How healthy is YOUR brain? Take this 'mind MOT' to find out... (and it's good news if you like Sudoku and fish)

  • Quiz asks questions about lifestyle habits to assess a person's brain health
  • Eating plenty of vegetables and ditching sugar can protect the brain
  • Omega-3-containing foods like oily fish improves cognitive health
  • Doing puzzles like Sudoku and volunteering can also prevent ageing

Is your mind as sharp as a razor or similar to a sieve?

Now, a new test can reveal how healthy your brain is. 

In 19 questions, the quiz takes into account lifestyle habits that affect memory, thinking and brain ageing.

Many of us may not realise that a good diet and plenty of exercise not only keeps our bodies trim, but also helps us think more clearly.

A new quiz  asks about lifestyle habits that affect memory, thinking and brain ageing to assess a person's brain health

A new quiz  asks about lifestyle habits that affect memory, thinking and brain ageing to assess a person's brain health

Eating a diet rich in vegetables and foods containing omega-3 - like oily fish - as well as being sociable and talking to our neighbours - are both ways of protecting the brain.

Similarly, doing crosswords, puzzles and games like Sudoku can keep the mind sharp.

And rather than immediately Googling an answer to a question, actually spending more time thinking could even help. 

Here, in a test created by supplement firm Equazen, you can find our how healthy your brain really is...

Add or subtract the points associated with your answer, before calculating your overall score:

1. How old are you?

• 15-20 years old* (1)

• 21-30 (2)

• 31-40 (3)

• 41-50 (4)

• Over 51 (5)

* Just like a car, young people don’t need a standard MOT. Talk to a healthcare professional about how children and youngsters can best look after their cognitive health.

Eat oily fish at least once a week to keep the mind sharp, as it contains brain-healthy omega-3 fatty acids

Eat oily fish at least once a week to keep the mind sharp, as it contains brain-healthy omega-3 fatty acids

2. How many units of alcohol do you drink on an average week?

• None (0)

• 1-6 (1)

• 7-14 (2)

• 15-21 (3)

• 22-28 (4)

• More than 29 (5)

Avoiding excessive amounts of alcohol can protect against brain ageing

Avoiding excessive amounts of alcohol can protect against brain ageing

3. What is your Body Mass Index (BMI)? 

To calculate your BMI, divide your weight (kilos) by your height (metres) and then divide your answer by your height again.

· Below 18.5 (1)

· 18.5-24.9 (0)

· 25-29.9 (1)

· 30-34.9 (2)

· 35-39.9 (3)

· Over 40 (5)

4. How often do you try to do the following? If you answer yes to any option take one point off your total points to date 

• Eat five or more portions of fruit and vegetables every day (-1)

• Eat a varied diet to make sure you get enough vitamins and minerals (-1)

• Keep your sugar intake within recommended levels (-1)

• Keep your fat intake within recommended levels (-1)

• Take a dietary supplement or vitamin (-1)

5. Approximately how much physical activity do you do on an average week (remember to include walking to and from work, walking the dog, as well as time at the gym, swimming pool, etc)

• None (5)

• ½ to 1 hour (4)

• 1 ½ to 3 hours (3)

• 3 ½ to 5 hours (2)

• 5 ½ to 8 hours (1)

• Over 8 hours (0)

Check your sleep levels, as getting seven to eight hours of sleep a night keeps the mind healthy (file photo)

Check your sleep levels, as getting seven to eight hours of sleep a night keeps the mind healthy (file photo)

6. How many servings of oily fish (such as salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines or fresh tuna) do you eat each month?

• Never eat oily fish (5)

• Maybe one (4)

• One or two (3)

• Two (2)

• Three (1)

• Four or more** (0)

Walnuts, which are high in omega-3 fatty acids, help improve brain health

Walnuts, which are high in omega-3 fatty acids, help improve brain health

** You are recommended to eat a maximum of four portions a week of oily fish, but women who might have a baby, plus those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, should limit their intake to two portions a week, to avoid build-up of the low levels of pollutants that such fish may contain.

