Speaking more than one language protects against accelerated aging

BarcelonaSpeaking more than one language is associated with a lower risk of accelerated aging because it protects brain and physical health, slows the biological processes of aging, and strengthens resilience throughout life. Neuroscience has been studying the effects of multilingualism on the brain for years: we already knew that protects against Alzheimer's, that Bilingualism sharpens the mind and what does it do? the fastest and most efficient peopleA new study now shows that people who speak only one language have twice the risk (2.11 times) of accelerated aging, while those who live in a multilingual environment and regularly speak at least one additional language are 2.17 times less likely to experience this decline.

The large-scale study by Trinity College (Dublin), the Basque Center for Cognition, Brain and Language (San Sebastián), and the Latin American Institute of Brain Health (Santiago, Chile), published this Monday in Nature AgingThe study, which gathers data from more than 86,149 people aged between 51 and 90 from 27 European countries, empirically confirms that multilingualism is a protective factor and improves attention, memory, decision-making, and social interaction. However, the study does not establish direct causality: it cannot be said that speaking several languages delays aging, but it does show that multilingual people exhibit better health and greater functional longevity. There is a "very relevant" association between speaking several languages and aging well, says researcher Agustín Ibáñez.

Actual age versus estimated age

The researchers have used an innovative method that, through AI, allows them to estimate a biological age Based on multiple health and lifestyle factors, the study compared the respondents' actual chronological age. This revealed that multilingual individuals tend to have healthier aging profiles, an effect comparable to—or in some cases even greater than—other studies on positive habits such as maintaining a balanced diet, engaging in regular physical activity, and other lifestyle habits. Furthermore, the effect is cumulative: the more languages spoken, the greater the protection against age-related cognitive decline. What mechanisms are activated in the brain when we speak several languages to achieve this protective effect? According to Ibáñez, there are three pathways: biological (neuroplasticity and efficiency of frontoparietal networks), cognitive (chronic training of executive control, attention, and working memory, which generates greater cognitive reserve), and social (greater participation and social integration, which reduces stress). "This translates into systemic benefits, not just brain benefits," the researcher emphasizes.

The study's findings reinforce the idea that multilingualism "not only has cultural or communicative value but also constitutes a determining factor in public health," says Ibáñez. The study also points out that monolingualism is a recent invention of states, while In most societies around the world, the use of multiple languages is natural.Therefore, the team proposes incorporating language learning into public health and education policies, because ultimately multilingualism is an "accessible and economical tool to promote healthy aging of the population."