A worrying decline in basic arithmetic skills among Britons has been revealed in a new study which raises broader concerns about the nation’s brain health.
And a nutrition expert has urged anyone concerned about dementia to consider adopting simple lifestyle modifications to minimise the risk.
When given five seconds to answer a series of simple questions, many respondents could not guess an answer in time.
Of the ones who did, the majority of Brits guessed incorrectly.
- 8 x 8 = 64: Fewer than half of those asked were correct (46%) whilst a third (32%) could not give an answer
- 7 x 5 = 35: 60% got this right
- 8 x 9 = 72: Just 30% nailed it, with 47% unable to hazard a guess
The research, published by M&S Food to coincide with the launches of its Brain Food range, indicates that overall men are more likely to get the answer correct across the three sums (50% vs 42% of women).
The Baby Boomer generation is most likely to have retained their multiplication skills (53% vs 45% of Gen Zs and 41% of Millennials).
Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease were the leading causes of death in 2023 in the UK – yet just one in three Brits believe it is possible to reduce their risk of developing dementia.
The study also shows that while 59% of Brits say brain health is as important as physical fitness, just 26% take steps to improve it daily.
Women (63%) and Baby Boomers (68%) are most likely to agree, as are individuals with a family history of Alzheimer’s and Dementia (62%).
Nevertheless, despite the importance placed on brain health, skincare still remains a higher priority, with 47% of Brits applying skincare daily, compared to a mere 26% actively supporting their brain health.
Commenting on the research, Kimberley Wilson, chartered psychologist and nutrition author, said: “Dementia is the condition that most adults are scared of, particularly because there is no cure and few accessible, effective treatments.
“This makes prevention our best strategy for improving dementia statistics.
“Fortunately, research shows that modifiable lifestyle factors, many of them nutrition-related, can delay or prevent nearly half (45%) of global dementia cases.
“There is a huge amount of power in our daily habits to support our long-term brain health”.
The benefits of looking after your brain are huge – from improving attention spans to preventing injury.
Wilson said: “A healthy brain can do everything from improving attention in the short term to preventing falls in later life. And though more and more people are becoming aware of the importance of brain health, we sometimes struggle to know what to do in practice.”
Small habits can make all the difference, says the expert – from eating a nutritious breakfast to going for a short walk .
With nutrition criteria built in consultation with the British Nutrition Foundation, M&S Food has launched its new ‘Brain Food’ range to help the UK support their brain health as part of a healthy balanced diet.