Reading doesn’t just improve your mind; it can improve your health as well.

A host of scientific studies have found that reading has many beneficial effects on our health and well-being.

A research project conducted by Mindlab University at the University of Sussex found that reading beat out other activities for stress reductions.

The study tested a multitude of activities, such as listening to music or having a cup of coffee, and found that reading worked best, reducing stress levels by 68 percent. Reducing stress is an important key to good health.

Reading also gives a boost to memory and may protect against cognitive decline as we age. Reading can be an intense activity for the brain calling upon vision, language, concentration, imagination, and associative learning.

Researchers at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago found that engaging in activities that stimulate the brain throughout life builds up a “cognitive reserve” that will help protect against late-life decline in brain activity.

The Center for Occupational and Environmental Neurology in Baltimore did research on workers exposed to lead. Lead commonly causes neurological problems, but those workers who were good readers were found to be in better health than their fellow employees.

Keeping the brain active, through activities like reading, may build up a cognitive reserve that shields you from brain injury and impairment.

Those who read, especially those who read literary fiction, may be more empathetic. A study done by Erasmus University Rotterdam found that those who were really absorbed by a fiction novel showed an increase of empathy compared to those who read non-fiction.

Another study at the University of Buffalo found that readers who really identified with characters from a fiction story actually got the same mood boosting benefits of real-life social connections. Increased empathy and feelings of belonging can make people feel happier and thus lead to better health outcomes.

For the month of January, Lake County Library at 1425 N. High St. in Lakeport is highlighting new books in their health collection with a special display.

So stop by the local library and pick up a book – it just might be better than an apple at keeping the doctor away!

The library is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and open late on Wednesday night, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

You can call the library at 707-263-8817 for more details.

Christopher Veach is the county librarian for Lake County, Calif.