The Nun Study
What 678 nuns taught us about aging brains
Starting in 1986, researcher David Snowdon began studying 678 Catholic nuns, and what he found reshaped our understanding of aging and the brain. The nuns donated their brains for study after death, and the results were stunning: some sisters with brains riddled with Alzheimer's plaques had shown no symptoms during life, while others with minimal damage had been severely impaired.
In real life...
The Nun Study highlights three actionable lessons: stay socially connected, keep learning throughout life, and protect your cardiovascular health. The nuns who fared best weren't doing anything exotic. They were teaching, reading, doing puzzles, and maintaining close relationships well into their 90s. Consistency and engagement matter more than any single intervention.