Doctors share daily habits that cause your brain to age prematurely
Doctors have revealed the six daily habits that could be causing your brain to age prematurely.
Although the brain gradually deteriorates from the age of 60, doctors say it is possible to slow this degeneration, which could help prevent Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.
An estimated seven million Americans live with some form of dementia, including the more than six million who have Alzheimer’s disease – the most common type. According to some estimates, this number could rise to 13 million by 2050.
Dr. Zaldy Tan, director of the Memory and Healthy Aging Program at Cedars-Sinai, and Dr. Glen Finney, a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology, revealed their top tips for keeping the brain healthy in old age.
“Don’t think that everything just has to happen that way because you get (older),” Dr. Finney said HuffPost.
“Take care of your brain, take care of your body – and if you do that, you can age successfully and not have as many changes as you might think.”
Some brain aging activities are related to daily habits, such as repetitive routines, lack of social contact, high stress and poor quality sleep.
But others are lifestyle related, including eating lots of takeaway or ready-made meals and not exercising often.
Below are the six habits that can cause your brain to age prematurely:
The chart above shows the six habits that two scientists said are likely to accelerate the aging of a person’s brain
Too little fun
Over time, a person’s social network can shrink and it can become more difficult to make new friends who live nearby.
This can lead to a lack of social interaction and social isolation.
Doctors say this accelerates the degeneration of the brain by depriving it of stimulation and the opportunity to build new neural connections.
Meeting and talking to others engages areas of the brain associated with language processing and understanding, and also triggers the release of neurotransmitters that stimulate the production of new brain cells. Without social interaction this is not activated.
Previous studies have suggested that people who are socially isolated have less gray matter in brain areas related to learning and thinking, and have a 26 percent higher risk of dementia.
Scientists have also suggested that being socially isolated increases the risk of complications such as heart disease, depression, inflammation and premature death.
Doctors say regular in-person socializing is best to combat this, although socializing with others online can also help.
Studies also suggest that getting a pet can help reduce one’s social isolation, through companionship, interaction with other owners, and getting out of the house.
Doing the same thing every day increases the risk of cognitive decline, experts say
Repeated behavior
People are creatures of habit and it’s not difficult to develop a routine of doing the same thing day in and day out.
But doctors warn this can prematurely age the brain.
Dr. Finney said, “Not only do you want to engage your brain through the skills you’ve already retained, but you also want to push your brain outside of its comfort zone.
“If you say, ‘I’m not a kid anymore. I’m not going to worry about learning anything’… that can sabotage your brain health and lead to premature brain aging.”
He recommended that people take up activities such as learning a musical instrument or a foreign language to combat this.
Doctors say learning a new skill stimulates the growth of new brain cells and improves the areas of the brain related to reasoning, problem solving and short- and long-term memory.
A previous study found that speaking two or more languages, even if the second language was learned in adulthood, could slow age-related decline.
Another one which followed adults aged 60 to 90 for three months, found that those who learned a “complex skill” – such as photography or quilting – had improvements in overall memory compared to those who learned only crossword puzzles.
Long-term stress can also increase the risk
Ignore stress
Chronic or long-term stress is part of everyday life and can be caused in old age by worries about finances, friends or family members.
Many try to ignore it, but doctors warn about this: Long-term stress increases inflammation levels in the body that can damage brain cells.
People who are stressed also have higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which has been linked to memory problems.
This damage to the brain can lead to premature aging, they warn some studies – increase the risk of developing dementia.
To reduce stress, doctors recommended creating ‘short-term states of acute stress’ in the body – for example through a sauna or a cold shower – that can lead to recovery.
They also recommended breathing exercises and meditation, which they said could help “reset neurons” and reduce stress.
Doctors also suggested that surviving withdrawal may increase the risk of mental decline
Too many takeaways
Takeaway and ready-made meals can be a convenient option for a quick meal without spending too much time in the kitchen.
But doctors warn that relying on these options can age the brain due to their high salt content and the risks of weight gain.
Dr. Tan said, “When we… go about our professional and social lives, it is a natural tendency to choose something that is quick (that) you can pop in the microwave or go to a drive-thru.
“(But) in the long run, that may not actually be the best thing for our brains.”
Ready-made meals are ultra-processed foods several studies have suggested increasing the risk of cognitive decline.
They also contain a lot of salt, of some studies This suggests that high salt levels in the body may impair cognitive function in older adults – possibly because they can disrupt blood flow to the brain.
The meals can also increase the risk of weight gain, which has been linked to a higher risk of poor cognitive health and dementia.
Experts recommend consuming ready-made meals less often, or eating them alongside vegetables cooked at home, to reduce the risk.
As well as a lack of quality sleep
Poor quality sleep
The CDC says everyone should aim to get seven to nine hours of sleep each night and have good quality sleep — with up to 25 percent of that being deep sleep.
High quality sleep is uninterrupted and refreshing sleep that makes one feel well rested and energetic the next day, while deep sleep is a restorative phase of sleep that usually occurs early in the night.
But about 40 percent of older adults fail to get a good night’s sleep every night.
Dr. Tan said, “During sleep, the day’s memories are sorted and placed in the right place so that we can access them in the future.
‘Beta-amyloid, the sticky protein that damages the brains of people with Alzheimer’s, is (also) cleared during sleep.
‘(But) if sleep is too short or of poor quality, these processes are interrupted.’
Poor quality sleep can lead to problems concentrating or remembering information the next day, and over time can accelerate brain aging.
About 40 percent of adults aged 75 and older fail to engage in any physical activity, estimates show, increasing the risk of cognitive decline and falls
Lack of exercise
Everyone is recommended to engage in 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity every week, such as walking, swimming or dancing.
But older adults struggle to achieve this goal studies show Of adults aged 75 and over, 40 percent are completely inactive.
Dr. Finney said: ‘Physical exercise, especially cardiovascular but also muscle building exercises, is important to keep the brain… youthful.
‘It can actually increase growth hormones in the brain, such as nerve factors that promote brain health and well-being.’
Exercise stimulates blood flow to the brain, stimulates the growth of new brain cells and reduces inflammation – preventing mental decline.
It can also strengthen the muscles, reducing the risk of falls – a common cause of death in the elderly – and allowing a person to easily pick themselves up after a fall.
Falls are the leading cause of death and injury among adults aged 65 and older, killing approximately 39,000 people each year.