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CAN YOUR LIFESTYLE AFFECT BRAIN FUNCTION
"I won't be in class tomorrow," your middle-aged client remarks. "I'm going to a birthday party for my father. He just turned 90. What an inspiration he is! He credits his good health to walking every day -- says it keeps him young in body, mind and spirit. Indeed, just as we talk about a heart-healthy lifestyle today, we may be talking about a "brain-bolstering" lifestyle tomorrow. As scientists continue to explore the mysteries of brain structure and function, some interesting connections between lifestyle and brain health are beginning to emerge. The aging brain The adult brain contains about 100 billion nerve cells, or neurons, and 1,000 billion neuroglia, cells of the nervous system that perform a number of supportive functions. While scientists have named the various structures of the brain and discovered some of their functions, they are a long way from understanding exactly how people think, move or remember. We do know that the cells of the brain communicate with each other, and with the rest of the body, by chemical messengers sent from cell to cell, and by chemical messengers sent and received through the blood stream and the cerebrospinal fluid. With aging, the number of neurons in the brain declines. This appears to be an inevitable part of the aging process, although this decline accelerates with various diseases. Along with this loss of neurons comes a delay in conduction velocity of the remaining neurons, so that the rate of information processing slows. Some of this slowdown seems to occur because of degeneration in the connections between nerve cells.
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Of particular concern to many
people is the gradual decline in short-term memory that begins
in adulthood. When memory problems begin to occur, many people
fear they signal the onset of Alzheimer's disease, the most
common form of dementia. Dementia is marked by memory
impairment, but also by an extreme decline in mental abilities
such as judgment and abstract thinking, and also by changes in
personality. Only severe memory loss, such as getting lost in
familiar areas or the inability to recognize family members, is
considered a symptom of dementia. But a decline in memory can be
a source of frustration even for people who are not worried
about dementia. Researchers studying Alzheimer's, other forms of dementia and the aging brain have discovered many interesting links between lifestyle and brain health, just as research on artery disease has given us clues to lifestyle and atherosclerosis. The aging and disease processes in the brain, as in other organs, are strongly influenced by genetics. But like the heart and the arteries, the brain is also shaped by its environment, and by factors such as exercise, stress and nutrition. This combination of genetics and lifestyle affects many variables, including the adequacy of blood circulation to the brain, the rate of neuronal connections established and broken down, and the rate of neuron death with aging. Genetics and lifestyle also have significant effects on a person's level of daily function in the presence of the physiological changes in the brain. Let's take a look at some of the lifestyle factors that may play a role in maintaining a healthy memory, beginning with exercise. |
How might exercise affect the brain?
The brain has a rich circulatory system that supplies the brain cells with
oxygen and nutrients, and removes wastes. While the brain comprises only 2
percent of the body's weight, it consumes about 20 percent of the oxygen
used at rest. (This is why your mother told you to wear a hat in cold
weather: A high level of circulation in the head can lead to heat loss.)
Researchers have found that factors that interfere with blood flow to the
brain interfere with brain function. Thus, all of the lifestyle factors that
are known to increase risk of artery disease also increase risk of memory
loss. Smoking, hypertension, sedentary lifestyle, poor blood lipid profile
and diabetes all accelerate arterial aging and compromise blood flow.
Exercise can help to keep blood vessels supplying the brain healthy by
improving blood sugar regulation, blood pressure and blood lipid profile.
Exercise may also prevent memory loss by reducing feelings of stress,
anxiety and depression. Animal studies have shown that high levels of
severe, chronic stress are associated with significant nerve cell death in
the hippocampus. This region of the brain is especially important for
memory. Depression, anxiety and stress hinder memory in other ways as well,
such as by interfering with the ability to concentrate. Our memories don't
work as well when we are distracted and unable to focus on the material we
are supposed to remember.
Other ways to slow aging of the brain
Maintaining good health prevents the acceleration of the aging process.
Conditions such as hypertension and diabetes should be aggressively
controlled with lifestyle and drugs, if necessary. Medications can be a
double-edged sword, however, and can contribute to memory loss. People on
medications who seem to experience a change in memory should check with
their physicians to see whether this is a medication side-effect. If it is,
medications can be changed, or dosages adjusted.
Diet is also important. A heart-healthy diet with plenty of fruits,
vegetables and whole grains provides phyto-chemicals, vitamins and minerals
that may help prevent oxidative damage to body cells. Studies have found
that memory problems in some adults are linked to nutrient deficiencies.
When these deficiencies are corrected, memory improves. Older adults with
inadequate diets may benefit from supplementation.
Good emotional-health practices may help to keep the brain healthy.
Controlling stress, depression and anxiety, and maximizing emotional health
with a positive outlook and healthy pleasures may help the brain, and will
certainly improve quality of life. Social connections, spirituality and
altruism may help the brain as well as the heart.
The phrase "use it or lose it" may apply to the brain just as it does to
muscles, joints and bones. Challenging the brain to learn new information by
taking a class, learning a new language, reading, doing crossword puzzles,
or engaging in other creative and challenging work encourages the growth of
brain cells and the connections among them.
SOURCES
How to Protect Your Memory as You Age. Tufts University Health & Nutrition
Letter 19 (8): 1, 4-5, Oct. 2001.
Snowden, D. Aging with Grace:What the Nun Study Teaches Us About Leading
Longer, Healthier, and More Meaningful Lives. New York: Bantam Books, 2001.
Barbara A. Brehm, Ed.D., is professor of exercise and sport studies at Smith
College, Northampton, Mass.
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