Brain Health

How well do you score on brain health?

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A new scorecard developed by researchers could encourage you to pare down risks for dementia and stroke

illustration of a human brain shown in colorful triangular prisms against a gray background; concept is brain health

Need another jolt of motivation to shore up a resolution to shed weight, sleep more soundly, boost nutrition or exercise levels, or cut back on alcohol? Then you’ll be pleased to learn that any (and all) of these efforts can also add up to better brain health.

An international study led by researchers at the McCance Center for Brain Health at Massachusetts General Hospital devised and validated a Brain Care Score (BCS) card that makes it easy to total up what you’re doing well and where you might do better. The prize is a healthier brain — specifically a lower risk for dementia and strokes.

Designed to predict how current habits might impact future brain health, the user-friendly scorecard is apparently the first of its kind, says Dr. Andrew Budson, a lecturer in neurology at Harvard Medical School.

“It’s a real service that the researchers have developed a scale like this and completed the first study to determine if scoring worse on this scale raises your risk for dementia and stroke,” says Dr. Budson, who wasn’t involved in the analysis. “On one hand, no one’s done something quite like this before. On the other, however, it’s really wrapping together health factors everyone has known for a number of years in new packaging.”

What’s included on the scorecard?

Called the McCance Brain Care Score, the card tallies points from 12 physical, lifestyle, and social-emotional domains.

Physical components relate to

  • blood pressure
  • blood sugar
  • cholesterol
  • body mass index (BMI).

Lifestyle components include

  • nutrition
  • alcohol intake
  • smoking
  • aerobic activities
  • sleep.

Social-emotional factors inquire about

  • stress management
  • social relationships
  • meaning in life.

Each response is given a score of 0, 1, or 2, with the highest possible score totaling 21. Higher scores suggest better brain care.

“All these physical and lifestyle factors can contribute to the risk of dementia to some extent through strokes,” Dr. Budson says. “Those that aren’t a risk through strokes are usually related to the fact that a healthy brain is a brain that’s using all of its parts. Engaging in healthy relationships and meaningful activities helps us maintain good brain structure and function.”

What did the analysis involve?

The study was published online in Frontiers of Neurology in December 2023. It involved nearly 399,000 adults ages 40 through 69 (average age 57; 54% women) who contributed personal health information to the UK Biobank.

During an average follow-up period of 12.5 years, participants recorded 5,354 new cases of dementia and 7,259 strokes. Researchers found that participants with higher Brain Care Scores at the study’s start had lower risks of developing dementia or strokes over time.

These threats to health and independence take a stunning — and growing — toll on people in the US. Dementia affects one in seven Americans, a rate expected to triple by 2050. Meanwhile, more than 795,000 people in the United States suffer a stroke each year, according to the CDC.

What did the study find?

Each five-point step higher in the BCS rating assigned when the study began was linked to significantly lower risks of dementia and stroke, with those odds varying by age group:

  • Participants younger than 50 at the study’s start were 59% less likely to develop dementia and 48% less likely to have a stroke with each five-point higher score on BCS.
  • Participants 50 through 59 at the study’s start were 32% less likely to develop dementia and 52% less likely to have a stroke with each five-point higher score on BCS.

But those brain disease benefits appeared to diminish for those older than 59 at the study’s start. This group experienced only 8% lower odds of dementia and a 33% lower risk of stroke with each five-point higher score on BCS. Study authors theorized that some of these participants may have already been experiencing early dementia, which is difficult to detect until it progresses.

“I feel very comfortable that the study’s conclusions are entirely correct, because all the factors that go into its BCS are well-known things people can do to reduce their risk of stroke and dementia,” Dr. Budson says.

What are the study’s limitations?

However, Dr. Budson notes that the study did have a couple of limitations,. The UK Biobank fell just short of collecting all the components of the BCS in its dataset, lacking meaning-of-life questions. So its scores ranged from 0 to 19, not up to 21. “It’s a practical limitation, but it should be acknowledged that so far, there have been no studies to validate the actual 21-point scale they’re recommending we use,” he says.

The analysis also evaluated participants’ scores at just one point in time instead of several, Dr. Budson says. Future research should determine whether people can lower their stroke and dementia risk by improving their BCS over time with behavior and lifestyle changes.

How can you play this game at home?

While better brain health may be the clear prize of a higher score, it’s far from the only benefit. That’s because improving any health component of the BCS also benefits our overall well-being.

“By improving these factors, not only will people help their brain, but they’ll also help their heart and reduce their risk of cancer,” Dr. Budson adds. “These factors will absolutely also improve your psychological health, which is certainly an important part of brain health.”

The scale’s simple breakdown of health factors also makes it easy to focus on tweaking one or two without getting overwhelmed.

“Let’s say someone’s nutrition isn’t perfect — and they know it — but they’re not willing to change their diet. Fine. They can then decide to do more aerobic exercise, for example, or to stop drinking, or to get the sleep their body needs,” he says.

What one change could put you on a path to better brain health?

If he had to choose just one factor to improve brain health, Dr. Budson would focus on meaning of life, “which means you generally feel your life has meaning or purpose,” he says. To do that, he suggests giving deep, quiet thought to what you wish your life’s purpose to be, whether you expect to live a long time or just a few years.

“Once you have a purpose, then you have a reason to follow through with assessing all the other items on the BCS scale and seeing what you can do so you’ll be around longer, and be competent and capable longer, to help fulfill the meaning and purpose of your life,” he says.

