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Brain health -

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Like a physical workout, you can exercise your brain. Did you know that your brain changes every single day, based on how you use it? Learn about brain-healthy strategies focused on individual strengths and goals and help us advance the science of brain health.

Adult Registration. How The Project Works. Your Greatest Asset Is Your Brain. In this video, Admiral McRaven and others speak about The BrainHealth Project, a collaboration with more than 30 of the world's leading experts in brain health science. Reframe How You Define Brain Health Brain health is about making the most of your capacity to thrive in life.

Science is revealing just how interconnected the components of brain health are. The BrainHealth Index provides a snapshot of your brain's health and performance, allowing you to track change and improvement over time.

It is one of the core elements of The BrainHealth Project. If you would like to get a snap shot of your brain health's fitness level but are not ready to join The project research study, consider the Concierge BrainHealth Index , conducted in person, one-on-one with a clinician at Center for BrainHealth.

Emerging Adults. Using the BrainHealth Index , emerging young adults ages receive a comprehensive measure of their current level of brain health and performance. They can also meet virtually with a trained coach to set personal goals, and then start building brain-healthy habits using our online training on topics including sleep, stress management and social relationships.

Learn about brain-healthy strategies focused on individual strengths and goals, and help us advance the science of brain health. Join The BrainHealth Project. Young Adult Registration. Help prevent an injury to your head.

Wear a helmet for activities like biking, and wear a seatbelt. Protect yourself while playing sports. Do what you can to prevent falls, especially for older adults.

Quitting smoking can lower the risk of cognitive decline back to levels similar to those who have not smoked. It's never too late to stop. Medications can help lower high blood pressure.

And healthy habits like eating right and physical activity can help, too. Work with a health care provider to control your blood pressure.

Type 2 diabetes can be prevented or controlled by eating healthier, increasing physical activity and taking medication, if necessary.

Eating healthier foods can help reduce your risk of cognitive decline. Choose healthier meals and snacks that you enjoy and are available to you. Talk to your health care provider about the weight that is healthy for you.

Other healthy habits on this list — eating right, exercising and sleeping well — can help with maintaining a healthy weight.

Good quality sleep is important for brain health. Stay off screens before bed and make your sleep space as comfortable as possible. Do all you can to minimize disruptions. If you have any sleep-related problems, such as sleep apnea, talk to a health care provider. Some changes are a normal part of getting older, but you can take steps to slow that decline.

More significant decline or severe changes are not normal and may be a sign of Alzheimer's disease or other dementia. Alzheimer's is the most common cause of dementia but there are several kinds of dementia.

Dementia is not a normal part of aging. Donate Now. Take the Brain Tour. Learn More. Brain Health. Share or Print this page. Challenge your mind Be curious! Stay in school Education reduces the risk of cognitive decline and dementia.

Take the Cognitive Assessment. Diet and Exercise. RBain, Stress and More. Alzheimer's and Other Forms of Dementia Reduce Your Risk.

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Brain Foods for Brain Health - Boost Brain Health with Good Eats New research shows little risk halth infection Performance enhancing drinks prostate biopsies. Discrimination at heaalth is linked to Brain health blood Braij. Icy fingers and toes: Poor circulation or Raynaud's phenomenon? Every brain changes with age, and mental function changes along with it. Mental decline is common, and it's one of the most feared consequences of aging. But cognitive impairment is not inevitable.

Brain health -

These benefits result from increased blood flow to your brain during exercise. It also tends to counter some of the natural reduction in brain connections that occur during aging, reversing some of the problems. Aim to exercise several times per week for 30 to 60 minutes.

You can walk, swim, play tennis or do any other moderate aerobic activity that increases your heart rate. Sleep plays an important role in your brain health.

Some theories state that sleep helps clear abnormal proteins in your brain and consolidates memories, which boosts your overall memory and brain health.

Aim for seven to eight consecutive hours of sleep per night, not fragmented sleep of two- or three-hour increments. Consecutive sleep gives your brain the time to consolidate and store your memories effectively. Sleep apnea harms your brain's health and could be why you may struggle to get consecutive hours of sleep.

Talk with your health care team if you or a loved one suspects you have sleep apnea. Your diet plays a large role in your brain health.

Consider following a Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes plant-based foods, whole grains, fish and healthy fats, such as olive oil. It incorporates less red meat and salt than a typical American diet.

Studies show people who closely follow a Mediterranean diet are less likely to have Alzheimer's disease than people who don't follow the diet.

Further research is needed to determine which parts of the diet help brain function the most. However, we know that omega fatty acids found in extra-virgin olive oil and other healthy fats are vital for your cells to function correctly, appear to decrease your risk of coronary artery disease, increase mental focus and slow cognitive decline in older adults.

Your brain is similar to a muscle — you need to use it or lose it. There are many things that you can do to keep your brain in shape, such as doing crossword puzzles or Sudoku, reading, playing cards or putting together a jigsaw puzzle. Consider it cross-training your brain.

Incorporate different types of activities to increase the effectiveness. Most health care teams don't recommend the paid brain-training programs available. These programs often overpromise results or focus on memorization skills that aren't useful in everyday life.

Your brain can get just as good of a workout through reading or challenging yourself with puzzles. Finally, don't watch too much TV, as that is a passive activity and does little to stimulate your brain. Social interaction helps ward off depression and stress , which can contribute to memory loss.

Animals who exercise regularly increase the number of tiny blood vessels that bring oxygen-rich blood to the region of the brain that is responsible for thought. Exercise also spurs the development of new nerve cells and increases the connections between brain cells synapses.

This results in brains that are more efficient, plastic, and adaptive, which translates into better performance in aging animals. Exercise also lowers blood pressure, improves cholesterol levels, helps blood sugar balance and reduces mental stress, all of which can help your brain as well as your heart.

Good nutrition can help your mind as well as your body. For example, people that eat a Mediterranean style diet that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts, unsaturated oils olive oil and plant sources of proteins are less likely to develop cognitive impairment and dementia. High blood pressure in midlife increases the risk of cognitive decline in old age.

Use lifestyle modification to keep your pressure as low as possible. Stay lean, exercise regularly, limit your alcohol to two drinks a day, reduce stress, and eat right.

Diabetes is an important risk factor for dementia. You can help prevent diabetes by eating right, exercising regularly, and staying lean. But if your blood sugar stays high, you'll need medication to achieve good control. High levels of LDL "bad" cholesterol are associated with an increased the risk of dementia.

Diet, exercise, weight control, and avoiding tobacco will go a long way toward improving your cholesterol levels. But if you need more help, ask your doctor about medication. Some observational studies suggest that low-dose aspirin may reduce the risk of dementia, especially vascular dementia.

Ask your doctor if you are a candidate. Excessive drinking is a major risk factor for dementia. If you choose to drink, limit yourself to two drinks a day. People who are anxious, depressed, sleep-deprived, or exhausted tend to score poorly on cognitive function tests.

Poor scores don't necessarily predict an increased risk of cognitive decline in old age, but good mental health and restful sleep are certainly important goals. Moderate to severe head injuries, even without diagnosed concussions, increase the risk of cognitive impairment. Strong social ties have been associated with a lower risk of dementia, as well as lower blood pressure and longer life expectancy.

As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

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