Boosting Your Brain Health

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Exercise and nutrition are generally what people focus on when it comes to improving or maintaining health and well-being as we age, but these things, along with other preventive measures, are also crucial when it comes to health. of our brain.

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As we age, it is natural to experience changes in the functional capacity of the brain, including the reduced ability to remember details, names, and events. Complex executive functions are also affected, including the ability to plan, multitask, make decisions, and solve problems.

But there are ways to combat the effects of aging in the brain.

A University of Calgary study published in the journal Neurology last year suggests that older adults, even those who were previously sedentary, show marked improvement on cognitive tests after just six months of regular aerobic exercise. These improvements are equivalent to an average of five years of reversal of brain aging.

Dr. Marc Poulin’s Brain in Motion study included more than 200 participants between the ages of 50 and 83 with no cognitive complaints.

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Poulin, a professor at Cumming School of Medicine, investigates the mechanisms that regulate cerebral blood flow and how they change with aging and with interventions.

“The [exercise] the intervention really changed people’s lives, ”writes Dr. Poulin.

“Many participants contacted us after the end of the program to express how they can now be more independent in their life and how much better they feel from a mind and body perspective.”

Some also reported adding new friends and hobbies to their lives, which can also improve brain health.

When it comes to brain health, many factors intertwine to increase or mitigate the effects of typical cognitive aging, as well as brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Some of these factors are modifiable, to some extent, under our control.

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Padma Genesh is a learning specialist for the Calgary Alzheimer’s Society and develops community education programs on dementia and risk reduction, and trains healthcare professionals in dementia care.

“Changes occur in the brain as we age. There is believed to be a two percent reduction in brain weight and volume every two years after age 40, ”Genesh says.

Normal changes can be exacerbated by chronic health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and even depression and hearing loss, and some people have inherited genes for types of dementia, which cannot be changed, but can be mitigated by adopting foods healthy. lifestyle strategies.

Participating in occupations and leisure activities that stimulate cognition can help protect the brain from the effects of aging.

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It is recommended to avoid smoking and alcohol, which increase the risk of strokes and heart disease, which have ripple effects on brain health.

Addressing hearing loss and visual impairment can also improve cognition, Genesh says.

“It is something that people doubt, but now there are tiny and elegant (hearing) devices. If you don’t address hearing impairment, more functional skills are recruited by trying to understand what people are saying, and there isn’t as much brain reserve for solving problems or complex things. “

Depression and social isolation increase the risk of cognitive decline, and this has been a problem during the COVID-19 pandemic with many older people affected by restrictions. Finding ways to participate in socially and cognitively stimulating activities will lead to better brain health later on, Genesh says.

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Lack of sleep is another major risk factor for poor brain health. Adequate sleep will improve memory function at any age, but it will also reduce the risk of dementia and even death. People who sleep less than five hours a night are twice as likely to develop dementia and twice as likely to die compared to those who sleep six to eight hours.

“Deep sleep is believed to allow the brain to flush out toxins that lead to dementias like Alzheimer’s disease,” Genesh says.

Addressing issues such as day and night mismatch of the body’s internal clock and sleep apnea, and reducing blue light exposure from devices such as cell phones and tablets four hours before sleep onset can help improve sleep. .

The story was created by Content works, Postmedia commercial content division.