Five Habits That Can Negatively Affect Your Brain
Through 2021 more than 3.4 billion people the whole world suffered that year deterioration of the nervous systemwhich It caused 11.1 million deaths.
Teacher Wolfgang Grisold, President of the World Federation of Neurology (WFN)states that “when we talk about brain health and prevention, we are advocating for our plan for the future. It’s not just about reaction; this is approximately actively develop a culture of prevention of neurological diseases. “A commitment to preventing neurological disorders is the cornerstone of our resilience tomorrow.”
Although many neurological disorders still cannot be effectively treated, know, understand and address risk factors can significantly ease this burden, delaying its onset, reducing the aggressiveness of symptoms or slowing progression..
In order to have a positive effect on brain health And avoid habits that are clearly causing you harm, there are some things to consider simple recommendations and implement them into everyday life. In this sense, the doctor Tirso Gonzalez-Pinto, neurologist IMQ gives several clues for this.
Habits worth adopting
1- Exercise regularlyintegrating it into each person’s lifestyle, adapting the intensity and characteristics to individual circumstances.
2- Stimulate cognitive activity. “Having high cognitive reserve from the first years of life delays the onset of cognitive symptoms later in life,” says Gonzalez-Pinto.
3- Periodic monitoring of cardiovascular risk factorsmainly such as high blood pressure and diabetes, which have been linked to cognitive decline in various studies.
4- Eat a healthy and balanced diet. There are no miracle foods, but a healthy, varied, balanced and moderate diet prevents risk factors and other comorbidities that predispose to cognitive decline.
5- Treat mood disorders as early as possible. Especially depression, as it can accelerate the progression of deterioration in brain function.
Habits to avoid
1- Alcohol and tobacco use. For example, WHO estimates that 14% of Alzheimer’s disease cases worldwide may be linked to tobacco smoking. Moreover, the combined effects of alcohol and tobacco use on cognition may be greater than the sum of their individual effects.
2- Social isolation. “Various studies have linked social isolation after age 50 with an almost 50 percent increase in the risk of dementia and other serious illnesses, as well as an increased risk of premature death.”
3- malnutrition. It is recommended to maintain a body mass index above 20 from age 70. “Low weight in older adults may be a predictor of cognitive decline or the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease,” says Gonzalez-Pinto.
4- Eat more than necessary. It is advisable to avoid obesity; in this case, primarily in middle age. It is important to reduce weight in overweight and obese people in midlife to reduce the subsequent risk of neurodegeneration and dementia.
5- Hearing problems. Recent studies have implicated hearing loss as an independent risk factor for dementia. Therefore, in cases where it can be alleviated, it should be avoided.