Mastering foreign languages is not only useful for expanding the network or adding expertise to work. This ability is also beneficial for health, especially in brain organs.
Recent research published in Nature Aging on November 10, shows that multilinguals are likely to experience signs of accelerating biological aging including the brain, compared to those who speak only one language.
"We are responding to one of the most persistent gaps in aging research, namely whether multilinguals can actually delay aging," said co-author of study and neuroscientist Agustin Ibanez, quoted from Nature, on Thursday, November 13, 2025.
The study was conducted involving more than 80,000 people aged 51-90 years, in more than 27 countries in Europe. The results show that the more foreign languages are mastered, the longer biological aging is delayed.
This can happen because in multilingual terms, it will train continuously various systems in the body. Thus, brain tissue will continue to be trained and strengthen, despite age.
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"Talking in some languages continuously trains various systems. This forces us to regulate attention, withstand disturbances, and move among linguistic rules, all of which strengthen tissue in the brain that tends to weaken with age," he explained.
Previous research also showed that speaking in several languages can improve cognitive functions, such as memory and attention, which improve brain health as people age.
Thus, Ibanez hopes that her research can encourage the application of wider multilingual education for people of all ages. Not only for health benefits, but also for a person.
"At school, encouraging language exposure from an early age and sustainably can build cognitive and long-term emotional resilience," said Ibanez.
"In adult education and community programs, supporting bilingualism can encourage inclusion, creativity and well-being," he concluded.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