7. With regard to smoking or use of tobacco

• I have never smoked (- 3)

• I have smoked in the past but I don’t smoke now (- 2)

• Someone else in my house smokes (1)

• Yes, I smoke but I am trying to quit (- 1)

• Yes, I smoke (5 )

8. Do you take any of the following dietary supplements?

• Cod liver oil (-1)

• Fish oil (-1)

• EPA/DHA (-1)

• Evening primrose oil (-1)

• Multivitamins (-1)

9. Which of the following do you eat regularly – that is, at least twice a week?

• Walnuts (-1)

• Soya beans (-1)

• Flax/linseed (-1)

• Rapeseed oil (-1)

• Spread or other food fortified with omega-3 (-1)

Aiming for at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day helps improve brain health. Even walking is considered great exercise (file photo)

Aiming for at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day helps improve brain health. Even walking is considered great exercise (file photo)

10. If you take a supplement, did you read the list of ingredients?

• I don’t take a supplement (1)

• No, I just picked the cheapest one (0)

• No, I just picked a brand I’d heard of (0)

• No, I chose one that had been recommended by a friend (0)

• Yes, I was looking for one or more specific ingredients that matched my needs (-1)

• Yes, I was looking for an ingredient recommended by my GP (-1)

Doing puzzles like Sudoku will improve brain health

Doing puzzles like Sudoku will improve brain health

11. On average, how much sleep do you have each night (or day if you work shifts)?

• Less than 5 hours (3)

• 5-6 hours (2)

• 6-7 hours (0)

• 7-8 hours (-1)

• 8-10 hours (2)

• More than 10 hours (3)

12. Do you have any of the following?

  • Diabetes (2)
  • High blood pressure (2)
  • Stroke (2)
  • High blood cholesterol (2)
  • High blood sugar (2)

13. Do you forget things more than you used to?

• No, I don’t (-1)

• Yes, I do occasionally (1)

• Yes, I do sometimes (2)

• Yes, I do often (3)

• Yes, all of the time (5)

Consider joining a sports club or a reading group, or volunteering, as being sociable keeps the brain healthy

Consider joining a sports club or a reading group, or volunteering, as being sociable keeps the brain healthy

14. Which of the following do you try to do?

  • Learn about new things (-1)
  • Take courses on topics new to me (-1)
  • Interest myself in what is happening in the world (-1)
  • Challenging reading (-1)
  • Volunteering (-1)

15. Do you belong to any community or other type of group (eg, sports clubs, school governors, walking groups, reading groups)

• No, I don’t (3)

• I am thinking about joining one (0)

• I have joined a group in the past but no longer make the time (1)

• Yes, I am a member of a group (-1)

• Yes, I am a member of more than one group (-2)

Instead of watching TV, read a challenging book in order to stimulate the mind. When faced with a question, try to really think about it instead of Googling the answer immediately

Instead of watching TV, read a challenging book in order to stimulate the mind. When faced with a question, try to really think about it instead of Googling the answer immediately

16. How often do you do crosswords, jigsaw puzzles or numbers games (eg Sudoku)?

• Never (5)

• Rarely (4)

• Once a month (3)

• Once a week (1)

• Each day (-1)

Using maps instead of sat navs helps keep the mind sharp (file photo)

Using maps instead of sat navs helps keep the mind sharp (file photo)

17. How often do you chat to your friends, family and/or neighbours?

• Less than once a week (5)

• Once a week (4)

• Once or twice a week (3)

• Every other day (1)

• Every day (-1)

18. Do you find yourself making lists of essential tasks more than you used to do?

• Yes, I do – all the time (5)

• Yes, I do – quite a lot (4)

• Yes, I do – sometimes (3)

• Yes, I do – but rarely (1)

• No, I don’t (-1)

19. Have you thought about taking a dietary supplement to help maintain your cognitive health?

• No, I haven’t (5)

• Yes, but I wouldn’t know what to take (3)

• No, I wouldn’t think it would make any difference (4)

• No, I wouldn’t know what ingredients to look for (3)

• Yes, I’ve read that omega-3 fatty acids could help (0)

IF YOU SCORED....  

