These Habits Shrink Your Brain!

Many lifestyle habits contribute to brain shrinkage. Even smoking and drinking are bad habits that damage the brain. With the right choices, you can slow down the process of brain shrinkage.

Friday, April 14, 2017, 12:36 [IST]

One inevitable fact is that your brain keeps shrinking with age. It is known as cerebral atrophy. It impacts the neural connections.

Age can rob your brain's sharpness. That is inevitable. But what if your current habits and lifestyle speedup brain damage? Yes, some habits speed up brain shrinkage!

Also Read: What You Did Not Know About Your Brain

Some of us work hard to stay in shape. But how about keeping the brain in shape too? Here are some habits that affect your cognitive faculties.Try to quit at least a few of them.

Habit #1

The light emitted by the screens of gadgets, firstly affects the retina in your eyes. This will eventually affect hormones in the brain.

When you keep playing with gadgets before sleeping, you are actually confusing your brain by keeping it active. You are giving it a signal to remain active instead of letting it relax and prepare for sleep. In the long run, gadgets surely affect your brain.

Fact #2

All drugs (whether they are prescription drugs or recreational drugs) impact brain health. Of course, prescription drugs are inevitable while recovering from illnesses. You cannot avoid them.

Also Read: How The Brain Of A Baby Understands The World

But recreational drugs are unnecessary. Stay away! They rapidly damage your brain. Memory loss, impaired brain function, frustration depression and anxiety are the immediate side effects that drugs cause. In the long run, brain shrinkage occurs.

Fact #3

Cortisol, a stress hormone is an enemy to brain health. The stress that you carry home from work place is one factor that slowly eats away your brain, speeding up its shrinkage. Find ways to release stress.

Fact #4

Dehydration can add up to the age-related brain shrinkage in the long run. Dehydration affects the blood flow to the brain. The cells of your brain are predominantly water and that is why you must keep drinking water on regular intervals.

Fact #5

Just like other tissues of your body, even your brain undergoes regular repair during sleep. Lack of sleep causes mental fatigue. In the long run, insufficient sleep contributes a lot to brain shrinkage.

In fact, your productivity takes a hit if you don't sleep properly for two days in a row. Have you observed that?

Fact #6

Yes, junk food is bad for your head and heart too. The ingredients of processed foods, spicy foods and junk foods slowly cause cell damage in your brain.

Fact #7

Physical exercises are beneficial for your brain too. That is why your brain works sharper after workouts. But inactivity is again bad for brain health and contributes to its shrinkage.

Also Read: Tips For Brain Development Of Your Baby

Fact #8

Malnutrition is bad for your brain too. Simply eating any food is not enough. Choose nutritious foods. Your brain needs nutrients to function well.

Fact #9

Smoking thins down some brain tissues and speeds up its shrinkage at alarming speed. Even alcohol is bad for your brain health. All stimulants and depressants are bad for your brain.