Health
Watching game shows like 'Jeopardy!' and 'Wheel of Fortune' can boost cognitive health, say experts
After summer reruns, game shows will be airing fresh episodes of your favorites this month.
Whether it’s watching participants “come on down” on “The Price Is Right,” solving word puzzles on “Wheel of Fortune” with new show host Ryan Seacrest, or proving your trivia smarts against friends and family on “Jeopardy!” — the benefits you’re reaping can go beyond entertainment.
Game shows can boost your problem-solving skills, improve memory and strengthen your mind, according to experts.
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Here’s more about why watching game shows is truly more than just fun and games.
How do game shows boost mind health?
You may not realize it, but when you interact with the game shows you’re watching, your mind is actually processing information and working.
Ken Jennings is shown hosting “Jeopardy!” He took over in Dec. 2023 as permanent main host. He holds the record for the longest winning streak on “Jeopardy!” with 74 consecutive wins. (Eric McCandless/ABC via Getty Images)
“Game shows have a number of cognitively stimulating features that could provide cognitive benefits,” said Glen R. Finney, M.D., FAAN, a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology.
He is also director of the Memory and Cognition Program with Geisinger Health in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
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He noted that game shows often require contestants and those playing along at home to pay close attention, to quickly process information provided for the game, and to either problem-solve or recall knowledge, or both, to answer the game show task.
Game shows often require contestants and those playing along at home to pay close attention and to quickly process information provided for the game.
“This engages numerous networks in the brain in an engaging and enjoyable way, which also enhances learning,” added Finney.
Vanna White and Ryan Seacrest attend the WOF S42 – Pier Wheel Launch at Santa Monica Pier on Aug. 30, 2024 in Santa Monica, California. (Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for CBS Media Ventures / Sony Pictures Television)
“We know that engaging in regular cognitive activities like this that challenge you can boost mental acuity.”
Can game shows boost memory acuity?
Watching game shows may help access previous information you’ve previously learned, in the case of shows like “Jeopardy!”
“As we age, we actually tend to hold onto the long-term semantic memory or memory for general knowledge that we previously learned,” said Ashley Curtis, PhD, assistant professor and director of the Cognition, Aging, Sleep and Health Lab at the College of Nursing at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida.
“What we start to lose as we age is the ability to access this information quickly,” she said.
“What game shows like ‘Jeopardy!’ can do is to train and improve the ability to access this stored memory information more quickly, which could prove beneficial in everyday life.” (iStock)
“What game shows like ‘Jeopardy!’ can do is to train and improve the ability to access this stored memory information more quickly, which could prove beneficial in everyday life, particularly for older adults.”
How can game shows help overall mood?
There’s also some evidence showing that playing along with these types of game shows can improve cognitive and social engagement, which is known to be associated with better overall mental health, said Curtis.
You can watch with friends and family, or can connect via a webchat while playing.
“The virtual and potentially in-person shared social interactions and engagement that occur while playing along with these types of game shows have been associated with better psychological well-being.” (iStock)
And, if you live in a place where others reside, such as a residential facility for older adults, shared interactions can also prove beneficial to your cognitive health.
“Yes, the virtual and potentially in-person shared social interactions and engagement that occur while playing along with these types of game shows have been associated with better psychological well-being,” Curtis told Fox News Digital.
What about intergenerational benefits?
If you’re a grandparent who plays game shows with your grandchildren, or a family who watches game shows together, Curtis noted that “there is some emerging evidence showing that intergenerational engagement, which could potentially be achieved through shared TV game play, may lead to several important benefits for both older and younger individuals.”
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This includes, said Curtis, “reductions in anxiety and general loneliness, increased self-esteem and even increased physical activity levels.”
Although she noted there’s limited research regarding the cognitive benefits of these intergenerational interactions, she said that “some emerging evidence suggests this activity can also provide some improvement to more complex cognitive functions.”
“Research shows that active, rather than passive, mental activity is most beneficial for our overall health.” (iStock)
“More rigorous research needs to be conducted in this area to conclusively determine the range of these benefits,” she said.
What can you do to augment your game-show interest?
If you see a topic on “Jeopardy!” that interests you — such as American literature — or are intrigued by a trip to Italy in the “Showcase Showdown” on “The Price Is Right,” consider diving deeper into that subject or destination.
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Find a classic book to read, research Italian recipes — or learn about the culture in new places.
“Keeping both your brain and body active is beneficial to our mental and physical health as we age.”
“Research shows that active, rather than passive, mental activity is most beneficial for our overall health,” Curtis told Fox News Digital.
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“So, keeping both your brain and body active is beneficial to our mental and physical health as we age.”
And, if traveling to new places you see on TV game shows is within your budget, plan that, too.
“Although the research in this area is still inconclusive, there is some emerging evidence suggesting that in older adults (aged 65 and up), increased levels of leisure travel can promote better cognitive functioning and decrease the risk of developing dementia as well as depression,” she also said.