Scientists Found 5 Factors to Improve Brain Health and Lower Dementia Risk

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Doctors say they may even be more helpful than medicine.

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  • New research links certain healthy habits to a sharper brain as you age.
  • The study followed participants for more than two decades.
  • Doctors say these are good habits to follow for brain and overall health.

There’s a general recipe for living well that includes regular physical activity, eating a healthy diet, and avoiding smoking. Now, new research finds five factors that can also help support brain health and sharp thinking as you age,

The study, which was published in JAMA Neurology, looked at the autopsies of 586 people who lived to an average age of 91. Those study participants participated in the Rush Memory and Aging Project before their deaths, which involved them undergoing regular mental and physical tests, along with annual questionnaires on their lifestyles for more than 20 years.

The researchers found a direct link between healthy lifestyle habits and a lowered risk of cognitive decline as the participants got older—that was true, even in people who had hallmark signs of developing Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. Lead study author Klodian Dhana, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor of geriatrics and palliative medicine at the Rush Institute for Healthy Aging, says his team wanted to see if certain factors could influence whether someone develops Alzheimer’s or dementia. “As individuals age, there is a progressive accumulation of dementia-related brain pathologies,” he says. However, not everyone goes on to develop dementia, despite these changes in the brain. The goal of the study, Dr. Dhana says, was to see if lifestyle factors would make a difference in how likely someone is to develop dementia.

Here’s what Dr. Dhana and his team discovered.

Factors to improve brain health

The study participants were labeled as having a low-risk or healthy lifestyle if they did the following:

  • No smoking.
  • Doing moderate to vigorous exercise for at least 150 minutes a week.
  • Limit alcohol use to one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men.
  • Engage in brain-stimulating activities, like reading, playing games, and visiting museums.
  • Follow a variation of the MIND diet.

Study participants received a healthy lifestyle score within these areas and, the healthier they were, the better their brain health. The researchers found that for every one-point increase in the healthy lifestyle score, the lower the amount of beta-amyloid plaques (hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease) and the higher their score on cognitive tests that looked at factors like memory and attention span.

An editorial that was published alongside the study pointed out that the benefits of following these healthy lifestyle factors were still there, regardless of whether the study participants had signs of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in their brains.

Why are these habits good for the brain?

At baseline, these lifestyle factors and habits are known to be good for you. “Following a healthy lifestyle is good for the brain,” says Amit Sachdev, M.D., M.S., medical director in the Department of Neurology at Michigan State University.

These factors in particular “have been investigated and shown to be associated with slower cognitive decline and a lower risk of dementia,” Dr. Dhana says.

While plant-based diets have been linked to healthier brains, the MIND diet is a specific kind of plant-based diet. It incorporates several elements of the Mediterranean diet, like plenty of fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, olive oil, and whole grains, explains Jessica Cording, M.S., R.D., author of The Little Book of Game-Changers: 50 Healthy Habits For Managing Stress & Anxiety.

“Previous studies on similar diet patterns have shown that this style of eating is very rich in polyphenols, which are powerful plant compounds that have been shown to have neuroprotective properties,” Cording says. “That’s a big piece of the puzzle.” The foods featured in this diet can help tamp down on bodily inflammation and promote good gut and heart health, she points out.

That diet, along with regular exercise, limiting alcohol use, and avoiding smoking is good for the cardiovascular system, Cording says. “What’s good for the heart and blood vessels is generally good for the brain—we have tons of blood vessels in the brain,” she says.

Clifford Segil, D.O., a neurologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA., agrees. “A healthy lifestyle increases your heart health and brain health,” he says. “A healthy heart can only help your brain.”

Research has also found that doing mentally stimulating activities is linked with a lowered risk of developing dementia. “The thing I most often recommend to patients for their brain health is structured cognitive exercise,” Dr. Segil says. “That can mean taking a class at a junior college. With muscles, if you don’t use it, you lose it. The same is true of your brain.”

Dr. Segil stresses the importance of healthy lifestyle habits for brain health, noting that he sees patients do better after making lifestyle tweaks than they do taking certain medications to lower the risk of cognitive decline.

Overall, Dr. Dhana says the lifestyle factors laid out in his study may help provide cognitive benefits over time. But, if you’re concerned about your own risk of dementia or have a family history of the disease, he recommends seeing a doctor for personalized recommendations.

Scientists Discover Fascinating Link Between Regular Exercise and Better Brain Health

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A recent study reveals that regular physical activity, even at moderate levels, is linked to increased brain volumes in areas important for memory and learning, offering a straightforward approach to enhancing brain health and reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

An international study involving clinical researchers from the Pacific Neuroscience Institute’s Brain Health Center at Providence Saint John’s Health Center has uncovered a fascinating connection between regular exercise and improved brain health.

The study’s findings are detailed in the paper recently published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. The research indicates that physical activity is associated with an increase in the size of brain regions critical for memory and learning.

Study Findings on Brain Volumes and Physical Activity

The study looked at MRI brain scans from 10,125 people done at Prenuvo imaging centers, a key collaborator in the research. It found those who regularly engaged in physical activities such as walking, running or sports had larger brain volumes in key areas. This includes the gray matter, which helps with processing information, and the white matter, which connects different brain regions, as well as the hippocampus, important for memory.

