Susana Vallejo, writer: “To keep your brain younger, it is recommended to read fiction.”

Reading can be an effective tool for maintaining brain health as we age . While science explores new avenues to delay cognitive decline, some accessible and accessible strategies are gaining traction among experts. The key, however, isn't in informational or scientific texts, as many believe.

Writer Susana Vallejo , author of the Porta Coeli tetralogy, has shared a research-backed recommendation on her TikTok channel that has even surprised her. “You ask me a lot about what you should read,” she says at the beginning of the video, before detailing the kinds of readings that most benefit the brain over time.

Why fiction is good for the brain

“ It's recommended to read fiction ,” explains Vallejo, who emphasizes that she doesn't mean essays, scientific articles, or technical texts. “Fiction is novels, it's stories,” she clarifies. According to the writer, this type of reading activates areas of the brain linked to empathy and planning , two fundamental abilities in everyday and social life.

“It seems to develop empathy in the sense that you see what happens to the characters, you imagine it, and you feel it with them,” he says. Added to this is an additional benefit: “You anticipate what might or might not happen to a character… you're thinking about what might happen to each one, and that's also good for your brain.”

Vallejo points out that any type of reading is beneficial for the brain , whether it be essays, newspapers, or magazines, but concludes that “ novels are the best ” due to their ability to stimulate key cognitive functions.