Mix 94.1 Health Tip of the Day: TV Watching Linked To Dementia?

It has always been an important part of our lives. Our televisions. We bond over our favorite shows.

We Netflix, we watch sports, reality television even. The amounts of TV we watch can add up quickly. How bad is television watching on us?

Well there was a new study bu the University College London and it has reveled some bad news. Watching more that 3 and a half hours of television per day may increase the risk of dementia.

That is not all they discovered.

Did you know that couch potatoes face an increased risk of dementia just because they do not participate in activities that boost the brain. Like reading and cross word puzzles.

Another frightening outcome is that participants in a study who watched more that 3.5 hours of TV per day also saw a 10% reduction in their "verbal memory" over a six-year period.

If they watched less that the 3 and a half hours they only say a 5% reduction of their "verbal memory" over that same six-year period.

So if you want to watch your television but also not mess with your rate of developing dementia there are steps you can take. It will really help your brain to balance that TV watching with other activities that help your brain out. Pick up a book, a newspaper or even listening to music.

All of those activities are good for the brain. They make you think. They give you something more to do than just brainlessly staring at the screen. There is still hope. Just use your brain more!