Cyrus A. Raji, M.D., the lead researcher, explains the findings in simple terms: “Our research supports earlier studies that show being physically active is good for your brain. Exercise not only lowers the risk of dementia but also helps in maintaining brain size, which is crucial as we age.”

David Merrill, M.D., study co-author and director of the PBHC noted, “We found that even moderate levels of physical activity, such as taking fewer than 4,000 steps a day, can have a positive effect on brain health. This is much less than the often-suggested 10,000 steps, making it a more achievable goal for many people.”

Study co-author Somayeh Meysami, M.D., assistant professor of neurosciences at Saint John’s Cancer Institute and the Pacific Brain Health Center noted, “Our research links regular physical activity to larger brain volumes, suggesting neuroprotective benefits. This large sample study furthers our understanding of lifestyle factors in brain health and dementia prevention.”

Broader Implications of the Study

A Lancet Study in 2020 found about a dozen modifiable risk factors increase risk for Alzheimer’s disease, including physical activity. This work builds upon previous work by this group, linking caloric burn from leisure activities to improved brain structure.

“This study demonstrates the influence of exercise on brain health imaging and when added to other studies on the role of diet, stress reduction and social connection offer the proven benefits of drug-free modifiable factors in substantially reducing Alzheimer’s disease,” said George Perry, Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

“With comprehensive imaging scans, our study underscores the interconnected synergy between the body and the brain. It echoes the knowledge of past generations, showcasing that increased physical activity is a predictor of a healthier aging brain,” said Dr. Attariwala, senior author of this paper.

This research highlights an easy way to keep our brains healthy: stay active! Whether it’s a daily walk or a favorite sport, regular physical activity can have lasting benefits for our brain health.

Scientists Found 5 Factors to Improve Brain Health and Lower Dementia Risk

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Doctors say they may even be more helpful than medicine.

preview for How to Keep Your Brain Sharp

We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Why Trust Us?

  • New research links certain healthy habits to a sharper brain as you age.
  • The study followed participants for more than two decades.
  • Doctors say these are good habits to follow for brain and overall health.

There’s a general recipe for living well that includes regular physical activity, eating a healthy diet, and avoiding smoking. Now, new research finds five factors that can also help support brain health and sharp thinking as you age,

The study, which was published in JAMA Neurology, looked at the autopsies of 586 people who lived to an average age of 91. Those study participants participated in the Rush Memory and Aging Project before their deaths, which involved them undergoing regular mental and physical tests, along with annual questionnaires on their lifestyles for more than 20 years.

The researchers found a direct link between healthy lifestyle habits and a lowered risk of cognitive decline as the participants got older—that was true, even in people who had hallmark signs of developing Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. Lead study author Klodian Dhana, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor of geriatrics and palliative medicine at the Rush Institute for Healthy Aging, says his team wanted to see if certain factors could influence whether someone develops Alzheimer’s or dementia. “As individuals age, there is a progressive accumulation of dementia-related brain pathologies,” he says. However, not everyone goes on to develop dementia, despite these changes in the brain. The goal of the study, Dr. Dhana says, was to see if lifestyle factors would make a difference in how likely someone is to develop dementia.

Here’s what Dr. Dhana and his team discovered.

Factors to improve brain health

The study participants were labeled as having a low-risk or healthy lifestyle if they did the following:

  • No smoking.
  • Doing moderate to vigorous exercise for at least 150 minutes a week.
  • Limit alcohol use to one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men.
  • Engage in brain-stimulating activities, like reading, playing games, and visiting museums.
  • Follow a variation of the MIND diet.

Study participants received a healthy lifestyle score within these areas and, the healthier they were, the better their brain health. The researchers found that for every one-point increase in the healthy lifestyle score, the lower the amount of beta-amyloid plaques (hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease) and the higher their score on cognitive tests that looked at factors like memory and attention span.

An editorial that was published alongside the study pointed out that the benefits of following these healthy lifestyle factors were still there, regardless of whether the study participants had signs of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in their brains.

Why are these habits good for the brain?

At baseline, these lifestyle factors and habits are known to be good for you. “Following a healthy lifestyle is good for the brain,” says Amit Sachdev, M.D., M.S., medical director in the Department of Neurology at Michigan State University.

These factors in particular “have been investigated and shown to be associated with slower cognitive decline and a lower risk of dementia,” Dr. Dhana says.

While plant-based diets have been linked to healthier brains, the MIND diet is a specific kind of plant-based diet. It incorporates several elements of the Mediterranean diet, like plenty of fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, olive oil, and whole grains, explains Jessica Cording, M.S., R.D., author of The Little Book of Game-Changers: 50 Healthy Habits For Managing Stress & Anxiety.

“Previous studies on similar diet patterns have shown that this style of eating is very rich in polyphenols, which are powerful plant compounds that have been shown to have neuroprotective properties,” Cording says. “That’s a big piece of the puzzle.” The foods featured in this diet can help tamp down on bodily inflammation and promote good gut and heart health, she points out.

That diet, along with regular exercise, limiting alcohol use, and avoiding smoking is good for the cardiovascular system, Cording says. “What’s good for the heart and blood vessels is generally good for the brain—we have tons of blood vessels in the brain,” she says.

Clifford Segil, D.O., a neurologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA., agrees. “A healthy lifestyle increases your heart health and brain health,” he says. “A healthy heart can only help your brain.”

