People tout the brain benefits of word puzzles—are they legit?
n case you haven't heard: Wordle has taken over. The five-letter online word game has captivated people with its challenge to guess a daily word within six attempts. Wordle-lovers post the results of their yellow, green, and grey squares on Twitter, along with commentary about what their score might signal for how the rest of their day will go.results showing up in your Twitter feed
People who love word puzzles often claim they're good for your brain, but is that legitimate or totally bogus? Scientists break it down.Wordle fans aren't making this up: Research has shown that word puzzles are good for your brain. The researchers found that people who never did word puzzles performed the worst on cognitive tests, while those who did word puzzles daily or more than once a day performed the best."The frequency of word puzzle use is directly related to cognitive function in adults aged 50 and over," Brooker and her fellow researchers wrote."Future work needs to determine whether engaging in such puzzles can favorably influence cognitive trajectory with age.
In terms of exactly how often to do them, Brooker says that data show that two to four times a week"is ideal and offers the most benefit."Word puzzles aren't for everyone, and if that includes you, it's more than OK—it doesn't mean you're doomed to develop dementia or poor cognitive health as you get older. Still, there are other things you can do to boost your brain health.