June is Alzheimer’s Disease and Brain Awareness Month.
Did you know that the human brain weighs 3 pounds?
If that seems a little too easy for everything your brain is doing – we feel you. Three pounds is a toaster or a bag of apples. But every day, your 3-pound brain organ works to regulate senses, emotions, thoughts, memories, movement, behavior and more.
Your brain is home to an incredible 86 billion neurons that help make everything possible. These neurons also make connections between each other to increase storage in your brain, allowing you to learn and remember important things like the name of Taylor Swift’s cat and the days of the week that Love Island takes place.
But damaged neurons or neurons that don’t function properly can lead to serious neurological diseases such as dementia. And the risk of dementia increases with age.
The good news? Science says that being proactive about your brain health can help reduce your risk of dementia and keep your brain fit.
What is Brain Health?
When we say “brain health,” we don’t just mean one thing.
“[Brain health] “It really has to do with maintaining brain integrity,” said Jill M. Goldstein, Ph.D., MPH, professor of psychiatry and medicine at Harvard Medical School and founder and executive director of the Innovation Center on Sex Differences in Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. “Brain health spans multiple areas – there’s cognition, there’s emotion, there’s behavior, there’s perception and sensory input, and then there’s neurobiological and psychological functions and structures.”
Of course, brain health has a lot to do with the brain itself, but it’s about more than just what happens from the neck up. “Brain health is part of your overall health because the brain systems control your heart and they control your gut. They’re all connected, and it’s really important to understand this kind of brain-body connection,” Goldstein said.
The importance of brain health
Many of us don’t think about our brains—or what it takes to keep our brains healthy—until problems like memory loss arise.
But changes in the brain don’t just happen overnight – they take years to develop. For example, Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, can begin as early as 20 years before symptoms appear. That said, there’s no better time to prioritize brain health.
Be proactive about your brain health
Staying active is one of the best ways to keep your brain healthy because neurons need stimulation to function properly. “You can reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s through strenuous cognitive activities as you age and strenuous physical activity,” Goldstein said. “Even if you were sedentary when you were young, you can still change your path.”
Goldstein said the hippocampus, a key region for memory function, is one of two brain regions that continue to produce new neurons as we age, and physical activity can promote that growth.
Another activity that’s good for your brain health: socializing. “The emotional impact of loneliness and isolation can have a significant impact on your brain,” Goldstein said. “Being with other people forces you to think about other people’s perspectives and gain new perspectives, and an active brain is a healthy brain.”
What you eat can also affect your brain health. Research shows that people who eat mostly highly processed foods (frozen meals, cereals, desserts, etc.) are at increased risk of cognitive decline. But eating plans like the Mediterranean or MIND diet, which are rich in anti-inflammatory foods like leafy greens, berries and fatty fish, have been shown to increase cognitive function and even slow the aging process in the brain.
In addition to the risk factors you can control, other modifiable risk factors for dementia include physical activity, social contacts, and your diet:
It is also important to note that there are non-modifiable risk factors for dementia that you cannot change or control.
- Age – the risk of dementia increases with age
- Genetics – there are more than 20 genes that influence the risk of developing dementia
- Family history: You are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s if you have a parent, brother or sister who has the disease, and the risk increases if more than one family member has the disease
- Sex: Women are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s than men
If you are at risk of dementia, it is important to talk to your doctor about steps you can take to monitor your brain health.
A proactive plan might include long-term brain exercises, healthy diet, and annual cognitive exams to help diagnose the disease in earlier stages when more treatment options are available.
Make a healthy brain plan
We know that diet and exercise seem like the best solution to everything, but making healthy lifestyle choices can make a big difference to your brain. And a recent clinical trial may have cracked the code to optimal brain health.
The US study, Protect Brain Health Through Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Risk (POINTER), found that a combination of exercise, diet, social and cognitive engagement, and regular health checks improved brain function in adults aged 60 to 79.
The cognitive health of all study participants improved, but the participants did not
Following a more structured program improved even further and helped protect thinking and memory from the decline that can occur with age.
Here is the POINTER plan:
- Exercise: At least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity four times per week and strength and flexibility exercises twice per week
- Brain training: Computer-based brain training programs 30 minutes a day, three times a week in addition to social and other intellectually demanding activities
- Eat: The MIND diet, which limits sugar, highly processed foods and unhealthy fats and includes dark leafy greens, nuts, berries, whole grains, olive oil and fish
- General health status: Regular check-ups to monitor blood pressure, weight and other laboratory results
Brain health takes work
In addition to living a healthy lifestyle, it’s important to remember to challenge your brain every day. That means less scrolling on social media and more switching up your routine.
Something as simple as taking a different path than you’re used to or taking a new route to work stimulates your brain cells and gives your brain what it needs. “Neurons like activity. If you don’t stimulate a neuron, it dies,” Goldstein said. “Stay active.”
This educational resource was created with support from Eli Lilly, a member of the HealthyWomen Corporate Advisory Council.
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