Is Language the Ultimate Anti-Aging? Study Finds Multilingual Speakers Have Half the Risk of "Accelerated Aging"

"Language is an Investment in Youth"—Latest Research Shows Anti-Aging Effects of Multilingualism

"I can't learn English anymore," "It's too late for a second language now."
For those who have lamented like this, this news might be a bit painful to hear, yet somewhat exciting.

According to an international study published in Nature Aging in November 2025, people who speak multiple languages show a significantly slower progression of "biological aging" compared to those who speak only one language. The analysis involved a large dataset of 86,149 healthy adults aged 51 to 90 living in 27 European countries.Phys.org

The research team evaluated this result as "multilingualism could be a relatively easy and inexpensive way to protect brain and body health."Medical Xpress

Here, we explain how this study measured "aging," why language is so important, and what reactions are spreading on social media.

What is "BAG/BBAG" that Measures "Brain Age Gap"?

Previous studies have reported that "bilinguals may have a delayed onset of dementia," but many were small-scale studies targeting patients. Therefore, this project took an approach of gathering a large number of healthy elderly individuals and using AI to quantify the "overall aging degree of the brain and body."Phys.org

The indicator used is called "Biobehavioral Age Gap (BAG/BBAG)." In simple terms,

• physical conditions like blood pressure and diabetes

• sleep, sensory functions, exercise habits

• educational background, cognitive functions, independence in daily life

From a large amount of data like these, the AI model predicts "biologically, how old you might be based on your body and behavior patterns," and calculates the difference between the predicted age and the actual age.Medical Xpress

• If judged to be "younger" than the actual age, it results in a negative value (i.e., slower aging).

• Conversely, if judged to be "older," it results in a positive value (i.e., accelerated aging).

In this article, we will refer to it as the "overall age gap of the brain and body" for clarity.

Multilingual Speakers Have Less Than Half the Risk of "Accelerated Aging"

So, how did the number of languages relate to this "age gap"?

The research team analyzed participants by dividing them into "monolingual (1 language)," "bilingual (2 languages)," "trilingual (3 languages or more)," etc. The following trends emerged.Phys.org

• People who speak only one language are about twice as likely to show "accelerated aging" compared to multilingual speakers.

• In long-term follow-up analyses, monolinguals were about 1.4 times more likely to fall into accelerated aging in the future.

• At the national level, countries where many residents speak a second language have a lower proportion of people with accelerated aging.

More importantly, a "cumulative effect" was confirmed, where the protective effect becomes stronger as the number of languages spoken increases. It was reported that biological youthfulness tends to increase stepwise from two languages to three, and from three to four languages.Phys.org

Of course, this doesn't mean "you can stay 100% young because you're multilingual." However, it's a highly reliable result because "the effect of multilingualism remained even after statistically adjusting for other factors (education, exercise, socioeconomic background, etc.)."Medical Xpress

Why Does Language Act as "Brain Exercise"?

It's intuitive to understand that "exercise is good for health," but "why language?" might seem a bit puzzling.

Researchers explain the reasons as follows.Phys.org

1. Because "two or more OSs" are always running in parallel

   • In the brain of a multilingual speaker, even the languages not in use are activated in the background.

   • Every time they speak, they need to continuously select the necessary language while suppressing the unnecessary ones, switching between "Japanese mode" and "English mode," for example.

2. Full Activation of Attention, Memory, and Executive Functions

   • Searching for words, constructing grammar, reading the facial expressions of conversation partners...

   • Such processes involve a wide network centered on the frontal lobe, making everyday conversation itself a "brain exercise."

3. Increased Social Connections

   • Increasing the number of languages expands the communities you can connect with.

   • It's known that expanding the range of friends and activities is also associated with a reduced risk of depression and dementia.

In short, living in multiple languages seems to be like "long-term, moderately intense interval training" for various brain functions.

Reactions on Social Media: Admiration, Anxiety, and Humor

This news has become a hot topic on social media worldwide. Here, we introduce some "typical reactions" imagined from actual posts (usernames, etc., are fictional).

1. Positive Voices Resonate with Those with "English Complex"

"Maybe online English conversation is more cost-effective in the long run than gym fees.
I want to believe it's not too late even from 60...!"

"My parents quit English saying 'I'm too old,' but showing them this news might motivate them again."

Comments like "I can't keep up with exercise or diet, but maybe I can try language learning with just a smartphone" are common, and there's a shared sentiment of starting language learning for health purposes as a new motivation.

2. Posts with Light Jealousy Towards "Multilingual Elites"

"People in Europe speak about three languages by default, it's unfair.
No wonder their brains stay young..."

"Speaking three languages from childhood, it's like winning the life lottery from the start."

On Japanese timelines, voices lamenting "the difference with Europe, which is in a multilingual environment both geographically and culturally," were particularly noticeable.

3. Comments from Skeptics and Realists

"It's a correlation, not causation.
Isn't it just that smart people can speak multiple languages and also take care of their health?"

"If you force yourself to study under sleep deprivation and stress, you might age faster (lol)."

In fact, researchers also take the stance that **"they are not claiming multilingualism directly delays aging, but it's one of the strong protective factors that remain even after adjusting for other factors."**Medical Xpress

4. Real Voices from the Field

"My grandmother (in her 80s) studied French when she was young and still remembers all the songs. She's definitely sharp."

"I work at a bilingual nursery, and the kids' ability to switch languages is truly amazing.
I'm excited to see what kind of adults they'll become."

Such episodes give a "face" to the research results. They reveal the real-life experiences that statistics alone cannot show.

Impact on Japanese Society: Aging Population × Language

The background of the research includes the global acceleration of aging. According to WHO, by 2030, one in six people worldwide will be over 60.Phys.org

Japan is already a "super-aged society at the top of the world."
How to protect brain health is a major issue directly linked to medical costs and caregiving burdens.

In such a situation, the insight that "language could be a piece of the puzzle for healthy longevity" provides hints for both educational policies and services for seniors.

For example, such future scenarios could be envisioned:

• Senior fitness clubs with "English conversation + brain training" classes

• Language exchange events pairing retirees with international students at community centers

• Viewing sessions of foreign dramas and practicing simple phrases together at nursing homes

There's room to expand the concept from "English conversation classes = for young people or business persons" to "a lifelong 'brain exercise' venue."

However, there are also points to be cautious about

Because it's hopeful news, we also want to avoid misunderstandings. Let's organize some important points to note.

1. It's not a drug or treatment

   • Of course, there are multilingual speakers who develop dementia.

   • It's merely one factor that may reduce risk.

2. Overdoing it and becoming overly stressed can be counterproductive

   • Lack of sleep and excessive stress are risk factors for aging themselves.

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