ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — You probably already know that it’s important to build and maintain muscle, but there may be additional benefits even beyond our physical health. Dementia risk

At what age do we naturally start losing muscle? It’s actually as early as age 30. That’s when we begin shedding up to 5% of our muscle mass each decade, according to Harvard Health. By age 80, 50% of adults have a condition called sarcopenia, defined as the gradual loss of muscle mass and strength due to aging.

“I knew that I needed to exercise but just never took the time to do it,” said Joyce Jackson.

But losing strength doesn’t only make older adults more prone to falls and fractures. A new Johns Hopkins study finds it can also put them at increased risk for dementia. Studying MRI scans, researchers found older adults with smaller skeletal muscles were 60% more likely to develop the brain disorder. They paid particular attention to the temporalis muscle located on the sides of the head. The new study indicates those individuals are also likely to perform lower than their counterparts on cognitive and memory tests. So, what can you do to help save your muscles?

“That’s about 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity a week,” said Kristen Beavers, research professor at Wake Forest University.

And at least two days of weightlifting activities that strengthen muscles.

“Thinking about exercise as a countermeasure to muscle and bone loss as an older adult loses weight, I think is very important,” Beavers told Ivanhoe.

It certainly convinced Joyce.

“I made it my goal to do it at least 3 times a week,” she said.

The experts add that consuming enough protein as well as adequate amounts of Vitamin D, calcium, and other healthy minerals may help prevent and treat muscle mass loss.

A co-author of that Johns Hopkins study adds that radiologists can analyze the muscle changes in their patients through most conventional brain MRI machines, saying it can lead to early detection and interventions to help older adults prevent or slow muscle loss.

Contributors to this news report include: Shernay Williams, Producer; Chuck Bennethum, Editor.