Ancient board game loved by Julia Roberts and Meghan Markle protects against dementia
Health experts are hailing an ancient Chinese game beloved by celebrities for its brain-boosting powers.
Mahjong roughly translates to ‘sparrow’ in Chinese, a name that may refer to the clicking sound the tiles make when shuffled, like bird chatter. It has been played for more than 150 years, since its creation in China during the mid-to-late 1800s.
It spread internationally in the 1920s after being introduced to the US, and its popularity has continued to grow worldwide. Julia Roberts and Meghan Markle have even promoted the game for keeping their minds sharp.
Numerous studies have looked at how the tile-based game, played with four people and won by the first player to form specific sets, might help stave off dementia in older adults.
One 2020 study by researchers at North Sichuan Medical University in China found that playing mahjong for 12 weeks improved the cognitive function of 65 elderly people with mild cognitive impairment, a precursor to dementia.
The study reported that scores of their executive function, which involves decision-making, planning and problem-solving, increased by an average of nine percent, and overall cognitive test scores improved by roughly five to 10 percent compared to baseline.
Dr Raj Dasgupta, an internal medicine physician, told Daily Mail that he is a big advocate of the game and ‘it is great for keeping your brain sharp.’
Mahjong, which roughly translates to ‘sparrow’ in Chinese (a name that may refer to the clicking sound the tiles make when shuffled, like bird chatter) has been played for more than 150 years, since its creation in China during the mid-to-late 1800s
He said: ‘It helps with memory, focus, and problem-solving, and because it’s usually played with others, it also helps reduce stress and boost mood.
‘Staying mentally and socially active like this can support overall brain and body health.’
Dr Dasgupta says Mahjong could be more beneficial than other games, especially ones played solo such as solitaire and sudoku, as there is a strong social aspect to it.
He added: ‘Mahjong stands out because it mixes thinking and socializing. You need to remember patterns, plan moves, and interact with others, all at the same time.
‘That combination works more parts of the brain than games you play alone.’
While the average age of mahjong players is generally middle-aged to elderly, with a mean age around the mid-70s in studies, Texas-based entrepreneur Megan Trottier is vying to popularize it among younger generations.
Her mahjong brand, Oh My Mahjong, offers travel-friendly sets weighing under three pounds and they feature colorful tiles, with intricate artwork.
Trottier told this website that studies have shown that people can benefit from mahjong from playing it around two to three times a week.
She revealed: ‘This makes sense, as it is just enough to keep your brain actively engaged, but not so much that it becomes a chore.
‘That said, even once a week, if it’s consistent and you’re really mentally present when you play, can make a difference.’
Although Trottier’s luxury mahjong sets start at around $300, the game itself can be found for as little as $20, which health experts say make it accessible to most people.
Meghan Markle, 44, (left) shared in her Netflix series that she and her friends have recently started playing the game together. Meanwhile, Julia Roberts stated in a 2018 interview that playing mahjong with her friends helped her relax and calm down
Markle shared this photo of her playing mahjong with friends to her Instagram stories
In 2018, Roberts shared a photo of her playing mahjong with niece Emma Roberts to Instagram, with the caption reading ‘she won’
Dr Castel Santana, a board-certified family medicine doctor, told the Daily Mail that while most studies around the cognitive boosting benefits of mahjong have focused on older populations, he says younger generations could also benefit.
He explained: ‘The bulk of the evidence is in older adults, often aged 65 and over.
‘That suggests older adults, especially those at risk of cognitive decline, social isolation or inactivity, could derive significant benefit.
‘However, it is plausible younger adults could also benefit both cognitively and socially from mahjong, though direct scientific evidence is lacking.’
Scientific evidence now confirms that dementia doesn’t suddenly appear later in life; its underlying processes often begin 20 to 30 years before diagnosis.
Trottier said many of her customers are also younger than the archetypical mahjong player, and this makes her hopeful of it catching on.
She added: ‘There’s a whole new wave of younger players discovering Mahjong, and I think it’s partly because they’re craving more offline connection.’
While the average age of mahjong players is generally middle-aged to elderly, with a mean age around the mid-70s in studies, Texas-based entrepreneur Megan Trottier is vying to popularize it among younger generations
Trottier’s mahjong brand, Oh My Mahjong, offers travel-friendly sets weighing under 3lbs and they feature colorful tiles, with intricate art work
Mahjong recently gained renewed attention after Meghan Markle shared in her Netflix series With Love, Meghan that she and her friends have started playing the game together.
The 44-year-old said in one episode: ‘[My girlfriends and I] play a version called American mahjong.
‘What I’ve come to really love about mahjong is that the game itself is really fun, but what was so great was the idea of learning something new with your friends together.’
Meanwhile, Julia Roberts stated in a 2018 interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert that playing mahjong with her friends helped her relax and calm down.
She described the game as a metaphor for life, explaining it as a process of ‘creating order out of chaos’ by transforming randomly drawn tiles into something meaningful.
