Sanjay Gupta: The octopus is a great reminder about how to keep your brain sharp

From Dr. Sanjay Gupta:

The animal world is always so fascinating: how similar they are to humans and what we can learn from them. An interesting study this week found that, like us, octopuses also have dominant arms and favor them for specific tasks.  

Handedness in humans is dependent on many factors. Environment is part of it, but so is genetics. Studies have found that as many as 40 genes may contribute to which hand you prefer.

It’s easy for all of us to become accustomed to our dominant hand, but remember that your nondominant hand can hold the key to keeping your brain sharp.

Staying mentally challenged is vital for our overall health. Studies have found that someone who retires at age 65 has about a 15% lower risk of dementia than someone retiring at 60, even after other factors are taken into account. One of the best ways to keep yourself challenged is to use your nondominant hand in daily tasks. It can help build new neural pathways and keep your brain sharp.

If you’re a righty, try brushing your teeth, eating or even using your computer mouse with your left hand.

Perhaps one of the reasons octopuses are so smart is because, despite their favoring of certain hands, they’re also trying to keep sharp and challenge themselves between eight arms!

Dr. Sanjay Gupta brings unparalleled credibility, experience, and clarity to the stage as one of the world’s most trusted voices in health and medicine. As CNN’s chief medical correspondent and a practicing neurosurgeon, he has reported on every major health crisis of the last two decades—from the frontlines of natural disasters and war zones to the global Covid-19 pandemic.

Event audiences benefit not only from his deep medical expertise, but also his unique ability to communicate complex topics with clarity, empathy, and relevance. Whether discussing brain health, crisis response, or the intersection of media and medicine, Dr. Gupta delivers insights that are timely, actionable, and deeply resonant for groups of all kinds. To host him for a speaking engagement, contact WWSG.