KEEP YOUR OLD BRAIN ACTIVE
We all know what old age does to your bodies – our skin becomes wrinkled, our hair turns white and our muscles grow weaker. But, what do the advancing years do to your brains? For the more than 100 million senior citizens in our country, and for all of us who will eventually join their ranks, the paramount question is whether we can do anything to keep our brains healthy well into old age.
Our understanding of brain is fairly recent. Just a hundred years age average life expectancy was merely 47 years, as compared to nearly 75 years now. Thus, the issue of brain function in old age has become relevant, and a subject of scientific investigation, just over the past few decades. What we have learned during this time has overturned some long held beliefs.
One such belief was that as the brain ages, it continuously loses neurons, at the rates as high as 1,000,000 per day. This progressive neutral loss was thought to lead, inevitably, to mental decline in old age. However, this is quite incorrect. Unless the brain is affected with some specific neuro-degenerative disorders, its neural population stays steady throughout life. We are not sure which factors are actually responsible for age-related changes in brain function. Some prominent hypothesis include the weakening of inner-neuronal connections, inadequate blood supply to the brain, and complex chemical interactions that lead to the creation of hard deposits called ‘amyloid plaques’ in the spaces between neurons.
Eat food conducive to brain health:
A diet of fruits and vegetables, rich in antioxidants protects nerve cells from the damaging effects of free radicals in the blood stream. Spices like turmeric, cinnamon and cloves are particularly potent sources of anti-oxidants.
Chemicals called omeg-3 fatty acids also contribute to the brain’s well being, by protecting it against memory impairments and neuronal damage. These are found in Soya and fishes. Not only do omega-3 rich foods help the brain; they are also good for the heart.
Stay mentally active:
Individuals who kept their minds engages in stimulating pursuits such as reading and learning lessons their chances of age related cognitive decline. Intellectually challenging activities help strengthen neuronal connections, which makes them more robust against degenerative diseases. Conversely, depriving the brain of a stimulating environment can lead to atrophy and hasten the onset of cognitive impairments. The basic idea here can be summed up in the phrase ‘USE IT SO YOU DON’T LOSE IT’.
Stay physically active:
Physical exercise is not only good for the body; it is also tremendously beneficial for mental health. Better cardio-respiratory health improves blood circulation to the oxygen-hungry brain and keeps it properly nourished. Some intriguing animal studies suggest that besides keeping the existing neurons healthy, physical exercise might also lead to the creation of new neurons. Half-hour brisk walk every day can do wonders for your long-term mental health.
Get adequate rests and maintain a stress-free lifestyle:
Rest is just as important as exercise. We do not yet understand precisely what the purpose of sleep is, but what is that it has clear is that it has direct bearing on the brain’s health. Getting about 8 hours of sleep every night lowers one’s risk of age related cognitive decline. During the remaining 16 hours, our life-style should be as stress-free as possible. Stress leads to the production of the hormone cortisol, which can, over time, damage neurons in the memory centres of the brain.
The bottom-line is that the maintenance of mental fitness is, to a large extent, in your control. A healthy brain not only frees you from dependence on others, it also ensures that you can give younger generations the benefit of your accumulated experience and wisdom. For living examples of this dictum, we need look no further than APJ Abdul Kalam, Amartya Sen and Khushwant Singh, whose contributions to society have only increased with the advancing years.
We all know what old age does to your bodies – our skin becomes wrinkled, our hair turns white and our muscles grow weaker. But, what do the advancing years do to your brains? For the more than 100 million senior citizens in our country, and for all of us who will eventually join their ranks, the paramount question is whether we can do anything to keep our brains healthy well into old age.
Our understanding of brain is fairly recent. Just a hundred years age average life expectancy was merely 47 years, as compared to nearly 75 years now. Thus, the issue of brain function in old age has become relevant, and a subject of scientific investigation, just over the past few decades. What we have learned during this time has overturned some long held beliefs.
One such belief was that as the brain ages, it continuously loses neurons, at the rates as high as 1,000,000 per day. This progressive neutral loss was thought to lead, inevitably, to mental decline in old age. However, this is quite incorrect. Unless the brain is affected with some specific neuro-degenerative disorders, its neural population stays steady throughout life. We are not sure which factors are actually responsible for age-related changes in brain function. Some prominent hypothesis include the weakening of inner-neuronal connections, inadequate blood supply to the brain, and complex chemical interactions that lead to the creation of hard deposits called ‘amyloid plaques’ in the spaces between neurons.
Eat food conducive to brain health:
A diet of fruits and vegetables, rich in antioxidants protects nerve cells from the damaging effects of free radicals in the blood stream. Spices like turmeric, cinnamon and cloves are particularly potent sources of anti-oxidants.
Chemicals called omeg-3 fatty acids also contribute to the brain’s well being, by protecting it against memory impairments and neuronal damage. These are found in Soya and fishes. Not only do omega-3 rich foods help the brain; they are also good for the heart.
Stay mentally active:
Individuals who kept their minds engages in stimulating pursuits such as reading and learning lessons their chances of age related cognitive decline. Intellectually challenging activities help strengthen neuronal connections, which makes them more robust against degenerative diseases. Conversely, depriving the brain of a stimulating environment can lead to atrophy and hasten the onset of cognitive impairments. The basic idea here can be summed up in the phrase ‘USE IT SO YOU DON’T LOSE IT’.
Stay physically active:
Physical exercise is not only good for the body; it is also tremendously beneficial for mental health. Better cardio-respiratory health improves blood circulation to the oxygen-hungry brain and keeps it properly nourished. Some intriguing animal studies suggest that besides keeping the existing neurons healthy, physical exercise might also lead to the creation of new neurons. Half-hour brisk walk every day can do wonders for your long-term mental health.
Get adequate rests and maintain a stress-free lifestyle:
Rest is just as important as exercise. We do not yet understand precisely what the purpose of sleep is, but what is that it has clear is that it has direct bearing on the brain’s health. Getting about 8 hours of sleep every night lowers one’s risk of age related cognitive decline. During the remaining 16 hours, our life-style should be as stress-free as possible. Stress leads to the production of the hormone cortisol, which can, over time, damage neurons in the memory centres of the brain.
The bottom-line is that the maintenance of mental fitness is, to a large extent, in your control. A healthy brain not only frees you from dependence on others, it also ensures that you can give younger generations the benefit of your accumulated experience and wisdom. For living examples of this dictum, we need look no further than APJ Abdul Kalam, Amartya Sen and Khushwant Singh, whose contributions to society have only increased with the advancing years.
(Written by: Prof. Pawan Sinha, Cambridge, USA in The Hindustan Times, 5-9-2004)
