Without
thinking
about
it,
most
people
default
to
using
their
dominant
hand
when
picking
up
a
fork
or
mug,
as
they
do
when
picking
up
a
pen
or
pencil.

Recently,
though,

chatter
on

social
media
suggests
that

using
your
non-dominant
hand
(for
example,
using
your
left
hand
if
you’re
right-handed)
when
eating
or
doing
other
tasks
can
be
a
way
to
challenge
your
brain.
In
turn,
this
may
lower
your
risk
of
dementia.

Research
shows
learning
new
skills
is
good
for
your
cognition.
But
can
simply
eating
with
your
non-dominant
hand
impact
dementia?

Here’s
what
experts
say:

Using
your
non-dominant
hand
isn’t
going
to
lower
your
risk
of
developing
dementia,
but
continually
learning
new
skills
can
be
good
for
your
brain.

When
it
comes
to
using
your
non-dominant
hand
as
a
way
to
lower
dementia
risk,
“the
brass
tacks
is
that
there
is
no
direct
evidence,”
said

Dr.
David
Gonzalez,
a
neuropsychologist
at
Rush
University
Medical
Center
in
Chicago.

Dr.
Benjamin
Rosenstein,
an
assistant
professor
at
the
University
of
Minnesota
Medical
School,
agreed.
“There’s
no
evidence
that
using
your
non-dominant
hand
for
activity
is
going
to
help
prevent
dementia.”

But
that
doesn’t
mean
this
habit
is
all
bad.
Staying
engaged
in
hobbies
and
interests
and
learning
new
things
can
help
lower
dementia
risk,
Rosenstein
noted,
which
is
where
this
idea
likely
comes
from.

Gonzalez
said
he
appreciates
the
idea
of
challenging
your
brain.

“There

is
some
literature
suggesting
that
individuals
who
have
more
lifelong
challenge,
whether
that
is
challenging
work,
more
challenging
or
intellectually
stimulating
hobbies,
or
being
an
autodidact
and
just
learning
and
going
through
things,
that
there
does
tend
to
be
a
lower
risk
for
developing
dementia
later
in
life,”
he
said.

Gonzalez
explained
that
the
evidence
for
this
is
weaker
than
for
other
lifestyle
changes
that
can
lower
dementia
risk.
(More
on
that
in
a
second.)
The
impact
that
learning
new
things
has
on
dementia
risk
is
a
little
more
mixed.

Learning
one
specific
new
hobby
or
skill
won’t
in
itself
help
lower
your
chance
of
developing
dementia,
according
to
Rosenstein.
Instead,
“it’s
more
that
if
you
are
learning
something
new,
you
are
keeping
yourself
[engaged],”
Rosenstein
added.
“If
you’re
trying
to
learn
something
new,
you’re
staying
engaged
with
things,
you’re
challenging
yourself,
you’re
keeping
yourself
active.”

More
than
even
the
learning
itself,
staying
engaged
and
keeping
your
brain
active
are
good
for
cognition.

According
to
Gonzalez,
trying
something
new
is
good
for
the
brain,
but
you
need
to
consider
the
“quality
and
quantity
of
mental
activity
to
have
some
sort
of
neuroprotective
benefit.”

“When
we
talk
about
quality,
what
I
mean
is
sort
of
like
Goldilocks’
principle
of
not
too
easy
…
but
not
too
hard
towards
frustrating,”
he
said.

You
want
the
“just
right”
amount
of
challenge
and
novelty.

“In
this
case,
for
someone
who
is
right-hand-dominant
trying
to
use
their
left
hand
for
a
task,
there
is
a
smidge
of
truth
there,”
Gonzalez
said,
because
you
are
challenging
your
brain
to
a
new
task.

“But
it’s
less
about
using
the
hand
itself
because
once
you
are
able
to
use
it
for
a
task,
it’s
no
longer
a
challenge,”
Gonzalez
added.
Meaning,
you
may
teach
yourself
this
skill
over
several
days,
but
once
you
master
the
skill,
it’s
no
longer
a
mental
challenge
and
no
longer
has
a
protective
effect
on
the
brain.

Doing
something
different
once
or
a
few
times
isn’t
going
to
do
much
for
your
brain,
either.
Instead,
it’s
the
continual
dedication
to
trying
a
variety
of
new
things,
Gonzalez
explained,
whether
a
new
language,
recipe,
sport,
hobby
or
leveling
up
a
home
improvement
project.

“Individuals
for
whom
doing
a
variety
of
challenging
things
is
most
protective
are
doing
a
variety.
They’re
not
just
doing
one
thing,”
he
said.

To
learn
something
new,
the
brain
needs
to
make
new
connections.
This
is
good
for
our
cognition.

“Our
brains,
more
than
any
other
organ,
are
reciprocal,”
Gonzalez
said.
“They
respond
to
our
worlds.”

Lifestyle
habits
can
help
lower
your
dementia
risk.

There
isn’t
one
magic
pill,
food
or
activity
that
will
prevent
dementia.
Instead,
it’s
“these
whole
entire
practices
that
can
be
protective
over
time,”
said
Rosenstein,
and
can
help
lower
your
risk
of
developing
the
condition.

Again
and
again,
the
factors
that
protect
your
brain
health
as
you
age
are
regular
exercise
and
a
nutritious
diet
such
as

the
Mediterranean-diet-inspired
MIND
diet
or
the

DASH
diet,
which
aims
to
lower
blood
pressure,
Rosenstein
said.

“If
we’re
thinking
about
midlife
…
protecting
your
heart
health,
so
things
like
managing
blood
pressure,
blood
sugar,
cholesterol,
reducing
smoking,
trying
to
watch
your
weight,”
Gonzalez
said.
Getting
enough
high-quality

sleep
is
also
important.

“And
actually,
we’re
seeing
a
lot
on
social
engagement.
So
individuals
who
are
isolated
or
lonely
…
being
disconnected
from
others
or
feeling
disconnected
is
related
to
dementia,
and
the
inverse
of
that,
being
connected,
fostering
connection,
has
been
shown
to
help
reduce
that
risk,”
Gonzalez
added.

If
you
are
someone
who
wants
to
try
out
the
non-dominant-hand
eating
habit,
there
is
nothing
wrong
with
that.
But
don’t
let
it
be
the
only
way
you’re
challenging
your
brain.

“What’s
more
important
is
approaching
life
with
that
zest,
that
curiosity
and
that
spice,”
Gonzalez
said.

Be
curious
about
new
things;
try
new
hobbies,
make
different
crafts,
learn
an
instrument,
meet
different
people
—
all
of
these
are
great
ways
to
keep
your
brain
engaged
as
you
age.