The Surprising Secret of SuperAgers

A new study on SuperAgers, what's the secret sauce?

What if scientists discovered that some eighty- and ninety-year-olds have brains that seem to be defying the usual rules of aging? Not simply holding their own, but showing biological signs of something we once thought largely belonged to much younger brains. What might these remarkable people know, or be doing, that the rest of us could learn from?

A fascinating study published in Nature in February 2026 has been stirring up considerable excitement among researchers, podcasters, and those of us who would very much like to keep our wits about us as we grow older. The findings concern an unusual group of people known as SuperAgers, individuals over eighty whose memories perform as well as those of people twenty or thirty years younger. Scientists have been studying them for decades, searching for clues to their extraordinary mental resilience.

Naturally, we want to know their secret. Do they exercise every morning, eat mountains of blueberries, solve crossword puzzles, or possess some genetic advantage unavailable to the rest of us? Perhaps they meditate, avoid stress, or have discovered a particularly effective way to keep their brains challenged. Researchers have explored many possibilities, but the answers haven't been nearly as straightforward as we might expect.

In fact, one of the surprises of the Northwestern University SuperAging research is how different these remarkable people are from one another. Some follow exceptionally healthy lifestyles. Others smoke, drink, avoid exercise, or enjoy diets that would make a nutritionist cringe. They don't all share a particular educational background, personality, or set of daily habits. Whatever is protecting their memories, it doesn't appear to be one simple lifestyle formula.

But the newest research has uncovered something particularly intriguing inside their brains.

Scientists examined donated brain tissue from several groups, including six SuperAgers, cognitively healthy older adults, younger adults, and people with Alzheimer's disease. They focused on the hippocampus, a small region deep within the brain that plays an essential role in learning and memory. What they found challenges some longstanding assumptions about what happens to our brains as we age.

For much of the twentieth century, scientists believed that we were born with essentially all the neurons we would ever have. We might form new connections between them, but the production of new brain cells was thought to be largely confined to early life. The adult brain, particularly the aging brain, was viewed as a structure gradually losing cells and capabilities.

That picture has been changing. The new study found evidence of immature neurons and distinctive molecular signatures associated with the development of new brain cells in the hippocampi of SuperAgers. In some comparisons, these remarkable older adults had substantially more immature neurons than other older people. One analysis reported a difference of approximately two and a half times.

We can grow new brain cells even in the hippocampus

Imagine that! While we've been worrying about losing brain cells, scientists are finding evidence suggesting that some aging brains may retain more capacity for renewal than we once thought possible. The findings don't prove how quickly new neurons are being produced, but they offer exciting clues about the biological resilience of the aging brain.

Now comes the question that has captured the attention of podcasters and researchers alike. What might help explain why some older people have such extraordinarily resilient brains?

Here's where the story takes an unexpected turn.

In an earlier Northwestern study, researchers compared 31 SuperAgers with 19 cognitively typical older adults. They examined several aspects of psychological well-being, including purpose in life, personal growth, self-acceptance, and relationships with others. Most of the measures showed no significant differences between the groups.

But one stood out.

The SuperAgers reported significantly more positive, satisfying relationships with other people.

Not necessarily more friends, bigger social networks, or busier calendars. What distinguished them was the quality of their connections.

Suddenly, those ordinary conversations over coffee, shared meals, volunteer projects, and friendships we've cultivated over the years begin to look a little more interesting. Could something as enjoyable as meaningful human connection be related to the remarkable resilience researchers are finding in some aging brains?

Perhaps. But before we start claiming that friendship grows new neurons, there's an important distinction to make. The February 2026 Nature study didn't measure socializing, and the earlier Northwestern research didn't measure neuron growth.

Some podcasters have combined the findings and claimed that socializing increases neurogenesis by two and a half times. That's an exciting idea, but the science hasn't precisely demonstrated that to my satisfaction.

What we do have is a fascinating biological discovery, an intriguing clue from research on SuperAgers, and a growing body of evidence connecting meaningful social relationships with healthier cognitive aging.

Large observational studies have found that people who remain socially engaged tend to experience less cognitive decline and have a lower risk of developing dementia. And I will add here that when I think of the Superagers I have known, this is true.

Loneliness and social isolation, on the other hand, are associated with increased risk. These studies can't establish that socializing alone prevents dementia, but they give us good reasons to take our relationships seriously.

