Three Ways to aid Brain Health
Caring for Your Brain
The brain is an organ, and just like the rest of the body, it is also made up of cells, which go by the name of Neurons. Neurons connect with each other, making complicated circuits and sending messages within and outside the brain to ensure proper functioning.
How can we as individuals care for our brain? Here are some simple ways to do just that:
Learning
As children, we learn every day at school, at home, and even while playing with friends (after all, learning a new game also counts as learning). But as we grow older, the focus shifts from learning to providing. We tend to lose interest in the act of learning as we are too busy with caring for others and work. But it is at this point that we must be especially careful with our physical and mental health. And this includes our brain health.
Learning a musical instrument, a new language, or even developing a hobby such as knitting, stitching, or painting are surefire ways to help the brain. Another example would be learning a new subject that you are not originally comfortable with.
The physical changes that the brain undergoes when learning something new are what is known as brain plasticity, or neuroplasticity. When we fill our brain with new information, new learning, we force the neurons to become more active and have them focus on things that they aren’t used to. The neurons extend themselves and make new circuits in the brain to accommodate this new learning. Practice, environment, and motivation are at the core of memory formation and skill acquisition.
Diet
We all know very well how fast foods, deep-fried items, and salted items can cause cholesterol. This can lead to blockages in the blood vessels, leading to a heart attack or stroke.
But did you know it also hampers brain function as well? High-fat, high-calorie foods tend to activate pleasure centers or reward circuits of the brain. This makes us veer away from low-fat foods because they do not activate the reward centers in the same way. This leads to increased chances of developing eating disorders, obesity, and addiction to opioids. There is also evidence linking fatty foods with an increased risk of Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Poor nutrition can also impair memory, concentration, and decision-making abilities.
The good news is it is easy to prevent this from happening. Avoid fast food, foods with saturated fats, and trans fats. Include leafy vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Find ways to add healthy fats such as DHA Omega-3 and vitamin B complex to your daily diet. These dietary changes combined with other methods in this article have proven to halt the progression and even reverse Dementia risk, reduce aggression, and improve mood and alertness.
Exercise
We have heard several accounts of why exercise is good for health. Let’s delve a little deeper into how it helps the brain.
- Neurogenesis: Exercise stimulates the birth of new neurons in the hippocampus, a region vital for memory processes.
- Synaptogenesis: It promotes the formation of new connections (synapses) between neurons, enhancing brain plasticity and our ability to think on our feet and adapt to change.
- Neurotrophic Factors: Exercise increases the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein essential for neuronal survival, growth, and differentiation. Neurotrophic factor is like a special kind of fertilizer for your brain cells. Imagine your brain cells are plants. Neurotrophic factors are the nutrients that help these brain cells grow, stay healthy, and even create new branches (connections).
The hippocampus in the brain is responsible for forming long-term memories and storing them. It is this region of the brain that continues to produce new neurons throughout life. Exercise boosts the creation of new neurons in this region and helps us remember better.
Research has shown that exercise even helps reverse brain aging and reduce the risk of Dementia. It also improves focus and concentration along with improving mood and relieving feelings of anxiety by releasing neurotransmitters such as dopamine and norepinephrine. As little as 30-45 minutes of daily exercise, including brisk walking, swimming, or resistance training, can create a positive impact on the brain.