Research has also found that doing mentally stimulating activities is linked with a lowered risk of developing dementia. “The thing I most often recommend to patients for their brain health is structured cognitive exercise,” Dr. Segil says. “That can mean taking a class at a junior college. With muscles, if you don’t use it, you lose it. The same is true of your brain.”

Dr. Segil stresses the importance of healthy lifestyle habits for brain health, noting that he sees patients do better after making lifestyle tweaks than they do taking certain medications to lower the risk of cognitive decline.

Overall, Dr. Dhana says the lifestyle factors laid out in his study may help provide cognitive benefits over time. But, if you’re concerned about your own risk of dementia or have a family history of the disease, he recommends seeing a doctor for personalized recommendations.

Eat Less, Live Longer: Dietary Restrictions Increase Lifespan and Improve Brain Health

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Summary: Recent research reveals a significant discovery about dietary restriction and its impact on brain health and aging. They identified the OXR1 gene as crucial for extending lifespan and ensuring healthy brain aging, particularly in response to dietary restriction.

This breakthrough was achieved through extensive studies involving fruit flies and human cells, highlighting OXR1’s role in neuronal protection and retromer function preservation. These findings open new avenues for therapeutic interventions targeting age-related neurodegenerative diseases and lifespan extension.

Key Facts:

  1. The OXR1 gene is essential for the lifespan extension benefits of dietary restriction, with a specific impact on brain health and aging.
  2. Research showed that OXR1 influences the retromer complex, crucial for recycling cellular proteins, and is vital for neuronal function and health.
  3. The study, conducted on fruit flies and human cells, suggests potential new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases and strategies for healthy aging.

Source: Buck Institute

Restricting calories is known to improve health and increase lifespan, but much of how it does so remains a mystery, especially in regard to how it protects the brain. Buck scientists have uncovered a role for a gene called OXR1 that is necessary for the lifespan extension seen with dietary restriction and is essential for healthy brain aging.

“When people restrict the amount of food that they eat, they typically think it might affect their digestive tract or fat buildup, but not necessarily about how it affects the brain,” said Kenneth Wilson, Ph.D., Buck postdoc and first author of the study, published online on January 11, 2024 in Nature Communications. 

“As it turns out, this is a gene that is important in the brain.”

This shows healthy foods.
“The gene is an important brain resilience factor protecting against aging and neurological diseases,” said Buck Professor Lisa Ellerby, Ph.D., co-senior author of the study.

The team additionally demonstrated a detailed cellular mechanism of how dietary restriction can delay aging and slow the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. The work, done in fruit flies and human cells, also identifies potential therapeutic targets to slow aging and age-related neurodegenerative diseases.

“We found a neuron-specific response that mediates the neuroprotection of dietary restriction,” said Buck Professor Pankaj Kapahi , Ph.D., co-senior author of the study. “Strategies such as intermittent fasting or caloric restriction, which limit nutrients, may enhance levels of this gene to mediate its protective effects.”

“The gene is an important brain resilience factor protecting against aging and neurological diseases,” said Buck Professor Lisa Ellerby, Ph.D., co-senior author of the study.

Understanding variability in response to dietary restriction

Members of the team have previously shown mechanisms that improve lifespan and healthspan with dietary restriction, but there is so much variability in response to reduced calories across individuals and different tissues that it is clear there are many yet to be discovered processes in play. This project was started to understand why different people respond to diets in different ways.

The team began by scanning about 200 strains of flies with different genetic backgrounds. The flies were raised with two different diets, either with a normal diet or with dietary restriction, which was only 10% of normal nutrition. Researchers identified five genes which had specific variants that significantly affected longevity under dietary restriction. Of those, two had counterparts in human genetics.

The team chose one gene to explore thoroughly, called “mustard” (mtd) in fruit flies and “Oxidation Resistance 1” (OXR1) in humans and mice. The gene protects cells from oxidative damage, but the mechanism for how this gene functions was unclear.

The loss of OXR1 in humans results in severe neurological defects and premature death. In mice, extra OXR1 improves survival in a model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

The link between brain aging, neurodegeneration and lifespan

To figure out how a gene that is active in neurons affects overall lifespan, the team did a series of in-depth tests. They found that OXR1 affects a complex called the retromer, which is a set of proteins necessary for recycling cellular proteins and lipids.

“The retromer is an important mechanism in neurons because it determines the fate of all proteins that are brought into the cell,” said Wilson.

Retromer dysfunction has been associated with age-related neurodegenerative diseases that are protected by dietary restriction, specifically Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

Overall, their results told the story of how dietary restriction slows brain aging by the action of mtd/OXR1 in maintaining the retromer.

“This work shows that the retromer pathway, which is involved in reusing cellular proteins, has a key role in protecting neurons when nutrients are limited,” said Kapahi.

The team found that mtd/OXR1 preserves retromer function and is necessary for neuronal function, healthy brain aging, and lifespan extension seen with dietary restriction.

“Diet is influencing this gene. By eating less, you are actually enhancing this mechanism of proteins being sorted properly in your cells, because your cells are enhancing the expression of OXR1,” said Wilson.

The team also found that boosting mtd in flies caused them to live longer, leading researchers to speculate that in humans excess expression of OXR1 might help extend lifespan. “Our next step is to identify specific compounds that increase the levels of OXR1 during aging to delay brain aging,” said Ellerby.

 “Hopefully from this we can get more of an idea of why our brains degenerate in the first place,” said Wilson.

