One question that has kept coming up about the US 2024 presidential elections is the cognitive fitness of the front-running candidates. While definite statements cannot be made without proper medical diagnosis conducted by qualified medical professionals, these questions show what most people know too well.
As we age, our brains change in one form or another.
According to CDC estimates, about 7.2 million people (1.8% of the total population) in the United States have been diagnosed and are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease and other related dementias. Some of them, an estimated 200,000, are below 65. Also, another estimated 90,000 people are diagnosed with Parkinson’s every single year, which means that these diseases are not necessarily restricted to older adults only.
The risk factors for cognitive impairment are diverse — they range from genetic predisposition to diet and lifestyle choices. Smoking, substance abuse, high blood pressure, and traumatic brain injury from contact sports like boxing or football are common culprits. There are also many chronic health conditions and mental health disorders that can have an impact on your brain's health, and that can cause memory problems.
The purpose of this article is not to get into all the risk factors for mental decline.
Instead, we will discuss how to keep your brain young and hopefully slow your chances of developing Alzheimer's disease or dementia too early or even at all.
Recommended Reading: Cognitive Health and IQ: What Does Your Intelligence Say about Your Mental Fitness?
10 Tips on How to Preserve Brain Health and Brain Function
Keeping your brain young and healthy requires a blend of emotional, physical, and cognitive activities. Let's get to them:
1. Exercise Regularly
The very first thing on the list is exercise, physical exercise. Yes, it's great for your physical health, but it can also benefit your cognitive health. The direct benefits of physical exercise are a lower risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke, which are all risk factors that predispose you to Alzheimer's disease and other similar diseases.
Physical exercise also has the added benefit of stimulating the development of the neurons in your brain. They stimulate your body and keep your brain healthy as it works to coordinate the activities in your routine.
So, aim to put in between 60 and 150 minutes of physical exercise every week, depending on your activity level. You will need more exercise time if you lead a sedentary lifestyle.
2. Eat a Mediterranean Diet
Have you ever heard the phrase, “You are what you eat”? While you may think it is cliché, it is more accurate than ever. The average American’s diet is filled with junk — useless calories, unneeded fat, and insufficient nutrients. All of these can predispose one to neurodegenerative disorders. Fats, for example, could lead to cholesterol build-up, which can increase the risk of mental decline.
Rather than endless burgers and steaks, consider a Mediterranean diet instead. Expert studies have shown that a diet comprising whole grains, fish, and other plant-based foods is much better for brain health.
Can’t go full-on into this lifestyle? Then, at least work toward eating healthier a little bit each day. It’s not only good for your body and brain, but it will also help you deal with stress better.
3. Build Social Networks
The importance of extensive, healthy social networks for brain health cannot be over-emphasized. Several studies have successfully proven links between social isolation and an increased potential for cognitive impairment. Essentially, the more you keep yourself isolated, literally and mentally, the higher the chances of your brain cells getting atrophied and you losing brain function.
We all experience social networks differently; some of us have it much easier than others. This is primarily due to personality types, which impact our character. However, with concerted effort, anyone can get themselves to achieve anything. One important caveat: if your social withdrawal is accompanied by other symptoms of depression, you may need to seek professional help.
With that said, the more varied your social circles are, the more stimulating they will be, and the better for your brain health (and emotional wellness, too!).
So, actively seek out social connections with peers, friends, and family. If you are feeling lonely, take steps to make new friends. Join a book club, a gym, or a yoga studio. Participate in community activities, like charity events, fundraising, etc. If you’re religious, getting actively involved in fellowshipping with members of your religion may also be beneficial.
4. Laugh More
“Live, Laugh, Love” has recently become a subject of humor on social media. Gen Zers, increasingly frustrated about the workplace, often trade jokes about the décor on the walls of their houses growing up. Well, you know what? Maybe whoever started to make those dainty frames in the first place was onto something. That’s right.
Scientists have found links between grander instances of laughter, or a generally happy lifestyle, and a reduced risk of dementia and mental decline. So, yeah, get those “corny” posters back up on your wall if they'll help you have a good laugh now and then — it’s good for you!
5. Keep Your Blood Vessels Healthy
This is a corollary to earlier points, but it must be emphasized anyway. When your blood vessels get clogged, your blood pressure rises, and that increased pressure puts pressure on your brain, which can then accelerate the deterioration of brain cells.
