Brain Health

Brain is the most important organ in our body. In fact, human beings are considered dead if no evidence of brain function is there, which is not the case with any other organ. Our abilities, emotions, and personalities all are dependent upon normal brain function, and any or all of them can be affected if it is not well. This article is about how to keep our brain in good health.

We have more than 80–100 billion neurons in our brain. There is a slow process of brain cell loss with aging, even without any disease, about 10–15%. Unfortunately, a lot of people lose a lot more of their brain cells for multiple reasons. Some of these reasons are completely preventable, some relatively preventable, and for some we do not have any solution. Here I am going to address the first two types of reasons.

Alcohol

This probably is the most widespread while completely preventable reason for neuronal death. Unlike many other chemicals we ingest, alcohol quickly reaches the brain and starts impacting its functioning, especially if taken on regular basis or in larger amounts. No amount of alcohol is completely safe for brain. It is very common for me to notice impact of low-level chronic or binge drinking on routine brain scans. It may show shrinking of different areas of brain or stroke like damage. Most of its impact on brain and other parts of nervous system is permanent, and avoidance is the only safe strategy.

Cannabis

With some variations, its impact on brain is like alcohol. It also causes neuronal death and permanent brain injury leading to multiple behavioral and cognitive problems. The fallacy is that in both cases clinical effects may take months to years to appear when a threshold of neuronal injury is crossed, giving people a false sense of safety.

Cocaine

Even a single use of cocaine may have serious repercussions for brain, causing ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke. Regular use only increases that risk further.

Stimulants like amphetamine

In some medical conditions, this type of medicine can be helpful. For a person with otherwise normal brain, the risks outweigh any benefit. For brain, it is toxic, leading to neuronal death and resulting in cognitive and emotional problems.

Opioids

On one hand they are extremely useful for pain control, if taken for a short period or as prescribed; on the other they have similar negative effects if abused. They may also lead to degeneration of brain cells, which has cognitive and psychological repercussions.

Heroine

Heroine is highly addictive and its use may lead to changes in the physical structure of brain and its physiology that may be impossible to reverse. These and other systemic effects have tremendous negative consequences for the person’s psyche and physical health.

Smoking and Vaping

Smoking remains one of the most damaging habits for brain health. It accelerates hardening and narrowing of blood vessels, increases the risk of stroke, and impairs oxygen delivery to the brain. Vaping is often marketed as safer, but many vaping products contain chemicals that affect blood vessels and may have unknown long-term neurological consequences. Avoiding smoking or vaping altogether is one of the most important steps to protect the brain.

Energy Drinks

Energy drinks usually have large quantity of caffeine besides some other ingredients with unknown health benefits or risks. Stimulants like the energy drinks are known to cause severe brain blood vessel constriction, which may permanently damage the brain. Many take these drinks with alcohol, which may lead to heavier alcohol consumption, multiplying its risk.

Caffeine

Taken in a reasonable amount, caffeine seems to be safe for brain. For an average person, a cup or two of coffee a day might be safe, which is about 200mg of caffeine. This is about 2 cups of coffee or 3 cups of tea. One should be careful about the usually mentioned safe dose of 400mg a day, which might be safe enough to avoid cardiac arrythmias or stroke, but more than 200mg a day may cause number of other effects including anxiety and insomnia, which is not good for brain.

Cardiovascular Health

What is healthy for the heart is healthy for the brain. High cholesterol, atrial fibrillation, and vascular disease can all disrupt blood flow to brain tissue, leading to stroke or chronic cognitive decline. Maintaining healthy blood pressure, cholesterol, and a normal heart rhythm, along with regular medical checkups, helps preserve brain function. Conditions like atrial fibrillation significantly increase stroke risk and require proper treatment.

Environmental Toxins

Exposure to certain environmental toxins can cause direct or indirect injury to brain cells. Lead, still found in older homes and some imported items, can impair cognition even at low levels. Mercury exposure, mainly through certain fish, may affect neural development and processing. Industrial solvents, fumes, and pesticides may also damage peripheral or central nerves. Awareness of potential exposures and appropriate precautions help minimize these risks.

Contact Sports

Ancient Romans enjoyed watching gladiator fights, where any type of injury or death was not an uncommon scene. Gladiator fights may be illegal now, but many other sports activities, such as boxing or American football, carry a serious risk of immediate or a long-term brain injury. Parents should reflect on this aspect and counsel their children accordingly. In this regard, it is important to mention that young people, especially boys, do not have fully matured frontal lobes until mid-20s. This area is required for making rational decisions and avoiding risky behavior.

Psychological Stress

Both children and adults, if exposed to extreme stress or psychologically complex situations, may develop post-traumatic stress disorder. This may result in permanent changes in brain structure and connections, leading to multiple negative symptoms. Even lesser levels of stress, which many social interactions may trigger, can have significant psychological impact. At minimum, it may affect our sleep, which may cause a number of other negative consequences for the brain. A proactive approach to avoid unnecessary stress, if possible, should be taken.

Media Exposure

Not all screen time is bad for our brain. Time spent on educational, job related or constructive activities seem not to have any significant negative consequences. Time spent on media is different and, depending upon the nature of contents, it could have negative consequences even if it is done for employment. Even watching too much regular sports has negative psychological consequences. Watching extreme topics may result in restlessness, anxiety, depression, and PTSD, which in some cases could be lifelong. Extreme contents should be avoided, and time spent on media should be limited and balanced with other type of activities.  