“Diet impacts all the processes in your body,” he said. “I think this work supports efforts to follow a healthy diet, because what you eat is going to affect more than you know.”

Other Buck researchers involved in the study are: Sudipta Bar, Enrique Carrera, Brian Hodge, Tyler Hilsabeck, Joanna Bons, George Brownridge III, Jennifer Beck, Jacob Rose, Melia Granath-Panelo, Christopher Nelson, Grace Qi, Akos Gerencser, Jianfeng Lan, Rachel Brem and Birgit Schilling.

Acknowledgements: This work was supported in part through funds from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Larry L. Hillblom Foundation, and the National Centerrs of Competence in Research (NCCR).

COI: Kapahi is founder and a member of the scientific advisory board at Juvify Bio. The other authors have no conflicts of interest.

Abstract

OXR1 maintains the retromer to delay brain aging under dietary restriction

Dietary restriction (DR) delays aging, but the mechanism remains unclear. We identified polymorphisms in mtd, the fly homolog of OXR1, which influenced lifespan and mtd expression in response to DR. Knockdown in adulthood inhibited DR-mediated lifespan extension in female flies.

We found that mtd/OXR1 expression declines with age and it interacts with the retromer, which regulates trafficking of proteins and lipids. Loss of mtd/OXR1 destabilized the retromer, causing improper protein trafficking and endolysosomal defects.

Overexpression of retromer genes or pharmacological restabilization with R55 rescued lifespan and neurodegeneration in mtd-deficient flies and endolysosomal defects in fibroblasts from patients with lethal loss-of-function of OXR1 variants.

Multi-omic analyses in flies and humans showed that decreased Mtd/OXR1 is associated with aging and neurological diseases. mtd/OXR1 overexpression rescued age-related visual decline and tauopathy in a fly model. Hence, OXR1 plays a conserved role in preserving retromer function and is critical for neuronal health and longevity.

Playing an Instrument Linked to Better Brain Health in Older Adults

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Engaging in musical activities throughout one’s life may hold the key to maintaining cognitive sharpness in older age, suggests a groundbreaking study conducted by experts at the University of Exeter. Published findings from the ongoing PROTECT study shed light on the profound relationship between musicality and brain health, offering insights into the potential benefits of playing instruments or participating in choirs as individuals age.

The Harmony of Research: PROTECT Study Insights

Led by scientists at the University of Exeter, the PROTECT study stands as a pioneering endeavor, welcoming individuals aged 40 and above to contribute invaluable data for over a decade. With a cohort surpassing 25,000 participants, the study delves into the intricate interplay between lifestyle choices and cognitive well-being.

In their latest analysis, researchers scrutinized the musical experiences of over a thousand adults aged 40 and above, discerning the impact of musical engagement on cognitive vitality. By juxtaposing participants’ musical backgrounds with cognitive test results, the team aimed to unravel the nuances of how musical pursuits influence brain health as individuals age.

Key Findings: Music as a Melody of Cognitive Resilience

The results, resounding with promise, underscore the profound benefits of musical engagement on cognitive acuity, particularly in older adults. Among the key revelations, playing a musical instrument emerged as a potent catalyst for bolstering memory and enhancing executive function—the ability to tackle complex tasks with finesse.

Professor Anne Corbett, spearheading dementia research at the University of Exeter, elucidates, “Our PROTECT study has given us a unique opportunity to explore the relationship between cognitive performance and music in a large cohort of older adults. Overall, we think that being musical could be a way of harnessing the brain’s agility and resilience, known as cognitive reserve.”

Tuning into Lifelong Musicality

As the findings reverberate through the halls of scientific inquiry, they advocate for the integration of musical education into public health initiatives geared towards safeguarding brain health. Encouraging older adults to rediscover the joy of music in later life may serve as a pivotal strategy in fostering cognitive resilience and mitigating the risk of cognitive decline.

Blueprint

While acknowledging the need for further investigation, Professor Corbett emphasizes the potential of music group activities as a cornerstone of healthy aging initiatives. By embracing the transformative power of music, individuals can embark on a harmonious journey towards nurturing brain health and enriching their lives.

Echoes of Experience: Insights from Stuart Douglas

Stuart Douglas, a seasoned accordion player hailing from Cornwall, embodies the enduring synergy between music and cognitive vitality. Reflecting on his lifelong musical odyssey, Douglas attests to the profound impact of music on his cognitive well-being.

“I learnt to play the accordion as a boy living in a mining village in Fife,” Douglas reminisces. “These days I still play regularly, and playing in the band also keeps my calendar full, as we often perform in public. We regularly play at memory cafes so have seen the effect that our music has on people with memory loss, and as older musicians ourselves we have no doubt that continuing with music into older age has played an important role in keeping our brains healthy.”

Embracing the Overture of Cognitive Wellness

As the curtains rise on a new era of cognitive wellness, the resonance of music emerges as a timeless symphony of resilience and renewal. From the ivory keys of a piano to the spirited melodies of a choir, the transformative power of music invites individuals to embark on a harmonious journey towards vibrant brain health and enriched lives.

In the intricate tapestry of existence, let us heed the timeless refrain of melody and rhythm, embracing music as a beacon of hope and rejuvenation in the symphony of life.

Does intermittent fasting improve brain health?

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Want better focus? Healthy cognition as you age? Or maybe just a better chess game? Then brain health is probably on your agenda.

