Improving Brain Health

First, here’s a quick overview of how the brain works:

Nerve cells (or neurons) are the main working cells in the brain. They are neurochemical cells which conduct information in the form of electrical impulses and biochemical interactions that allow us to think, reason, move, maintain autonomic activity like heartbeat and liver function, to feel pain, and to experience memory and emotions like happiness, satisfaction, fear, and grief.

Neuron image from Teachoo, 2023.

The electrical impulse is triggered in the cell body by biochemical information brought to the cell from the dendrites. The impulse then travels along the axon to the nerve ending. At that point, the impulse triggers the release of neurotransmitters that cross a gap – the synapse – and are picked up by receptors on the dendrites of the next neuron.

When nerve cells are healthy and robust, we feel better both physically and emotionally. “Neuroplasticity” refers to the ability of neurons to change and adapt. Increased neuroplasticity results in more dendrites and more receptors, allowing the brain to work better. Scientists have also studied the composition of the fluid in the synapse, and know which vitamins and minerals are needed to optimize the transmission of the impulse between neurons.

Conversely, decreased neuroplasticity can lead to neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, as well as mental illnesses including depression and anxiety. Brain imaging has shown that aging and neurodegenerative disorders can cause parts of the brain to literally shrink or even to develop holes. Below is a photograph of two brain sections. The one on the left is a healthy brain; the one on the right belonged to a person suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Note the overall shrinkage, thinning of the cortex (exterior part of the brain), the erosion at the base of the brain, and gaping holes throughout.

Brain image from ADRC of Southwest Wisconsin, 2019.

The good news is that brain diseases, including mental illnesses, can be decreased, delayed, repaired, or even entirely prevented by simple lifestyle changes that improve neuroplasticity.

Neuroplasticity is a factor in diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, but it is also a key component in diseases like depression, anxiety, and other psychiatric illnesses. Making healthy lifestyle changes is an important part of the psychiatric treatment at our clinics, Manlove Brain and Body Health in Rapid City, SD and Advanced Brain and Body Clinic in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. We are confident that lifestyle changes help patients get the most out of their mental health treatments.

Even those who have not been diagnosed with a brain disease can use these 10 tips to optimize brain function for as long as possible and to prevent the development of brain diseases such as dementia, depression, and anxiety.

