The brain is comprised of nerve tissue and the skull protects it. Just about every organ system in the body relies on the brain in some way. Some of the primary brain functions include processing sensory information, releasing hormones and regulating breathing and blood pressure. Cognitive function is also a job tackled by the brain. Cognitive function encompasses many things, such as reasoning, attention, memory, language and learning. Having a high level of cognitive function simply makes like easier and more efficient.
All throughout the day you are using your brain without even realizing it for both physical and mental tasks. Every breath you take, every time you move a limb and every time you have a thought, this is the work of the signals being sent to and from your brain. Your emotions also come from your brain and scientists believe that emotions are the work of the amygdala area of the brain.
Keeping the brain healthy is something that everyone can work toward. There are several changes you can start making to help ensure greater well-being of your brain. It is a good idea to start with one and once it becomes a regular part of your day, add another and continue this until you are utilizing all 12 ways to boost your brain health.
1. Mental Stimulation
Think of mental stimulation as essentially exercising your brain. New connections between nerve cells may be stimulated when you regularly engage in mental stimulation. It might also help with the generation of new nerve cells. There are numerous activities that you might consider. Just make sure that you find them mentally stimulating. For example, you might prefer reading or doing math games. Someone else might find a word search a better choice. What is important is that you are doing these activities regularly and that you find them both enjoyable and challenging.
Putting yourself in another’s shoes is another way to become mentally stimulated while also seeing the world from different perspectives. For example, find a friend who thinks differently than you on hot topics, such as politics. Talk to them about it, but make sure that you are really listening to what they have to say. This gives you a chance to learn and you do not have to change your mind about the topic in order to benefit from the conversation.
You might also choose to learn something new. Pick up a textbook for a subject you have not yet studied or download an app to start learning a new language. Mental tasks this big tend to have a very positive impact on your overall brain health and cognitive abilities.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]2. Get Physical Exercise
Exercise is important for multiple aspects of physical health, but it can also benefit your brain. Research has shown that the size of the hippocampus of the brain may be boosted with regular aerobic exercise. This area of the brain plays an important role in learning and verbal memory. With the increase in dementia diagnoses throughout the world, this research comes at a critical time. When you exercise regularly, this may also reduce the incidence of age-related brain fog, making it easier to think more clearly and to enhance overall problem-solving ability. Physical activity might also reduce the risk of developing depression.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]3. Improve Your Diet
What you eat has a major impact on the overall health of your brain. It is ideal to avoid grains that are not 100 percent whole, trans fats, saturated fats and added sugars. Instead, fill your diet with whole grains, vegetables and fruits, fiber-rich foods and fatty fish. You also want to ensure that you are getting sufficient amounts of antioxidants to fight against the free radicals which may contribute to premature aging of the brain resulting in functional decline. You can get a wealth of antioxidants by incorporating different types of berries, leafy green vegetables and even dark chocolate into your daily diet.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]4. Improve Your Blood Pressure
When blood pressure is abnormally elevated, this can have a direct impact on total brain health. When your high blood pressure is not controlled, this can result in a weakening of the blood vessels in your brain. This could cause them to narrow, leak or rupture. It may also increase the risk of stroke by contributing to blood clots forming in the arteries that send blood to the brain. Some research suggests that those with high blood pressure are also at a higher risk of dementia. Proper diet, losing excess weight, not smoking, regular exercise and reducing stress are important methods for reducing blood pressure.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]5. Improve Your Blood Sugar
High blood sugar that is not controlled can negatively affect various parts of your body including your brain. Over time, elevated blood sugar may damage the small blood vessels that are located in the brain. The white matter in the brain can eventually become affected. Since the white matter is where the nerves communicate, this could result in issues, such as vascular dementia or vascular cognitive impairment. These problems can have a negative impact on your ability to learn, reason and even remember everyday tasks. Regular exercise, eating a healthy diet and taking any prescribed medications are important for getting blood sugar levels under control.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]6. Improve Your Cholesterol