Brainpower on your wishlist? Explore the connection between intermittent fasting and cognitive fitness. Your focus game is about to level up!

Aside from cool sci-fi scenarios with a magic pill or technological plug-in that makes you a genius, how else can you improve and/or preserve your brain health?

Some promising research suggests that intermittent fasting can help you be healthier and happier, not just physically but mentally capable, well into old age. 

In this article, we’ll explore the science behind intermittent fasting for brain health.  

Key takeaways

  • Generally, brain health requires overall body health. So, starting with basic healthy behaviors is a foundation for cognitive well-being.
  • Fasting stimulates physiological changes that may benefit brain health in particular.
  • Some people report better mood and focus when fasting, but folks vary in how they feel. Experiment and see what you notice for yourself.
  • While fasting can be part of an overall healthy lifestyle, if you have a known cognitive or neurological condition, always consult your healthcare provider before making any changes.

Ready for a brain health boost? Take the SIMPLE quiz to gain access to a personalized fasting routine, insightful nutrition scores, and a supportive community. Your brain and wellness journey starts here!

The metabolic switch of fasting

To understand whether fasting can support brain health, it helps to understand how fasting works in the body.

There are many types of intermittent fasting. For more on types of fasting, please check out our article.

However, they all generally share a process that scientists informally call “flipping the metabolic switch.”[1] This occurs somewhere around 8–12 hours after your last meal, depending on several factors. 

With this switch, your body shifts from primarily using carbohydrate-based glycogen for energy to using stored fat from your fat tissues. This stored fat gets turned into substances called free fatty acids and then into ketones. 

Thus, you might know this state as being in ketosis.

Want to see your metabolic switch flip in real time? You can see when your body switches to “fat-burning mode” by checking the Metabolic Status indicator in the SIMPLE app while fasting.

Your brain on ketosis: how fasting changes your brain

Unlock the power of your mind with intermittent fasting! Embrace the beach vibes, stretch it out, and let your brain revel in the benefits of fasting.

Why does the body do this metabolic switch into ketosis? Short answer: your brain.

Your brain isn’t that big — about 2% of your body size — but it needs a lot of energy to run relative to its size: about 20%–25% of your total daily calorie needs.[2,3] (Hey, being a genius takes fuel!)

Famines and food shortages were common for most of human history. Our brains needed to come up with a way to get fuel when food was scarce. Being smart, of course, it did: ketosis.

Ketosis occurs when our body makes ketones, or ketoacids, from fats or proteins. Ketones can provide energy when other fuels aren’t available. 

During fasting, ketones made from stored body fat become the brain’s preferred energy source. Not only do they provide energy, but they may also help regulate important factors in the brain.

Boosting neuroplasticity with BDNF

Two key players are BHB (β-hydroxybutyrate) and AcAc (acetoacetate). These ketones are made in your liver during fasting and are sent to your brain. In animal studies, they seem to boost brain-derived neurotrophic factors (BDNF).[4] 

BDNF helps create new brain cells, strengthens connections between them, and makes your brain more resilient to stress.

(By the way, BDNF is also stimulated by exercise. So perhaps a morning fasted walk might be a nice little brain boost!)

However, the research in humans isn’t as strong right now. The results vary, with some studies showing that fasting reduces BDNF.[5] Other factors like measurement methods, sex, and health status play a role. 

So, we need more human research to draw some better conclusions. But animal studies look promising.

Fasting and autophagy

Intermittent fasting also helps your brain through a process called autophagy.

Autophagy is the process your body uses to break down and clear out damaged cells to make space for new ones. In the brain, this can mean tidying up damaged cells and cellular waste products.

Brief periods of fasting enhance the activity of genes linked to autophagy.[6] This suggests that intermittent fasting could potentially have a positive impact on autophagic activity. But since we don’t currently have a good way to measure autophagy in humans,  we still can’t say for sure.

While good housekeeping is important in general, it’s likely especially important as we age. Just as some of us tend to accumulate clutter in our homes as we get older and acquire more “stuff,” our brains can do the same, building up cellular “gunk” that may diminish cognition or contribute to neurodegeneration.

So, fasting may also be part of healthy brain aging.

Fasting and neurodegeneration

Fasting is being explored as part of the treatment or prevention of many neurodegenerative diseases (i.e., diseases where brain or nervous system tissues break down or don’t work as well) due to its potential for enabling ketosis, among other physiological processes.[4,7]

For instance, evidence from research on Alzheimer’s disease suggests that fasting may help reduce the buildup of harmful brain plaques and slow down memory loss. 

Although we’re not entirely sure why this works, some think it’s because intermittent fasting could activate pathways that make brain cells tougher and fight inflammation.[7] However, research in this area is still in its infancy, so it’s too soon to explain exactly how this works.

For Parkinson’s disease, intermittent fasting might offer some protection, too. 

Some smaller studies have shown promising results with Parkinson’s patients on ketogenic diets, but we need much more research to say for sure.[8]

Fasting and insulin

High circulating insulin levels — which can lead to insulin resistance, a situation where cells can’t effectively respond to the signal of insulin — are increasingly linked to worse brain health.[9]

By lowering circulating insulin, fasting may help alleviate this and indirectly support brain health.[10] Exercise also helps support insulin sensitivity in the brain, so there’s one more vote for those nice little fasted strolls![11–13]

If you’re ready to give intermittent fasting a try, take our SIMPLE quiz and start your fasting journey!

