One common habit found in people with the youngest-looking brain, finds research. It's not exercise or trendy diets

Keeping the brain healthy has become a growing focus as people live longer and cases of age-related cognitive decline continue to rise. While regular exercise, good sleep and a healthy diet are often recommended for brain health, researchers now say another everyday habit may also make a difference. A new study has found that people who speak two or more languages appear to have younger-looking brains than those who speak only one, suggesting multilingualism could help slow brain ageing.

The findings were presented at the 2026 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) Forum in Barcelona. Researchers say the study adds to growing evidence that speaking multiple languages may help keep the brain functioning well as people age, although they caution that more research is needed.

Speaking more than one language linked to younger brains

The study was led by researchers from Spain, Chile, Argentina and Ireland. They analysed brain activity from 728 people living in Spain's Basque region, where multilingualism is common. Participants spoke between one and four languages, including Spanish, Basque, French and English.


Scientists used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to record brain activity. They then used artificial intelligence to analyse patterns of brain connectivity and estimate each participant's "brain age" based on how their brain function compared with what is normally expected at different ages.

The results showed a clear pattern. People who spoke two languages had brains that appeared around six years younger than those who spoke only one language. Those who spoke three languages had brains that looked about seven years younger, while participants speaking four languages had brains that appeared roughly 13 years younger.

Learning earlier and becoming fluent mattered too

The researchers found that the benefits were not only linked to the number of languages someone spoke. People who learned a second language earlier in life and became highly fluent appeared to experience even greater protection against brain ageing.

Dr Lucia Amoruso from the Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language said, “In simple terms, people who spoke more languages tended to have brains that looked younger than expected for their chronological age. The effect was not only related to the number of languages spoken. Higher language proficiency and earlier acquisition of a second language were also associated with more delayed brain ageing. This suggests that multilingual experience matters as a gradient: it is not simply about being bilingual or not, but about the depth and duration of language experience.”

Experts say adults can still benefit

Commenting on the findings, neuroscientist, performance consultant and author Dr Tommy Wood, who was not involved in the study, said the results support previous research suggesting multilingualism may help protect cognitive function later in life.

“Most of the evidence for the benefit of learning multiple languages comes from individuals who grew up bilingual or learned multiple languages in childhood,” Wood told Fox News Digital.

However, he said adults should not think it is too late to start.

“There’s no clear cutoff in age where learning a second language would no longer be beneficial,” Wood said.

He pointed to several randomised controlled trials involving older adults that found improvements in attention, working memory and executive function after just a few months of learning another language.

Wood also said language learning offers benefits beyond memory and thinking skills. It encourages people to stay socially active while helping the brain process and adapt to new information more effectively.

Encouraging adults not to fear making mistakes, he said, “It’s also important to lean into the process of being a beginner.”

He added, “Making mistakes is one of the biggest drivers of neuroplasticity and learning. If you do choose to learn a new language, get stuck in, challenge yourself and embrace the occasional failure. You’ll actually learn faster as a result.”

Researchers say more studies are needed

The researchers adjusted their findings for factors such as age, sex and education. Even so, they acknowledged they could not completely rule out the influence of other factors, including lifestyle habits and social engagement, which may also affect brain health.

Responding to the findings, Prof Christina Dalla, a neuroscientist at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, said, “This study suggests that learning a second, third or fourth language could help our brains to stay younger for longer, and the earlier we start, the better. There are many good reasons for learning another language at any age – social, cultural and for the health of your brain – so we should support language-learning at school and throughout life, even if it’s hard.”

At the same time, Prof Eef Hogervorst, professor of biological psychology at Loughborough University, urged caution while interpreting the results. She said that although multilingualism appears to be linked with better brain resilience, it is possible that people who speak several languages also tend to follow healthier lifestyles or take part in other brain-friendly activities, such as reading, lifelong learning and playing musical instruments. Those factors, she noted, could also contribute to healthier brain ageing.