According to the results of a study involving more than 80,000 people aged 51–90 from 27 European countries, brain aging proceeds noticeably slower in people who speak several languages.
The work, published in the journal Nature Aging, indicates that the likelihood of an increase in the difference between brain aging biomarkers and actual age is twice as high in monolinguals compared to those who speak two or more languages.
It was found that this positive effect increases with the number of languages spoken.
According to Chilean neurobiologist Agustín Ibañez, "learning even one additional language itself reduces the risk of aging, and two or three languages further strengthen this result."
The scientists conclude that multilingualism is an important factor protecting against cognitive decline, and this data could serve as a basis for promoting language learning in educational policies.