Think about what happens during a good conversation. We listen, we try to remember names and stories, interpret facial expressions, consider different perspectives, search for words, and respond to unexpected ideas. Sometimes we laugh until our sides hurt.

Sometimes we disagree and have to rethink our assumptions. Sometimes someone tells us a story that changes the way we see the world. All of this engages memory, attention, emotion, and imagination. Perhaps our brains appreciate a good friendship as much as our hearts do.

Relationships can also help us manage stress, encourage us to stay physically active, and give us reasons to keep learning. A friend might persuade us to take a walk, try something unfamiliar, attend a concert, or join a discussion. And when life becomes difficult, having someone who listens and cares can make an enormous difference.

Relationships can help us stay engaged and active

I think about the people who gather for exercise classes, community meals, church activities, volunteer projects, and discussion groups. We usually describe these activities by their obvious benefits: building strength, feeding people, learning something new, or helping our neighbors. But something else happens along the way.

People try to remember one another's names, exchange stories, laugh together, notice when someone is missing, and develop friendships. I sometimes wonder whether the conversations before and after an activity might be nearly as valuable as the activity itself.

There's also encouraging news for those who aren't naturally outgoing. The research doesn't suggest that we all need enormous social networks or crowded calendars. A few close friends, a meaningful group, or regular contact with people who make us feel valued may offer something more important than a hundred casual acquaintances. The quality of our relationships may matter more than the quantity.

Of course, maintaining relationships isn't always easy, particularly as we grow older. Both John and I have commented on the loss of friends and friendships. Friends move away or die, spouses become ill, hearing difficulties complicate conversations, and transportation can become a challenge.

Some people are naturally more comfortable with solitude. We shouldn't turn this research into another reason to feel guilty about how we're aging. The goal isn't to socialize ourselves into exhaustion, but to find connections that bring enjoyment, curiosity, and meaning into our lives.

Somewhat accidentally it seems that John and I have had an unusual number of people offering opportunities to connect. We have put ourselves in bed exhausted as little kids.

So here's an experiment for the coming month...which do tend to offer more opportunities to see friends and family.

First, reconnect with someone whose company you enjoy but haven't seen recently.

Second, combine socializing with another activity that challenges your brain or body. John got four cribbage boards for his birthday and we have been using them almost everynight. I really think, the chatting and head scratching around the game are birthing some of those baby neurons.

combine socializing with a brain or body challenging activity

Take a walk with a friend, learn something new together, join a discussion group, or volunteer for a cause you care about.

Third, look for someone who might be missing the connections you enjoy. Invite that person for coffee, offer a ride, or make room at your table. Notice how these experiences affect your mood, energy, curiosity, and sense of belonging.

I find the new SuperAger research enormously encouraging, not because it offers a magic formula for preventing dementia or promises that friendship will grow new brain cells, but because it challenges an old assumption that mental decline is simply an unavoidable part of growing older. Our brains may be more resilient and adaptable than we once believed, and researchers are beginning to uncover some of the biological reasons why.

Perhaps future studies will discover exactly how relationships influence the aging brain. Perhaps scientists will find ways to encourage the biological processes that help SuperAgers maintain their extraordinary memories. For now, we have something both simpler and immediately available: opportunities to enjoy one another, keep learning, and participate in the world around us.

And even if a wonderful afternoon with friends doesn't produce a single new neuron, it may still produce something equally precious—a good memory, a new understanding, or a little more joy in being alive.

What if one of the most exciting possibilities of growing older isn't simply preserving the brains we have, but discovering how much life, learning, and connection they may still have ahead of them?

How might we journey together to The Good Life by building some budding neurons with some buddies?

We hiked up to Hidden Lake yesterday. Some cabin neighbors jumped in and snapped this pic of John and me.

Lake Wenatchee cabin friends hiked with us to Hidden Lake yesterday. Then snapped this shot.

John turned 82 in October. He played cribbage in his early years. He's trying to wake up those cribbage neurons in our games together. I took this pic of him at the Lake Wenatchee cabin yesterday.

Apologies to those of you who have bought my recent books on Amazon. When I have received my author copies, I see many errors and am trying desperately to correct them. Bear with me. Working with Amazon is a new thing for me.