Brain Health and Longevity

Your brain health and physical health have a few things in common. For instance, both function best and can be strengthened with exercise and nutrition, and both have an effect on your quality of life as you age.

However, many of us guys tend to forget (no pun intended) our brain health despite the hours we put into keeping our physical bodies in shape. Unfortunately, this can lead to mental declines later in life that no amount of lean muscle mass or cardio fitness can compensate for.

The good news is that just as you put work and nutrition into strengthening your muscles and body, so can you for your mind.

What is Brain Health?

Having a healthy brain means having the ability to think, remember, concentrate and learn with an active, clear and sharp mind. This is something most of us have no problem with during our early years, though your brain is also ever-changing due to a process known as “brain plasticity.” While this may affect a developing brain positively as new habits, experiences and information are taken in, our brains begin to shrink slightly by the time we are between our 30’s and 40’s.

This is a very slow and gradual process and is nearly imperceptible until around our mid-40’s, which is when we may see a decline in short-term memory. By our senior years, the effects of lifestyle, genetics and health issues may set in, and it is also a time when signs of Alzheimer’s or other brain disease may set in.

However, short of this occurring, most reasoning, language and creative skills will remain intact. There are also ways to slow age-related mental decline and possibly even avoid mental diseases such as Alzheimer’s with some work and nutrition. ⁽¹⁾

Keeping Mentally Fit

Just as your body stays fit when you exercise it, so does your mind. However, while physical exercise does also have a positive effect on your brain’s health, your mind also requires other types of stimuli to grow and be strong.

This can be anything from learning a musical instrument, to memorizing dance steps, or even reading a good book or playing chess with a friend. The thing is, the more reasoning, creativity and critical thinking is involved, the better the mental benefit.

Nutrition also plays a role. For instance, your brain is made up of about 60% fatty acids with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA’s) making up around 20%. Omega-3 PUFA’s are also anti-inflammatory, which counters the pro-inflammatory characteristics of their counterpart, omega-6 PUFA’s. ^{(2, 3)}

We should also note that in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, there is a notable decrease in the amount of PUFA’s in general, and omega-3’s in particular, when compared to a brain which is aging normally. While there is yet to be a cure or scientifically proven prevention for age-related mental diseases such as Alzheimer’s or dementia, there is hope that a diet with a balanced supply of omega-3-6 PUFA’s may help prevent it. ⁽⁴⁾

This means avoiding imbalanced fats such as from grain-fed beef, grain-fed dairy products and many vegetable oils in favor of “brain foods” such as:

• Fresh, wild-caught fish
• Grass-fed meats
• Grass-fed dairy products
• Ghee, or clarified butter
• Olive oil
• Avocados

Other foods essential for a healthy brain are those containing antioxidants and certain vitamins and minerals beneficial to brain health. These include:

• Deeply colored berries such as blueberries
• Dark chocolate
• Coffee and tea
• Nuts
• Multi-colored fresh vegetables
• Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli or kale
• Seeds and whole grains ^{(5, 6)}

As with most healthy diets, this means avoiding processed foods high in saturated fats, trans fats, sugar, and sodium in favor of a natural, whole foods diet.

Remember too that just as there is a “use-it-or-lose-it” factor with your body, so is there with your mind. This means taking your brain to the “gym” each day, which you can do by:

• Taking up a new hobby that requires memorization, such as dancing or acting
• Solving math or logic problems
• Playing games requiring strategy and skill such as chess or backgammon
• Doing crossword puzzles
• Taking up an artistic hobby, such as creative writing, playing a musical instrument or painting

A Healthy Brain for a Healthy Life

When it comes to brain health, taking the same approach you do for your physical health can work wonders in maintaining a high quality of life well into your senior years.

By adhering to a diet that includes plenty of balanced PUFA’s, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals along with daily mental stimulation, you can not only reduce age related mental decline, but possibly lower your odds for some mental disease associated with aging.

References:

1. https://brainhealth.nia.nih.gov
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20329590
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5445635/
4. https://www.direct-ms.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Yehuda-Omega-3-6-ratio.pdf
5. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324044.php#whole-grains
6. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-brain-foods

About Author

Scot Mills

editor

Scot Mills is a Freelance writer who uses his unique skills and passions to promote what he loves: natural health and fitness. Along with over twenty-years-experience in the natural and organic industry, Scot’s education includes graduating with top honors, for which he was invited to join the Sigma Beta Delta International Honors Society. When he is not writing, Scot is outdoors enjoying epic mountain bike rides, trail runs and hikes, and lives a mobile RV lifestyle with his wife, Amber and their beloved rescue terrier, Barney.

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