[How About This Book] Among 600 Elderly Nuns, Not a Single One Had Dementia

20-Year Dementia Program Conducted at US Monastery
Controlling Stress with Meditation and Prayer for Healthy Thinking
Ketone Bodies Produced by Fasting Excellent for Brain Protection

A monastery in the United States conducted a 20-year dementia program targeting 600 nuns over the age of 70. The results were astonishing. Although many nuns showed signs of neural damage, none developed dementia. Could religious people have a secret to avoiding dementia? Anti-aging expert Bernd Kleine-Gunk believes the answer lies in healthy thinking. He argues that the 85 billion nerve cells in the human brain contribute to healthy aging.

One method of healthy thinking is meditation. The core of meditation is the ability to control stress. It would be ideal to physically minimize stress that negatively affects health, but when stress still exists, the self-efficacy to control stress is very helpful. According to an experiment, rats that were given electric shocks but had the option to escape did not experience much stress, whereas rats that received shocks without any escape option experienced severe stress. Even when escape options were later provided, these rats gave up trying to escape and accepted the pain.

The author explains, "Catholic rosary prayer is, in essence, a form of meditation (omitted)... Developing the ability to overcome stress is much more important than reducing stressors." He adds, "Fundamentally, there are limited ways to reduce or eliminate stress, but managing stress can be systematically trained." Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans have shown increased gray matter density in the brains of long-term meditation practitioners. Regarding this, the author interprets, "There was an increase in neurons and enhanced connections between existing nerve cells," and "These changes were especially observed in the hippocampus and frontal lobes, brain regions involved in memory and critical thinking."

While many believe that stimulating the brain with activities like Sudoku or crossword puzzles helps prevent dementia, the author instead recommends learning languages or dancing. Although solo training can partially strengthen the brain, complete brain health is only achieved through social interaction. The author encourages learning to dance with a partner, emphasizing, "Dance connects three important factors for maintaining our cognitive abilities?learning, movement, and social interaction?into one."

The author fully agrees with the late medieval pharmacologist Paracelsus’s claim that "the best medicine is fasting." Fasting is also a common ascetic practice chosen by many world religions. Christianity commemorates Jesus Christ’s 40-day fast before his crucifixion with fasting prayers during certain seasons or at various times, and Islam observes fasting during Ramadan. The author asserts that anti-aging medicine has revealed that such fasting is a life-extending measure. In fact, an experiment conducted by American biogerontologist Clive McCay in the 1930s showed that rats whose food intake was reduced by 30% lived about 50% longer. Similar results were found in experiments with brewer’s yeast and primates.

The author cites the lion as an example, explaining that supplying the body with a small amount of energy (just above the minimum requirement) can strengthen it. Although one might think a starving lion is likely to die from exhaustion, the lion’s senses become sharper due to hunger, its focus on prey intensifies, and its sprinting speed increases. The author says humans, who lived as hunters, are no different, emphasizing, "Fasting sometimes provides not only health but also genuine pleasure." In fact, many people nowadays experience the happiness of fasting by visiting fasting centers. "The first few days are a struggle as the body cries out ‘I’m hungry,’ but once this hurdle is overcome, the feeling of hunger weakens, the body feels lighter, and a state of happiness is reached."

Ketone bodies produced in the liver also provide great benefits to the body. Generally, the human brain consumes sugar for energy, and the body’s reserves usually last about two days. After that, fatty acids from fat tissue are converted into ketone bodies. The author explains that ketone bodies positively affect the blood-brain barrier, offering neuroprotection, protecting the brain from Parkinson’s disease and dementia, reducing inflammation, preventing neurodegenerative diseases, and alleviating depression. Additionally, the author explains hormonal differences between sexes, such as why women are more prone to dementia than men, and introduces countermeasures. He also discusses common factors such as how to handle stress, resilience, and gut health’s impact on the brain. The author states, "The insights that form the content of this book were made possible by the emerging field of biogerontology (anti-aging medicine), which deals with the biological aging process," adding, "Since its inception, anti-aging medicine has upheld the principle that living a more meaningful life is more important than simply living longer. It is important to spend the time given to you more joyfully. Then you can live longer with more joy."