Keeping Your Brain Healthy
The bottom line
Research suggests there are steps you can take to reduce your risk of cognitive decline, such as managing high blood pressure and being physically active. No vitamin or supplement is recommended for preventing Alzheimer's or other forms of cognitive decline. In a 2019 warning letter to one seller, the FDA said its piracetam product was not generally recognized as safe and effective for uses such as Alzheimer's and dementia.
This is general information, not medical advice. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.
Key takeaways
- Federal guidelines recommend that all adults get at least 150 minutes (2.5 hours) of physical activity each week. Walking is a good start.
- More research is needed to determine what role exercise may play in preventing cognitive decline.
- Preventing or controlling high blood pressure not only helps your heart but can also help your brain.
- Falling can lead to serious injury, including injuries to the brain.
- Many vitamins and supplements have not been tested for their effects on thinking. Their safety and effectiveness are largely unknown, and they may interact with other medications.
It’s vital for your health to keep your brain healthy. While the brain only weighs around 3 lbs and it’s not very large, it is a powerhouse that controls every function of your body. Looking after your brain is one of the most important things that you can do if you want to remain in good health. Your brain holds your personality or your memories and coordinates every movement and thought that you have. If you don’t look after it properly, you could find yourself falling into disrepair and the brain is the one area that you do not want to need repairing.
It doesn’t replace the neurons that become damaged or that get destroyed. Head injuries, drug use, health conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease can all cause brain loss. While there are options out there to support the brain, such as Piracetam powder, you have to get ahead of your brain health as much as possible. While Piracetam powder cannot reverse the effects of dementia on the brain and cannot restore the brain, you still can maintain your brain’s health if you get a jump on it as early as possible. So with that in mind, let’s take a look at how you can keep your brain healthy.
- Get sweaty. Those who are physically active keep their minds as sharp as possible. You work out to get your heart rate going, get your blood pumping and to improve your fitness. But did you know that workouts can also improve your brain health? Exercise can even lower the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease later in life, and for most healthy adults, around 150 minutes a week of moderate activity can help. You don’t have to do a full workout, but a few 10 minute walks during the day can make a difference.
- Keep your head protected. You don’t have to walk around the world wearing a helmet every day, but it can help to protect your brain as much as possible. If you’re going on a bike or a scooter, then wearing a helmet is smart. If you are protecting your head when you are at risk of head injury, you’re going to avoid anything like a fall or a cricket ball straight to the skull.In the car, wear your seat belt. Don’t be cavalier about your health and safety. You want to keep from falling by being mindful of your footing when on ladders or on uneven ground. Your head is encasing the most important organ of your body, so don’t allow anything to happen to it.
- Look after your health every day. There are some medical conditions that can raise the risk of developing problems with memory and thinking, and those can include everything from hypertension and high blood pressure to strokes, diabetes and heart disease. If you are mindful of your health at every avenue, you may help prevent or delay cognitive decline or thinking problems. You should always ask your healthcare team what you can do to prevent any of these conditions from hurting you in the long run.
- Stay social. If you want to keep your brain healthy, you need to avoid isolation. It’s important that you don’t fall into the trap of social isolation under the guise of being OK with being alone. There is a higher risk of declining thinking skills, especially leading to Alzheimer’s disease, so you need to remember that keeping your social circle around you keeps your brain younger and happier.