10 Lifestyle Tips to Improve and Extend the Life of Your Brain

1. Quit smoking. Basically, smoking causes the brain to age faster. Cognitive decline typically happens naturally as we age. We may become more forgetful or not be able to think as quickly as we did when we were younger. But if you smoke, you may experience faster cognitive decline than nonsmokers. A 2015 research review Trusted Source looked at 37 studies comparing smokers and nonsmokers and found that smokers were 30 percent more likely to develop dementia, a condition that can affect memory, thinking abilities, language skills, judgement, and behavior. It may also cause personality changes. Fortunately, the review also found that quitting smoking eventually decreases the risk of dementia to that of a nonsmoker.
2. Limit alcohol intake to one drink no more than three times a week or just don’t drink. The National Institutes of Health (niaaa.nih.gov) found that “Alcohol interferes with the brain’s communication pathways and can affect the way the brain looks and works. Alcohol makes it harder for the brain areas controlling balance, memory, speech, and judgment to do their jobs, resulting in a higher likelihood of injuries and other negative outcomes.”
3. Exercise for 30-60 minutes 4-6 days per week. Aerobic activities that sustain an elevated heart rate such as walking, biking, running, or swimming and anaerobic activities like lifting weights and resistance training are all beneficial for the brain. When it comes to exercise, the more you do, the better. One of the things that exercise does better than anything else is increase a hormone in your brain called brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) which makes your brain grow and promotes neuroplasticity. Because our brains shrink as we age, BDNF can offset the natural ageing process. The hardest part of exercising is getting started. One trick I use to help my patients get into the habit of exercising is to ask them to commit to exercising 1 minute a day. Give yourself permission to stop after one minute, but chances are you will do more.
4. Minimize consumption of processed sugar. High sugar consumption can lead to metabolic syndrome and eventually to Type 2 Diabetes. Both of these conditions can cause brain atrophy. Brain atrophy (also called cerebral atrophy) refers to the loss of neurons and the connections that help them communicate in the brain’s tissues. The incidence of dementia is twice the rate among people with metabolic syndrome compared to the general population. As of May 2022, the National Institutes of Health reported that one-third of American adults have metabolic syndrome. Look for ways to reduce your intake of granulated sugar, high fructose corn syrup, honey, maple syrup, and fruit juices. Compare food labels and choose items with the lowest amount of added sugars. Instead of grabbing packaged snack food, opt for whole fruits or vegetables. Reaching for water or unsweetened iced tea instead of a soda saves about 160 calories per 12 ounce serving.
5. Limit your consumption of grain products (especially processed wheat).Wheat, like sugars, can cause a spike in blood sugar that can reduce neuroplasticity and lead to brain atrophy. Consuming grain products can also make your gut more permeable. This allows proteins that are too large into your bloodstream and causes an immune response that attacks other parts of your body that can result in arthritis, autoimmune diseases, and damage to your brain.
6. Sleep 8 hours per night. Sleep is when the brain cleans itself. The glymphatic system is a group of structures and processes that allow soluble waste substances to pass from the brain into veins, dumping waste products out of the brain. It operates mainly during sleep, and unfortunately, there are no other ways to trigger this process. If you have trouble sleeping, taking 0.5-3 mg of melatonin can help. There are other sleep aids but some are associated with the development of dementia. Instead of using sleep aids, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers these suggestions:
   • Be consistent. Go to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning, including on the weekends.
   • Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, relaxing, and at a comfortable temperature.
   • Remove electronic devices, such as TVs, computers, and smart phones, from the bedroom.
   • Avoid large meals, caffeine, and alcohol before bedtime.
   • Get some exercise. Being physically active during the day can help you fall asleep more easily at night.
   • Treat sleep apnea.
7. Take vitamin D3 supplements. At our clinics, we perform laboratory testing to see if there are vitamins or minerals that our patients may be lacking. Most people living in North  America have less than optimal vitamin D levels. Once on Vitamin D supplements a blood level should be checked to be sure Vitamin D  is in the robust normal range. There are few dangers associated with having high normal levels of vitamin D.Vitamin D has been shown to do all of the following:
   • Reduce inflammation
   • Reduce auto-immunity
   • Improve brain function
   • Reduce cancer cell growth
   • Improve immunity
   • Improve mood and sleep
   • Reduce risk of heart disease
8. Take fish oil pills. Brain cell walls are made up of lipids which are made from fatty acids similar to omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are abundant in the cell membranes of brain cells, preserving cell membrane health and facilitating communication between brain cells. Taking fish oil pills supplements our natural levels of omega-3 fatty acids. Moreover, people who take omega-3 supplements have a bigger hippocampus than people who don’t. The hippocampus (a seahorse-shaped structure embedded deep in the brain) interacts with millions of neurons to regulate learning, encode and consolidate memories, and retrieve memories to form cognitive maps that aid in spatial navigation. This very complex organ shrinks with age. Omega-3 supplementation reduces shrinkage and encourages robust interaction between the hippocampus and neurons (MSUToday). Start with a low dosage. Aim for 2,000 mg twice per day (most pills have 1,000 mg). There are two kinds of omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil: EPA & DHA. You want to look for a supplement that has a high EPA percentage.
9. Fast 12 hours between dinner and breakfast each day. When you are no longer using your food or sugar in your body to produce energy, the process of autophagy takes over. Autophagy breaks down old cells, allowing your body to replace them with new cells that function more efficiently. Like exercising, fasting can elevate brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), the hormone that makes your brain grow and promotes neuroplasticity. Fasting causes the formation of ketones which, in turn, trigger a release of BDNF.
10. Keep learning! Challenging your brain creates new synaptic connections and promotes neuroplasticity. You can do this through many different activities:
    • Meditation
    • Engage in intellectually challenging experiences
    • Join a book club
    • Learn a new language
    • Take up a musical instrument, one you played long ago or a new one
    • Learn a new card game or board game

Brain scans and cognitive tests taken a year after learning a challenging new skill (like photography) demonstrate significantly better cognitive performance. Brain challenges essentially create a backup system, because the more intellectual stimulation you have, the more neural circuits you use.

Elise Caccappolo, Ph.D. in neuropsychology at Columbia University Medical Center, states, “The more circuits you have, the harder it is for neurodegenerative diseases to manifest.”  https://blog.otterbein.org/6-tips-to-maximize-brain-health

For further reading:

Bredesen, Dale E. The End of Alzheimer’s: The First Program to Prevent and Reverse Cognitive Decline. (2017.) Avery, a division of Penguin Publishing Group.

Mosconi, Lisa. Brain Food: The Surprising Science of Eating for Cognitive Power. (2019.) Avery, a division of Penguin Publishing Group.

Null, Gary. Reboot Your Brain: Diet and Lifestyle Techniques to Improve Your Memory and Ward Off Disease. (2015.) Skyhorse.

Perlmutter, David. Grain Brain: The Surprising truth about Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar – Your Brain’s Silent Killers. (2018.) Little, Brown, Spark.