Learning languages may keep the brain young, study finds

Study Highlights Benefits of Multilingualism on Brain Health

Speaking more than one language may help keep the brain young, according to a large European study involving over 80,000 participants. The research, published in Nature Aging this month, indicates that multilingual individuals are about half as likely to show signs of accelerated biological ageing compared to those who speak only one language.

Previous studies have suggested that multilingualism improves memory, attention, and overall cognitive flexibility. However, most of those studies involved smaller groups of people and inconsistent measures of ageing. This new study, led by neuroscientist Agustín Ibáñez from Adolfo Ibáñez University in Chile, provides stronger evidence.

The Study: Methodology and Findings

The researchers analyzed data from participants aged 51 to 90 across 27 European countries. A computational model was used to calculate each participant’s “biobehavioural age gap,” which compares their chronological age with their predicted biological age, based on factors like health, education, lifestyle, and socioeconomic indicators. A smaller gap suggests slower ageing.

When the results were compared with self-reported language data, a clear pattern emerged: those who spoke more than one language consistently showed lower biological ageing markers. The protective effect was even stronger with the number of languages spoken. As neuroscientist Ibáñez explains:

“Just one additional language reduces the risk of accelerated ageing. But when you speak two or three, this effect is even larger.”

Implications for Cognitive Health

The study suggests that multilingualism could be a simple, accessible way to slow down the biological ageing process. While further research is needed, these findings highlight the importance of language learning in maintaining brain health as we age.

Author's Conclusion

Multilingualism appears to offer significant protective effects against accelerated brain ageing, with greater benefits seen in individuals who speak two or more languages.

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Qazinform Qazinform — 2025-11-15

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