Proof That Brain 'Work-Outs' in Middle Age Can Stave Off Dementia

Both groups answered questions about their daily activities within the past year and in middle age, when they were between 50 to 65.

Bob Woods, Professor of Clinical Psychology of the Elderly, said the activities recommended were key in developing "reserves" for the brain.

"Essentially, doing these sorts of activities can help build up your brain so that it resists more of the damage that may be happening before the symptoms begin to show themselves.

"It's about building up a reserve of mental strength -- people who have less may find that memory loss shows sooner."

Professor Woods said that a Canadian study had found that people who were bilingual had shown a similar resistance to memory loss, which was accounted for because of the intellectual effort required to switch between languages.

He added: "The brain is a dynamic organ, it exists through multiple networks of action and the more those networks are well developed, the more resistance you've got."

Professor Judith Phillips, spokeswoman for the British Society of Gerontology, said the findings proved that, for the majority, retirement was no longer a period of "slowing down".

She said: "Whatever is good for you at a younger age in terms of eating healthily, good physical exercise, doing lots of things, is just as good for you in later life. The more active you can be, even starting activities late in life, can be pivotal in preventing dementia."