Improving Brain Health – Natural Ways to Heal Depression

Overtime, studies have shown us just how remarkable the brain is. We have learned that the brain has natural healing properties that allow it to clean and repair damaged cells.

However, there may be things that you are doing (or not doing) that prevent this process from happening.

Our mental health providers have put together their 10 most important lifestyle changes to help you improve your brain health. Whether you are looking to manage a diagnosed mental health condition with holistic mental health treatments, or you are interested in improving your brain health to help prevent brain diseases such as dementia from developing, these tips can help you improve your mental health naturally.

How the Brain Works & Repairs Itself

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 allow us to think, reason, move, maintain autonomic activity like heartbeat and liver function, to feel pain, and to experience memory and emotions.

Neuron image from Teachoo, 2023.

An 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.

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 shrink or 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.

Holistic Healing for Depression and Anxiety

The good news is that brain diseases, including mental illnesses, can be decreased, delayed, repaired, or even entirely prevented by simple lifestyle changes. These lifestyle changes improve neuroplasticity, ultimately providing natural healing for depression and anxiety.

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 For Healing Depression Without Medication

Across all mental health conditions, patients who follow these 10 lifestyle recommendations see more dramatic and faster improvements in their mental health.

1. Quit smoking. Smoking causes the brain to age faster. Cognitive decline typically happens naturally as we age. But if you smoke, you may experience faster cognitive decline than nonsmokers.
   A 2015 research review Trusted Source of 37 studies found that smokers were 30 percent more likely to develop dementia. 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. Better yet, don’t drink. The National Institutes of Health 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.” (nih.gov)
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.
   Exercise increases 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 aging 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.
   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.
   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.
   Choose whole fruits and vegetables over packaged snacks. Drinking 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. This 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 the brain to clear out soluble waste products. 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. Instead of using other sleep aids, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers these suggestions:
   • Be consistent. Go to sleep and wake up at the same time each morning, even on weekends.
   • Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, relaxing, and at a comfortable temperature.
   • Remove electronics 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. There are few dangers associated with having high levels of vitamin D.
   Vitamin D has been shown to:
   • 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. Omega-3 fatty acids are abundant in the cell membranes of brain cells, preserving cell membrane health and facilitating communication between brain cells.
   The hippocampus 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. There are two kinds of omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil: EPA & DHA. 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 food or sugar 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 BDNF, the hormone that makes your brain grow and promotes neuroplasticity.
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. 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.” (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.