What if one of the simplest ways to take care of your brain is already sitting on your nightstand? A new review by researchers at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom suggests that reading for pleasure is associated with better mental health, stronger cognitive performance and a lower risk of cognitive decline and dementia later in life.

The authors looked at the perks of reading across the lifespan, reviewing findings from surveys, longitudinal studies, brain imaging research and behavioral studies. Because it would not be practical to recruit participants and assign them to read over a long time period, they have analyzed and summarized the findings of many previous studies, bringing together evidence from different populations, including more than 10,000 children and adolescents, thousands of older adults and smaller groups that were studied with brain imaging.

Reading is an accessible, relatively inexpensive activity that appears to offer benefits from childhood through old age.

The evidence they uncovered supports making reading a regular part of life. "Reading is a way to support our brain health, develop important cognitive skills and boost our wellbeing," said lead author, Barbara J. Sahakian, a professor of clinical neuropsychology in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge and a fellow of both the British Academy and the Academy of Medical Sciences, in a press release. "It's something we ought to be encouraging from an early age, given the increasing evidence of its benefits, particularly to children, but really, it's never too late to start, and it could bring benefits throughout our lives and into old age."

The review included a 2024 study of over 10,200 adolescents enrolled in an adolescent brain cognitive development study. About half had begun reading for pleasure between ages three and 10. Compared with those who had read little during early childhood, these adolescents showed better attention, memory and executive function, fewer mental health problems and healthier habits, including more sleep and less screen time. Brain scans also showed differences in regions involved in language, cognition and emotional regulation between the two groups.

The review also examined research involving older adults. One study followed nearly 5,500 cognitively healthy adults who were 55 and older for five years. It found that people who frequently participated in cognitively stimulating activities, including reading, were less likely to develop cognitive impairment.

Teens who had begun reading for pleasure between ages three and 10 showed better attention, memory, fewer mental health problems, more sleep and less screen time compared to those who had read little during childhood.

Another study of over 800 adults aged 65 and older reported that cognitively stimulating activities, including reading newspapers, magazines and books, was linked to a 33 percent lower risk of Alzheimer's disease. Another study of nearly 500 people 75 and older noted reading was associated with a 35 percent lower risk of dementia over an average of 5.1 years.

Reading may well offer social as well as cognitive benefits. The review points to research suggesting that shared reading in book clubs can reduce loneliness and increase social connection, particularly among older adults.

The authors emphasize that much of the evidence they present is observational — it shows that reading more is associated with lower rates of dementia and better mental health rather than proving that reading itself prevents these things. Survey findings also can be influenced by who chooses to participate.

Reading in book clubs can reduce loneliness and increase social connection, particularly among older adults.

That's why the researchers are calling for more experimental work to determine exactly how reading changes the brain and whether starting to read for pleasure later in adulthood can produce measurable benefits. For now, the conclusion is straightforward: Reading is an accessible, relatively inexpensive activity associated with benefits from childhood through old age.

Whether you choose a novel, newspaper, magazine, comic or graphic novel, the researchers argue that reading for enjoyment may be one simple way to keep the mind engaged.

The paper defines pleasure reading broadly, encompassing print and digital materials and stresses that format matters less than finding something genuinely engaging and enjoyable. Their message is simply: find something you enjoy and read it.

The paper is published as an editorial in Psychological Medicine.