Will fasting make you smarter?

While there’s interesting evidence (mainly from animal studies) that fasting may slow neurodegenerative processes, it’s not clear whether it reliably boosts cognitive function in humans, especially neurotypical people (i.e., people with no diagnosed cognitive conditions or neurological variations).[14]

However, many people report feeling “sharper” when fasting. 

This is likely due to the release of catecholamine hormones such as adrenaline (epinephrine) and noradrenaline (norepinephrine), which are linked to alertness and focus.[15] 

On the other hand, other people report feeling “brain fog” with less focus and concentration.

Likely, there are individual variations in how fasting affects people’s cognitive performance, focus, and concentration. 

Take-home: Experiment and notice how you feel when you fast. 

  • Do you feel more alert and focused? If so, then fasting may be a good fit for times when you need more mental horsepower.
  • Do you feel fuzzy and foggy? If so, then perhaps time your fast, so you aren’t doing anything important during that period.

Will fasting make you happier?

Cheers to feeling fantastic! Explore the happiness boost of intermittent fasting. Lift your glass, enjoy the journey, and let the positive vibes flow.

What’s good for your brain (and the rest of your body) is good for your emotions, and intermittent fasting may also play a positive role here. 

Many people report feeling more energetic and positive while fasting.[15] In part, this may reflect the effects of dopamine, a neurotransmitter (brain chemical) involved in getting us motivated to seek rewards. 

In our evolutionary past, hunger motivated us to leave the safety of our burrows and go find food. The dopamine system is part of helping us take risks and get moving.[16] For some people, this activation of dopamine and surge of activity may help alleviate symptoms of depression.[17,18]

There’s also emerging evidence that fasting may play a role in helping alleviate some types of chronic pain, likely by working through some similar mechanisms, but research is in its infancy, and we look forward to seeing what may come out of this.[19,20]

Take-home: Try fasting out for yourself and observe how you feel during your fasts. Do you feel better? If so, great!

SIMPLE’s expert opinion and final thoughts

Body health contributes to brain health. So, all the healthy behaviors that support a healthy body also support a healthy brain. 

Notice how you feel and function while fasting. If you feel sharper, clearer, and more alert, that’s a great sign. If you feel fuzzier and more foolish, and it never improves, try adjusting your fasting window or exploring other approaches.

Try to cover all your brain health bases. Along with fasting, you can promote brain health with other healthy choices like:

  • good nutrition, especially omega-3s, antioxidants, B vitamins, and minerals, including magnesium and zinc from a range of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins[21]
  • regular exercise (at least 20 minutes a day of walking and some strength training is great)[22]
  • good sleep[23]
  • stress management[24]
  • time outside in nature[25]
  • strong and supportive relationships[26]

Make sure fasting is right for you. While fasting can be part of an overall healthy lifestyle, if you have a known cognitive or neurological condition, always consult your healthcare provider before making any changes. 

We also don’t recommend fasting for people who:

  • have type 1 diabetes
  • are currently pregnant or breastfeeding
  • are younger than 18 or 80 and older
  • are on certain medications, including ones for blood pressure or blood sugar lowering
  • have an eating disorder or disordered eating tendencies (or have a history of one)
  • have a BMI lower than 18.5

Research shows Lion’s mane mushroom can combat dementia and cognitive decline

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Currently, there are more than 55 million people who suffer from dementia worldwide, and nearly 10 million new cases of dementia are diagnosed each year. Cognitive decline has become such a pervasive issue in modern society; it has become normalized across the political spectrum. Some of today’s government officials show serious cognitive decline, and even the de facto President of the United States routinely stumbles around in a stupor, taking cues from handlers and mumbling incoherently at times.

Cognitive decline is a serious health issue worldwide, but in many cases, there are ways to reverse the damage, prevent the death of neurons and regenerate neuronal pathways. Lion’s mane mushroom is an important medicinal food that can promote the biosynthesis of nerve growth factor and effectively combat dementia.

Lion’s mane mushroom promotes the biosynthesis of nerve growth factor

A study published in Mycology finds that Lion’s mane mushroom (Hericium erinaceus) synthesizes two very important compounds for nerve growth – Hericenones and erinacines. These compounds are derived from the fruiting body and mycelium of the mushroom. Both compounds promote the biosynthesis of nerve growth factor (NGF) and therefore have value in the prevention and treatment of dementia.

Scientists have isolated two erinacine derivatives and two erinacine diterpenoids (Cyatha-3 and 12-diene with isomer) that promote NGF. Scientists have also demonstrated NGF-stimulating activity from three other compounds in Lion’s mane – Hericenones C, D and E. One of the compounds, 3-Hydroxyhericenone F, showed protective activity against endoplasmic reticulum stress-dependent Neuro2a cell death.

Two other species of the mushroom contained several compounds that promote nerve growth factor. Sarcodon scabrosus (A-F) and Sarcodon cyrneus (A-I, P, Q, J, R, K) all show promise for prevention and treatment of cognitive decline.

Interestingly, both the Hericenones and erinacines are low-molecular weight compounds that cross the blood-brain barrier with ease. The lion’s mane mushroom was designed at the molecular level to positively affect the brain and heal the nervous system, promoting peripheral nerve regeneration and advancing learning abilities into old age.