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An accidental lab discovery has opened the door to entirely new ways of preventing the flu.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells, SWNS reported.
By targeting the specific molecules the viruses rely on, scientists found that they could block them from entering new cells and halt their replication altogether.
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Researchers say these “fundamental insights” into seasonal influenza highlight a clear path toward developing better preventive medications.
“The hope is that fundamental, curiosity-based research like this helps to pave the way for novel strategies to treat and prevent influenza infections,” principal investigator Dr. Emily Bruce, from the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine, said in the SWNS report.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells. (iStock)
While several flu strains cause illness, H1N1 and H3N2 influenza A viruses are the most common. However, current flu tests cannot differentiate between them, and clinical treatments are identical for both.
Although vaccines and antivirals are available, Bruce noted a “dire” need for better medications to stop the virus from spreading cell to xxcell.
“You don’t get sick when a virus is in one cell,” he noted. “You get sick because a virus replicates itself and goes into many more cells.”
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The study, which was published in The Journal of Virology, originally aimed to map how viral RNA segments are transported within cells to create new viral particles.
The team used H1N1 and H3N2 viruses isolated from the nasal passages of positive patients in 2022.
Clinical treatments remain identical for both primary strains of the flu virus. (iStock)
During the investigation, the team unexpectedly stumbled upon a cellular pathway that blocked the virus from entering lung cells, SWNS reported.
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The data revealed that when a specific human protein called Rab11B was depleted, H3N2 viruses failed to enter human lung cells. H1N1 viruses were completely unaffected.
Using reverse genetics, the team mapped this defect and uncovered a brand-new, H3N2-specific role for Rab11B during viral entry.
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This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way.
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“Viruses are like pirates from different countries hijacking someone’s ship,” Bruce said. “Different viruses, like different types of pirates, use different methods to get onboard.”
This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way. (iStock)
“We had previously thought that all flu viruses used the same way to get into a cell, but we discovered that this is not true,” she went on. “H1N1 and H3N2 need different proteins to get in, and if you get rid of the right protein, a specific virus can’t get in.”
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While these findings identify a critical cellular pathway for viral entry, the study was conducted using isolated cells, the researchers acknowledged.
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Further research is needed to determine whether blocking the protein is safe and effective within a live, complex human respiratory system.
Bruce and the team hope to conduct further research to determine whether this Rab11B-dependency is a fundamental property of H3N2, or if it’s a trait unique to currently circulating flu strains.
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Eating processed meat like ham, sausage and bacon may be linked to a higher risk of certain types of cancer, according to new research.
While health organizations have already confirmed that processed meat can contribute to colon cancer, this study looked closer at cancers in the upper digestive tract, where the link has historically been less clear.
To understand these connections, researchers from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), one of the world’s largest long-term nutrition and cancer cohorts, tracked the health and diets of 450,112 people across Europe for an average of 14 years.
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The study group included 131,426 men and 318,686 women, according to the study’s press release.
During the follow-up period, 876 people developed stomach cancer and 215 people developed esophageal adenocarcinoma, which is cancer of the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach.
For female participants, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk of developing the disease. (iStock)
Researchers tracked where the stomach cancers grew, separating them into the upper part of the stomach near the throat and the lower part of the stomach.
The researchers also sorted the tumors into two categories based on how the cancer cells appeared under a microscope: intestinal, which forms more organized structures, and diffuse, in which the cells are more scattered throughout the tissue.
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After adjusting for other lifestyle factors, the researchers found that for every extra 30 grams of processed meat a person ate per day, their overall risk of stomach cancer went up by 9%. Eating that same extra 30 grams a day was also linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma.
A standard single slice of regular deli-sliced ham or lunch meat averages around 28 grams, according to USDA data and nutritional tracking databases.
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken and turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach. (iStock)
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken or turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach, the researchers noted.
The study also revealed differences between men and women. For male participants, only processed meat showed a clear, statistically significant link to a higher risk of stomach cancer. For female participants, however, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk.
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These findings align with global health benchmarks, particularly those established by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.
The agency has long classified processed meat as a known human carcinogen, primarily due to its strong, well-documented links to colorectal cancer.
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However, health organizations have also consistently pointed to a potential, yet less definitive, relationship between these meats and cancers of the stomach.
Eating 30 grams of processed meat a day, or the equivalent to one slice of ham, was linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. (iStock)
Further scientific investigation is needed to confirm the findings and to account for other underlying risk factors, such as certain stomach infections, which could interact with dietary habits.
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A key limitation of the study is its reliance on self-reported diets, which can sometimes lead to inaccuracies in how participants recall their meat consumption over time, the researchers noted.
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The findings were published in the International Journal of Cancer.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers requesting comment.
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