From sleep to stress, explore key ways to keep your brain healthy.
| Health tips: Keys to brain health | | | Dear Reader,
Maintaining brain health is a lifelong effort that involves staying mentally engaged and addressing factors like inactivity, high blood pressure, tobacco use, stress, and anxiety. These steps are especially important in midlife to protect blood vessels and lower the risk of cognitive decline.
Researchers have identified key strategies that promote brain health across the lifespan, offering a roadmap for healthier brain aging: | | Keep physically active. Regular physical activity, especially aerobic exercise, may help protect brain health by increasing the size of the hippocampus, improving blood flow, and boosting protective brain chemicals. It may also delay the onset of Alzheimer’s in those at genetic risk and reduce dementia risk by managing related conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and chronic inflammation. Make sleep a priority. Getting enough good-quality sleep is essential for brain health, as it helps clear harmful proteins like beta-amyloid that are linked to Alzheimer’s disease. Chronic poor sleep may double the risk of dementia and can also worsen conditions like depression, stress, and high blood pressure. Stay socially engaged. Strong social connections may halve the risk of memory problems by boosting mood-enhancing brain chemicals and building cognitive reserve that protects against dementia. In contrast, social isolation can increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease, cognitive decline, and related health issues like high blood pressure, heart disease, and depression. Keep stress in check. Chronic stress can damage brain health by shrinking the hippocampus, accelerating cell aging, and increasing inflammation, which may raise the risk of high blood pressure and dementia. Managing stress through exercise, relaxation techniques, and mind-body practices like meditation can improve emotional well-being and protect long-term brain function. Eat brain friendly foods. Following mostly plant-based diets like the Mediterranean or Mayo Clinic diet—rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, and fish—may help protect brain health and reduce the risk of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. These diets support healthy blood vessels, slow cognitive decline, and may benefit even those genetically predisposed to Alzheimer’s. Reduce your risk of stroke. Your blood vessel health is vital for brain function, as damaged vessels can limit oxygen and nutrients to brain cells. Protect your vessels by avoiding smoking, managing high blood pressure and diabetes, and limiting alcohol intake. |
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