WHAT IS BRAIN HEALTH?
Your brain is constantly changing; new neural connections are continuously being broken and formed, strengthened and weakened as you gain knowledge and experiences. This phenomenon is called brain plasticity, and it continues throughout your entire life (1). Your brain acts as the control center for your entire body, and if its neural connections continue to be broken and weakened due to neglect, there can be serious consequences later in life.
Brain health is the overall well-being of your brain, its ability to function, and the capacity to which it can change through plasticity. You might not see any symptoms now, but negative changes in brain plasticity tend to accumulate over time and may result in a decrease in cognitive function, learning and memory, and lead to neuronal atrophy. Changes in your brain are caused by many factors, including genes, environment, and lifestyle. Though you cannot control your genetic makeup, lifestyle factors are adaptable and have a significant effect on brain health. Mind-stimulating activities, exercise, diet, sleep, stress, and alcohol and other drugs are a few lifestyle factors that we see significantly impact the health of the student body at the University of Michigan, either positively or negatively.
WHY SHOULD I CARE?
Neglecting your brain health over a lifetime can have serious effects on one's health, leading to dementia, stroke, and other complications. It's important to maintain healthy practices at all stages of life.
Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, affects over 5 million Americans today (2). According to the Alzheimer's Association, it is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States and the only one in the top ten that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed. New research presented at the 2017 Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) shows that factors such as stress, a lack of sleep, and a poor diet can increase one's risk of developing the disease (3). One report even suggests that one-third of dementia cases could be prevented by lifestyle changes (4). Alzheimer's is often seen as a disease that only affects elderly people. This misconception paired with society's stigma around mental health has led to a lack of awareness about its effects, leaving many young people uneducated about the consequences of poor brain health.
According to the American Heart Association, the brain begins showing signs of cognitive decline as a person enters their 20s (5). The Association states that "although you can't feel it developing, atherosclerosis, the slow narrowing of the arteries that underlies heart disease, stroke and dementia, can begin in childhood." The best ways to maintain a healthy brain are to manage blood pressure, maintain cholesterol, reduce blood sugar, exercise, have a healthy diet, lose weight, and stop smoking (6).
Your brain is responsible for your identity, emotions, interests, and personality. By being mindful of your brain health while you're young, you set yourself up for a longer, healthier life of being you. Not only do brain health practices ensure that you live a longer life, but they also increase happiness and satisfaction. The videos below will give you more insight into how to prevent Alzheimer's disease and why behaviors in your 20s may affect the rest of your life.
"Can Alzheimer's Start In Your 20s?"
"What you can do to prevent Alzheimer's"
Genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors have shown to play a role in Alzheimer's development. Researchers have found signs of the disease decades before its symptoms begin, and DNews shows that the disease should be a concern of both young and elderly people.
In this TEDTalk, neuroscientist and author Lisa Genova details the science behind Alzheimer's disease. She discusses how neural activity may not slow the disease itself, but inhibit the progression of symptoms by creating more synapses.