Less than 10 points 

Well done. It looks as if your diet and physical and mental activity are good in terms of helping to maintain cognitive health. 

But you need to keep on taking care of your brain, especially as you grow older. 

That means thinking about what you eat as well as how you look after your physical and mental health, both now and later on.

Taking a dietary supplement may help protect the brain, although supplements should not replace a healthy diet and exercise 

Taking a dietary supplement may help protect the brain, although supplements should not replace a healthy diet and exercise 

Diet

Whatever your age, you should aim to eat a varied healthy diet that includes at least one portion of oily fish a week. 

In addition, even if you already take a dietary supplement of some sort, consider taking or switching to a supplement which contains a blend of quality EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids.  

Physical and mental exercises 

No doubt you take some physical and mental exercise. 

It would be difficult to go through a day without having some mental activity at the very least. 

But consider how much you really use your brain and if you are rarely doing the following then think about how you can exercise your brain for good brain health. 

Do you do crosswords, jigsaws or number games like Sudoku? 

When you want an answer to something, do you immediately do a google search, as useful as that might be, or do you think about your question first? 

Making mores lists of essential tasks than you used to could be a sign of brain ageing (file photo)

Making mores lists of essential tasks than you used to could be a sign of brain ageing (file photo)

Do you tend to rely on sat nav when driving or do you prefer to use a map and think about where you are going using road signs?

Remember the importance of physical activity too. 

Physical activity like walking, swimming and going to the gym can help your social interaction too and help you to make new friends. 

Try not to isolate yourself. It isn’t good for your cognitive health. Get out into your community, mix with people, chat to friends and family.  

11 - 30 points

Beware - your brain could be ageing faster than you. Whether or not you feel any sign of your brain slowing down now, you need to pay more attention to what you eat and what mental activity you do (or don’t do).

Diet

Your diet is really important when it comes to looking after your cognitive health. In particular, look at your intake of omega-3 fatty acids. 

You can either eat oily fish at least once a week or take a supplement containing omega-3s, or both.  

Physical and mental exercises

If your physical activity is lacking, try to increase it to half an hour a day. Remember that walking is excellent exercise. 

And why not join a walking group to encourage yourself not only to get more exercise but to meet new people and increase your mental stimulation. 

Meeting with others may well encourage you to try more new things, take up other hobbies and read new books. All of these activities are excellent for cognitive health.

A person's cognitive health can really benefit from making healthy lifestyle choices, especially  diet and increasing your intake of omega-3 fatty acids

A person's cognitive health can really benefit from making healthy lifestyle choices, especially diet and increasing your intake of omega-3 fatty acids

Over 31 points

Take care. Have a look at the questions where you had high scores. 

Your cognitive health can really benefit from you looking after yourself, especially with your diet and increasing your intake of omega-3 fatty acids.

Diet

Where do your dietary problems lie? Maybe you dislike oily fish and fruit and vegetables. 

It’s often the foods that are good for us that we most dislike. Aim to improve your diet in the direction of recommended intakes for fruit, vegetables, fish, dairy, meat and other protein sources. 

But you can’t often do that very quickly. So in the meantime, consider bridging the gap with a supplement containing omega-3 fatty acids. 

Omega-3 fatty acids help to maintain the health of the brain, alongside a healthy diet and lifestyle.

This, together with effective mental activity and good social connections can help your cognitive health as you get older.

As well as exercise, try to get plenty of mental stimulation, particularly if you have little mental stimulation at work or in your daily life, Equazen advises

As well as exercise, try to get plenty of mental stimulation, particularly if you have little mental stimulation at work or in your daily life, Equazen advises

Physical and mental exercises

Think hard about physical and mental activity. Aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day. 

Aim for plenty of mental stimulation too, particularly if you have little mental stimulation at work or in your daily life. 

Consider not taking the easy mental option on every occasion as tempting as it might be. 

Make things harder intellectually for yourself. Don’t always resort to the screen. Ask your friends and family when you want to know things.

Share information. Use your brain as much as you can. And yes, that might involve you in engrossing yourself in a TV drama and engaging with the characters.

* Vitamin supplements should be not be used to replace a varied and balanced diet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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