Julie Puzzo | SNH Nutrition & Wellness
July 26, 2024
Shayna Cohen | Fit For You
August 6, 2024
Dr. Brian A. Magna
Special to Today Magazine
Studies examining longevity and our five senses — vision, hearing, taste, smell and touch — are limited. Therefore, it makes sense to look into the correlations between these senses and how they work to keep you healthy during your lifespan.
As is the case with bodily movement that exercises your muscles, exercising your brain exercises your senses. So just how does exercising your senses increase longevity? Let’s investigate the connection between each sense.
- Vision — controlled by the occipital lobe of the brain — connects you with the world through simply accepting light and organizing the light into structure and letting your brain know what is nearby. Having good vision allows you to experience and appreciate the variability and beauty of life itself.
At the other end of the vision spectrum: Without good vision, one is more prone to falls, social isolation, cognitive decline and a lack of functional independence, which all have a negative effect on a healthy lifespan.
- Hearing — controlled by the temporal lobe of the brain — allows you to make sense of the world around you through communication and sound. Communication allows a sense of community and safety, while sound in general connects you to the environment not only from a safety standpoint but also through the sounds of nature and peace.
As is the case with vision, hearing deficits are associated with cognitive decline, social isolation, depression and a risk of earlier mortality.
- Taste — controlled by the insula and the frontal operculum of the brain — allows you to experience rich multisensory experiences with food. Meals, especially when experienced with friends and family, are associated with increased longevity, happiness, positive communication and a sense of community.
Individuals with diseases and conditions that diminish or eliminate the sense of taste could experience a negative impact on dietary choices, nutritional intake and social interaction.
- Smell — controlled by the olfactory bulb of the brain — has connections to the hippocampus (memory) and the amygdala (emotion). A good sense of smell is associated with memories and emotional lifetime experiences.
Walking into a room where cookies or pies are baking, it is not uncommon to experience the feeling of being brought back in time to a place of comfort. Comfort and feelings of euphoria are known to have positive effects on longevity and health. Studies regarding a lack of normal smell demonstrate early markers of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
- Touch — controlled by the parietal lobe of the brain — is a key component for protection against extreme temperature, but adds an extremely important component of human touch into the mix. Human-to-human touch is a valuable sense for connection, support and safety, especially in times of trauma and stress. Even touching the environment — through nature, pets and feeling rain on your skin — has positive effects on lifespan.
A lack of normal and proper touch can have negative effects on physical safety and emotional well-being, and can result in depression and less happiness in life.
- Bonus Sense: Thought — not typically known as a human sense, but directed by sensory input from all of the above five senses — is by far the most important factor regarding how your life turns out and how you feel about yourself and the world around you. The functioning of the five senses — both proper and improper — will have a direct impact on your thoughts and how your life will transpire. +
Dr. Brian Magna owns Magna Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Center, with locations in Avon and Canton • 860-679-0430 • http://www.magnapt.com
The Longevity Zone — Magna’s new initiative — aims to revolutionize health and wellness in the Farmington Valley community by promoting cleaner, consistent and healthier lifestyles. By fostering a sense of community and providing access to various affiliate businesses and services — while emphasizing exercise, nutrition, stress reduction and social engagement — we seek to extend individual health-spans and enhance overall well-being • http://www.thelongevity.zone
For more information and to explore our services, share your thoughts and suggestions and contact us today.
