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January 15, 2026
Nils Behrens
Speaking multiple languages keeps one's biological age measurably lower, according to top health expert Nils Behrens. A major European study shows: multilingualism acts as a training stimulus for the brain – and could be an underestimated lever for longevity.
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Longevity is often confused with blood values, supplements, and high-tech. All nice. But sometimes the key to a longer, healthier life is surprisingly banal, sitting on the shelf next to the travel guide. Vocabulary notebook. Grammar app. Language course Tuesday evening.
A recent European analysis with over 86,000 people suggests: those who speak more than one language age slower. Not just perceived. Not metaphorically. But measurably.
And no, it's not about speaking perfect Portuguese at 70. It's about regularly challenging the brain with something that demands, stimulates, and structurally changes it.
The study did not settle for the simple question of whether multilingualism is 'somehow good for the brain'. It used a complex measure: the so-called biobehavioral age delta. Simply put, it compares how old someone is according to their birth certificate and how old body and mind actually behave.
This calculation included cognitive performance, physical functions, and age-associated diseases. The result is a biological age. And that is more crucial for longevity than any candle on the birthday cake.
Positive values mean accelerated aging. Negative values mean: The body lags behind the calendar. In the best sense.
Nils Behrens is the host of the health podcast HEALTHWISE and Strategic Brand Partner of Sunday Natural. Previously, he was the face of the Lanserhof Group as Chief Marketing Officer for over 12 years.
The result is as simple as it is unromantic: Monolingual people had a significantly higher risk of accelerated aging. Those who spoke at least one additional language fared better. And with each additional language, the effect increased.
Bilingual, trilingual, polyglot – biological age responded dose-dependently. Particularly interesting: while the protection from just one foreign language decreased in older age, the effect remained stable with two or more languages. The brain seems to work not on minimum wage, but with performance bonuses.
Multilingualism is not just a nice hobby. It is a neurobiological fitness program. Each language requires constant switching, inhibiting, retrieving, contextualizing. The brain trains executive functions, attention, and cognitive flexibility – exactly those abilities that erode first with age.
You could say: Languages are strength training for the prefrontal cortex. Just without the protein shake.
The study also showed that multilingualism is not a panacea. In certain contexts, the effect dissipated. For example, among people who learned languages out of compulsion – in the context of stressful migration. Or in societies with low gender equality.
This is important. Longevity is never just an individual decision. It is always also a product of the environment. A brain learns differently when learning is freedom – and not a survival strategy.
Of course: The study does not prove causality. It shows connections. But it does so with a data basis and methodology that surpasses many previous works. No mini-sample. No focus only on those already ill. But a realistic view of healthy, aging people.
For the longevity practice, this means: We do not have to wait for the perfect intervention study to draw smart conclusions. If a behavior is repeatedly associated with better aging, has low risks, and is fun on the side – why should we ignore it?
You don't have to become polyglot. But you could start. Learn a new language. Or reactivate an old one. Not with the claim to perfection, but to stimulation.
Ten minutes a day. One conversation a week. Mistakes explicitly allowed. Your brain will thank you – quietly, but sustainably.
Longevity is not a sprint. It's a walk. And sometimes it doesn't lead to the gym, but to a Spanish café. Linguistically at least.
When we talk about healthy aging, we think of muscles, heart, metabolism. Rightly so. But the brain does not age in the shadows. It responds to use. To challenge. To diversity.
Multilingualism is not a luxury. It is cognitive care. And perhaps one of the most elegant ways to outsmart aging a little – without an ice bath.
Nils Behrens is the host of the podcast HEALTHWISE and is one of the most sought-after longevity experts in the German-speaking world. In over 350 interviews with doctors, scientists, and thought leaders, he addresses the question of how we can live longer – and above all, stay healthy longer.
On February 18, 2026, his first book on longevity will be published: "Walk to Immortality." In his free time, he is a passionate runner, triathlete, and padel player.