So, keep your cholesterol intake within sensible limits. Also, routinely monitor your blood pressure and blood sugar to ensure they are within range and to catch any anomalies early.
6. Engage in Mental Exercises
When, for whatever reason, one doesn’t use a limb, the muscles can get wasted and impaired. Well, it also works just that way with the brain. A lack of motivation and energy can often have you going down in a brain-killing spiral. Keeping your mind active with mental exercises will stimulate the formation of new connections between your neurons and keep your brain young.
So, like you would do other muscles, find mental exercises to incorporate into your lifestyle. Combine various activities to ensure these exercises are as effective as possible.
Some activities to improve brain function include crossword puzzles, playing chess, learning new languages or skills, picking new hobbies, creating art, or just reading (especially if it's an old-fashioned book or magazine instead of a digital screen!). Meditation would also work wonders in keeping you grounded and in a state of mindfulness, and it has a significant impact on the brain!
All of these options are better for a healthy brain than just lying on the couch binging movies. Don’t get us wrong, relaxation is also good for you and can improve brain function and memory; just don’t become a total couch potato. Mix things up!
7. Protect your Head
As we mentioned earlier, contact sports are a huge risk factor for Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. Repeated incidents of traumatic brain injuries, as may be sustained in hits to the head in boxing or football, can significantly predispose one to cognitive decline later in life. Several studies have established that NFL players are 4 times as likely as the regular person to develop dementia or some other kind of neurodegenerative condition.
These risks are present in every other situation where there are risks of traumatic brain injury. Nasty falls where you hit your head falling off a bike, vehicle crashes, roughhousing, vigorous headbanging, etc.
Essentially, always take special care to protect your head. Avoid activities where there is any serious risk of suffering blows to the head. Always wear helmets, seatbelts, and other protective gear when necessary. Whenever you fear you may have suffered a traumatic brain injury, please see a doctor to ensure that it is taken care of quickly and any effects contained.
8. Care for Your Emotions
Your emotions are a huge part of your overall health. They involve all these hormones, from serotonin to oxytocin, dopamine, endorphins, etc., which affect your brain health differently. We all think that we are too mentally strong to be susceptible to these emotions, but in the end, that is rarely ever the case.
So, when you find that you are battling anxiety, exhaustion, and sadness, chances are that those emotions are also causing the release of these hormones that predispose you to cognitive decline. You need to immediately begin trying to get out of that melancholy and focus on positive emotions, probably by engaging in a healthy physical activity that makes you very happy.
So, yeah, seek fulfillment and try to keep a smile on your face.
9. Sound Sleep Helps
Another critical factor in brain health and mental function is getting a good night’s sleep. How much sleep do you get each day? Even in the short term, not getting enough sleep can have an immediate impact on mental focus, thinking skills, and short-term memory.
It is established that you need deep, long sleep often for the prevention of cognitive decline and to keep your brain young. When the brain doesn't get this as often as necessary, it may have severe effects on your brain's ability to stay healthy.
The average adult needs at least seven hours of deep, peaceful sleep per night. Try to get that in as many times as possible each week. Keep your phone far away, draw down the blinds, or use sleep masks to eliminate all distractions. Block out noise and use a comfortable bed. And if you have sleep apnea, you should consider getting a CPAP machine.
10. Be Careful with Medicines and Limit Alcohol
The abuse of medicines, either legal or illegal, is a significant predisposing factor for cognitive decline. This includes alcohol. These substances tend to interfere with your nervous system. And when you use more than a sensible amount at any given time, you increase the risk of them causing irreparable changes to your brain.
Keep Your Brain Healthy Through Self-Reflection
Dementia and other neurodegenerative disorders typically have a genetic component. However, they have also been known to arise in people with no genetic history of the diseases. Meanwhile, other people with at-risk genes have been known to lead healthy lives with the right lifestyle choices in order to help them beat the genetic lottery.
You need a healthy dose of self-reflection to discover which ones of these risk factors of dementia are in your life and how you hope to rectify them.
None of the actions we have listed here are silver bullets on their own. You need a healthy mix to keep yourself out of the red zone. Read books, pick up a new hobby, or learn a new skill, but also eat well and keep your blood sugar low. At the same, build up your resilience to help avoid getting stressed and angry at life’s ups and downs.
And don't forget to get as much sleep and physical activity as you can every day! These are probably two of the easiest habits you can start with today to help improve your brain health, even into old age
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