A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in the United States revealed that the age of the brain is linked to the sex of people, with a difference between men and women.
This is because brain metabolism can be different in the two genders of the same age. Over time, people age and this metabolism slows down. The study served to verify these differences in both sexes.
205 people were gathered, among them 121 women and 84 men aged between 20 and 82 years.
From there, the researchers analyzed the levels of oxygen and glucose circulation in the participants’ brains and compared the brain development of both sexes.
As a result, it was seen that women’s brains were prone to be 3.8 years younger than their chronological age. That is, the age that the participants really were.
Among men, brain activity was 2.4 years older than, in fact, they were.
That’s because, according to the research scientists, the difference lies in the amount of energy that each one’s brain consumes with aging.
Despite the fact that energy consumption decreases over the years for both sexes – being higher in childhood and gradually decreasing until old age – the brain of men starts adulthood indicating about 3 more years.
With a slower process of brain metabolism due to aging, brain cells that metabolize glucose to produce energy may take time to maintain synapses and other cellular tasks.
This may justify the lower incidence of cognitive problems in women in old age.
Read more: Physical exercise can prevent Alzheimer’s and improve memory
In addition, the study can also serve as a response to stress , gene expression and diseases, which may be related to this difference, also indicating other factors to help locate the main causes and signs of diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Brain health may be related to sex and genetics, but simple routine habits such as physical activity and a nutritious diet are able to positively influence cognitive health, ensuring a better quality of life.
