of the brain. Reading trains the brain, and frequent fiction reading directly enhances social intelligence.
As we look at our world now with its constant distractions via online messages of short duration. Reading improves one’s focus by sustaining it. It activates critical areas of the brain used for visual word recognition, language processing and attention control. Researchers also note that children who read early have less problems with inattention.
Unfortunately, audio books have not been shown to provide the same attention-related benefits as traditionally reading. This again is important as we see people abandoning their books for videos, Tik Tok, and Instagram, which offer short form digital text.
Reading changes the structure of your brain for the good with increasing white matter connectivity and gray matter volume; both are wonderful rewards from just reading.
