10 Ways Speaking Spanish Can Save Your Life

10 Ways Speaking Spanish Can Save Your Life

We all know speaking Spanish is a wonderful thing, but did you know that it is actually beneficial to your health? NBC News reported that speaking a second language could help offset Dementia later on in life. Seriously! 

Speaking Spanish might also be having a deeper impact on your life than you previously believed! You could actually improve your language skills, and a being an excellent multitasker, and keep your brain healthy, just to name a few! Read more on how speaking español can seriously save your life:

It Can Delay the Chances of Dementia

Speaking Spanish can save your life! Being bilingual can slow down the start of three types of dementia – including Alzheimer’s disease – by an average of 4.5 years, reports NBC NewsBy speaking English and Spanish, you have to actively select one language and deactivate the other you are not using. The amount of attention this takes is what keeps your brain nimble and can ward off not only Alzhemier’s, but frontotemporal dementia and vascular dementia.

It Keeps Your Brain Strong

Being bilingual builds up a strong front cortex, which allows for "cognitive flexibility," meaning you are able to to go along with new or unexpected circumstances faster than someone who only speaks one language. The Huffington Post reported that based on findings from The Journal of Neuroscience these results “suggest that lifelong bilingualism may exert its strongest benefits on the functioning of frontal brain regions in aging."

It Gives Your Brain a Workout

Stretch that front cortex! Get those cognitive muscles warmed up! There is evidence suggesting that in a bilinguals brain both language systems are active even when they are only using one language. This can lead to situations where one system gets in the other's way, according to The New York Times. This obstruction isn’t exactly a wrench in the plan, but a blessing in disguise. It forces your brain to learn and resolve inner conflicts, giving your brain a healthy daily workout.