Physical Disease

Any type of physical ailment may have direct or indirect impact on brain health. Many conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, sleep apnea, and depression have negative consequences for the brain. Taking care of these conditions helps maintain brain health. More serious conditions like cancer have negative consequences, directly or indirectly through its treatment. Many cancers can be avoided by following proper screening processes.

Medicines

Many patients take numerous prescribed medicines every day, which is a risk by itself through direct chemical toxicity or by changing some other physiology. This may result in dangerously low blood pressure, cardiac arrythmia, or a chemical imbalance. Some of the newer drugs, like biologicals, are so new that their full risk is not well known, especially to our nervous system. Caution is advised, and a review of medicines is recommended at least once a year to understand the risks involved, and to avoid taking non-essential medicines.

Exercise

Physical activity or exercise has numerous positive effects on our body and the brain. Sustained physical activity like hiking, bicycling, or long-distance jogging is especially useful to trigger multiple processes at cellular and biochemical levels, which lead to cleaning up harmful or damaged parts of cell structures. This type of activity also improves sleep, which is required for proper brain functioning. Other than heavy physical exercise, activities like Yoga or Tai Chi have psychologically calming effects, which helps to avoid brain injury.

Sleep

An average adult human should sleep for 7–8 hours every night. Claiming that one may function well with much less sleep is misleading at best. Sleep, especially deeper sleep, helps clear waste material like amyloid build-up in the brain and helps it regenerate. Sleep is the time when our memories are screened, cataloged, and filed. Not enough sleep negatively impacts all these processes.

Diet

Diet is closely related to cuisine, which is a complex topic with geographic, economic, and social dimensions. Formal diets mentioned in the medical literature, like the Mediterranean diet, assume full access to all food materials, which for many people is not true even in a rich society like the USA.

Keeping social and cultural issues aside, humans are omnivores, which means they may consume and utilize almost all kinds of food material. Instead of dividing food into earth-grown and animal-based, it might be better to divide them into low-, medium-, and high-calorie categories. With some exceptions:

• Fruits and above-ground vegetables → low-calorie
• Beans and most below-ground vegetables → medium-calorie
• Nuts and animal-based products → high-calorie

Evidence is accumulating that a balanced approach is needed—similar calories from each category. This means larger quantity of fruits and vegetables and smaller quantity of high-calorie foods, but they all are important. As far as possible, moderation and a balanced approach are recommended. Moderation also means stopping before the stomach is completely full.

Vitamins & Supplements

Sometimes, treatment with vitamin preparations is helpful in cases of defined deficiency, like vitamin D, B12, or other vitamin deficiencies. Aside from that, conclusive evidence is lacking for additional health benefits of over-the-counter vitamins or supplements. Because of how the FDA defines these products, they are sold without proper testing or approval, meaning their negative effects—especially from additives—may be unknown or ignored. For most people, it is more beneficial to spend money on better-quality food and healthy dietary habits instead of supplements.

Socialization

Humans are social creatures and most of us do not like being alone for extended periods of time, except that socializing is a tricky affair. Positive interactions with friends and family have multiple psychosocial benefits, which help our immune system and reduce disease risk. Negative interactions have the opposite effects, especially on psychological functioning. One should take a proactive approach to avoid potentially negative experiences, both in person and in digital settings.

Hearing and Vision

Hearing and vision are often overlooked components of brain health. Even mild hearing loss increases the risk of cognitive decline, likely due to reduced sensory input and increased mental strain. Poor vision similarly increases cognitive load and decreases mobility and social engagement. Routine hearing and vision screenings, and using corrective devices when needed, help maintain overall brain functioning.

Cognitive Engagement

The brain, like a muscle, benefits from use. Activities such as reading, writing, learning new skills, solving puzzles, learning languages, or playing musical instruments help strengthen neuronal connections and promote cognitive reserve. Lifelong learning and regular mental activity contribute significantly to long-term brain resilience. Probably the best way to stimulate brain is to be involved in a new activity with both physical and mental dimensions, something not done or learned before.

Genetic Makeup

It is important to pay attention to our genetic makeup. In many situations, it puts us at risk of certain diseases. Paying attention to it and adopting a proactive approach to minimize its impact can significantly improve quality of life and longevity. This process should start by parents for their children. Some common examples of conditions with genetic basis are obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, alcohol use disorder, and mental disorders.

Air Quality

Air pollution, especially fine particulate matter, can have negative effects on brain health. Long-term exposure may accelerate cognitive decline and increase the risk of stroke. Avoiding polluted environments when possible, using proper ventilation, and maintaining indoor air quality may help reduce these risks.

Infections

Mild infections, including those triggered by vaccinations, act as small challenges for our immune system to boost its defenses. More serious or prolonged infections, on the other hand, may impact our blood vessels—especially small vessels—and may lead to stroke. Wet areas of our body with outside world exposure, like gums, teeth, sinuses, lungs, some skin areas, and urinary tract, are common sources of chronic infection. Following hygienic principles, appropriate vaccinations, and proper dental care help minimize this risk.