It is a well-known fact that high cholesterol may impact cardiovascular health, but it may also cause problems with brain health. However, it is important that your cholesterol is in balance because there is good (HDL) and bad (LDL) and about 25 percent of the total cholesterol in the body is located in the brain. Around midlife, those with high bad cholesterol levels are believed to be at a higher risk for dementia. When bad cholesterol is high it can also cause the artery walls to thicken, compromising the brain’s blood supply. This could also contribute to a higher risk of stroke. Quitting smoking, exercising regularly and a healthy diet can aid with cholesterol levels.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]7. Consider Low Dose Aspirin
Low-dose aspirin is often recommended for cardiovascular health, but some research suggests it could also be beneficial for brain health. The dosage range that is typically recommended ranges from 75 to 160 milligrams per day. One study looked at approximately 700 patients older than age 70. After five years, those taking the low-dose aspirin daily tested better on cognitive tests compared to those in the study that did not take any aspirin. Since aspirin works as an anti-inflammatory and cognitive decline is partly associated with inflammation, it is believed that the inflammation-lowering effects are what might help to boost cognitive function.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]8. Avoid Tobacco
Tobacco is generally mixed with over 4,000 chemicals that can have various negative effects on the body. It is a major risk factor for cardiovascular issues, pulmonary problems and a wealth of cancers, but it might also negatively impact overall brain health. Some research has explored long-term tobacco use and how this could potentially cause issues with memory and learning. It may impair both prospective and working memory, making it harder to keep up with daily tasks, such as remembering appointments. You can talk to your doctor about getting help with quitting smoking. There are many options available to make the process a bit easier than just going cold turkey.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]9. Don’t Abuse Alcohol
Light alcohol consumption is generally not considered to be bad. However, chronic or heavy drinking could contribute to numerous health issues. It is important to remember that alcohol depresses your central nervous system which is the system your brain is a part of. Frequent use of this substance may cause detectable memory impairments and even periods where you “black out” and cannot remember anything from that period of time. Other possible consequences of alcohol abuse on the brain and mental health could include a higher risk of depression and suicidal ideation, difficulty learning new things, antisocial behavior, frequent irritability, confusion and a heightened risk of developing an addiction.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]10. Care for Your Emotions
Your mood and emotions are largely underpinned by the limbic system in the brain which includes the hypothalamus, amygdala and hippocampus. This area of the brain also essentially joins together your emotions and their physical manifestations. For example, when you are anxious, you might experience physical symptoms, such as sweating and increased heart rate. Keeping your emotions controlled is imperative for total body health. There are several things you can do to enhance your emotional well-being, such as growing your social circle, regular exercise, gaining knowledge, alleviating your stress, eating a healthy diet, developing a new passion and enhancing your confidence.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]11. Protect Your Head
Head injuries can have devastating consequences on the total health of your brain, so protecting your head is imperative to promote better brain health. There are several different head injuries a person might sustain when playing sports, getting into a car accident or simply tripping and falling. These may include a hematoma, concussion or a skull fracture. Head injuries can have long-lasting effects in some cases, such as cognitive impairment, emotional problems, abnormal language or speech and loss of thinking ability. Protecting your head should be a priority and one of the easiest ways to do this is to wear a helmet when riding a bike or motorcycle, or when you are playing contact sports. Other protective ideas include reducing your fall risk by keeping your home well lit and free from things you might trip over, removing ice and snow from walkways and wearing your seatbelt when you are in a vehicle.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]12. Build Social Networks
Socializing and regularly interacting with people is necessary for optimal emotional and mental health. Research shows that those who have strong social networks and connections tend to experience reduced rates of depression and enhanced feelings of overall well-being. There is some evidence that this could also reduce your risk of dementia. Socializing allows people to better retain their cognitive skills too. How you socialize is ultimately up to you. For example, you might prefer talking on the phone or even online with friends, while others might prefer face-to-face interaction. What is important is that you do not allow yourself to become socially isolated.
