By Eric R. Braverman, MD with Dale Kiefer, BS – Life Extension

 

You probably won’t hear this from your doctor, but your brain’s gradually shrinking as you read this.

Why?

A certain amount of physical wasting or atrophy – also medically termed “regional deterioration of brain structure” – occurs in the brain naturally with age.  The impact of these structural alterations is vastly underestimated by both physicians and patients alike.  This process usually commences around age 30, with marked acceleration observed at 50.

The results of physical brain deterioration can be dramatic. They include neurocognitive deficits, such as diminished attention span, verbal skills, spatial perception, deficits in abstract thinking and creativity, along with increased difficulty learning new tasks and retaining new information, flagging memory, and deteriorating sleep quality.

Maintaining a youthful brain in the face of these detriments of aging is perhaps the most crucial challenge of aging. The brain, our most important organ, is responsible for orchestrating a complex symphony of hormonal, neurochemical, and electrical signals to maintain the body in a state of vibrant health.

In this blog, we summarize what you can do to assist brain health and help preserve cognitive function.

• Your brain begins to structurally deteriorate as early as age 30.
• Maintaining youthful cognitive function is a crucial challenge of aging.
• Declining memory function may also begin as early as age 30 and is often evident after 50 years of age.
• Fortunately, it is possible to take proactive steps to maintain youthful cognition with aging.
• Maintaining a healthy body weight and body fat percentage may help preserve healthy brain structure and function.
• Frail bones have been linked with cognitive decline in women.
• Hormonal balance may promote healthy cognitive function.
• Traumatic brain injury is a common yet overlooked cause of cognitive difficulties.
• Exercise increases blood flow to the brain and may decrease the risk of cognitive decline, while promoting sleep.
• Strong mucles = strong brain.  Studies have repeatedly shown that older individuals who exercise regularly and maintain a healthy weight are less likely to succumb to cognitive decline.  Shrinking muscle mass correlates with declining cerebral blood flow.
• A healthy diet and extra nutritional support further enhance cognitive function.