High blood sugar levels harden arteries, increasing risk of dementia

While there are ways to reverse cognitive decline through medicinal foods, the prevention of dementia should always be approached through a holistic perspective. When treating dementia, it’s equally important to eliminate the chemicals that are promoting cognitive decline. High blood sugar levels are known to harden the arteries, increasing the risk of blockages in the brain. Obstruction of blood flow to the brain can inhibit blood supply to the nerve cells, resulting in impaired brain function.

A study published in the Nutrition Journal found an association between regular consumption of sugary beverages and dementia risk. The study found that free sugars in beverages can increase dementia risk by upwards of 39 percent. The study included a dietary analysis from 186,622 participants from the UK Biobank cohort. The analysis spanned 206 types of food and 32 types of beverages consumed over the course of 10.6 years. The analysis found a correlation between fructose, glucose and sucrose (table sugar) and dementia risk. The free sugars in soda, fruit drinks and milk-based drinks were strongly related to dementia risk, while the sugars in tea and coffee showed minimal risk.

Herbal teas – including but not limited to: green tea, chamomile, lavender and lemon balm – are all wonderful alternatives to sugar-laden drinks. These beverages, when sweetened with plant-based stevia extract, also provide the body with antioxidants, polyphenols and theaflavins that fight free radicals and therefore protect the brain.

Dementia doesn’t have to plague the population and dumb down the people who are running our government and institutions. Advanced learning can continue into old age. Herbal teas can replace sugary beverages in the diet, thus protecting the brain. Medicinal foods like lion’s mane mushroom can heal damaged neurons while promoting new neuron growth.

5G Danger: 4 Ways 5G wireless technology can seriously harm human health

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Fifth generation (5G) networks, which are touted to support faster mobile connections, are actively being rolled out around the world. However, 5G produces radiofrequency (RF) radiation and electromagnetic energy fields (EMF), which are increasingly being recognized as new types of environmental pollution. They have also been linked to serious health issues.

Here are four reasons why Americans should be concerned about 5G networks being launched in thousands of cities across the United States.

EMF from 5G causes premature aging

Numerous studies have shown that exposure to EMF can cause rapid aging. Some have even estimated that it can reduce longevity by 10 to 15 years.

According to Dr. Martin Pall, an EMF scientist, EMF exposure leads to premature aging and causes damage to vital organs, such as the brain and the heart, as well as DNA because it triggers the formation of free radicals. Research pioneered by Pall exposed how EMF activates voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs), which regulate the flow of calcium ions in and out of cells.

This activation causes VGCCs to allow excess calcium to enter cells, resulting in the production of nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide. These chemicals readily react to form peroxynitrite and free radicals, which can cause oxidative stress. Oxidative stress damages cells and their components, especially proteins, lipids and DNA. It is also said to drive cellular aging by promoting inflammation.

EMF from 5G can cause early onset Alzheimer’s

Pall’s research has also linked EMF exposure to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. His work using animal models shows two possible mechanisms through which EMF can cause Alzheimer’s: via the excessive calcium signaling pathway and via the peroxynitrite/oxidative stress/inflammation pathway.

A study published in the journal Nature Reviews Neuroscience elaborates on the consequences of calcium dyshomeostasis, noting that “increased intracellular calcium elicits the characteristic lesions of this disorder [Alzheimer’s disease], including the accumulation of amyloid-B, the hyperphosphorylation of TAU and neuronal death.”

Meanwhile oxidative stress, which is characterized by an imbalance between free radical production and antioxidant defense, is said to play a major role in the process of neurodegeneration and cognitive decline, especially among the elderly. Numerous studies have shown that the brain tissues of people with Alzheimer’s disease are heavily exposed to oxidative stress.

“EMFs act via peak electric and time varying magnetic forces at a nanosecond time scale,” explained Pall. With each increase in pulse modulation produced by EMF-emitting devices, such as smart meters, smart cell phones and 5G technology, such peaks are considerably increased as well, resulting in what Pall describes as the ultimate nightmare — extremely early onset Alzheimer’s disease.

Pall also highlighted human genetic and pharmacological studies that show high VGCC activity increasing the incidence of Alzheimer’s in humans. Because exposure to EMF, which is freely emitted by 5G networks, directly increases VGCC activity that triggers oxidative stress, it can be considered an important cause of Alzheimer’s disease. (Related: 5G is a weapons system designed to KILL people, says weapons expert Mark Steele.)

Pulsed wave radiation from 5G smart meters causes brain damage

Instead of continuous wave radiation, wireless smart meters emit pulsed wave radiation, a feature unique to them. This means that they alternate between emitting a burst of EMF and temporarily being inactive. According to court documents and testimony from Pacific Gas and Electric Company of California, smart meters on average produce pulsed waves between 9,600 and 190,000 times per day.

Pulsed wave EMFs have been shown to be more dangerous for humans than continuous wave EMFs. Animal studies suggest that the application of short, high-power RF pulses can cause significant brain damage, most notably abnormalities in the structure and function of dopamine synapses in the hippocampus.

Dopamine transmission in the brain, which is mediated by dopamine synapses, is involved in motor control and reward processing. Dysfunction of these synapses can lead to various psychiatric and neurological disorders in humans. In animal models, this has been linked to Parkinson’s disease.

5G can cause DNA alterations and cancer

5G has been reported to use millimeter waves (MMW) frequencies in the 24 to 100 GHz range. These frequencies are very high with extremely short (millimeter range) wavelengths, hence the name. MMW frequencies, especially at high doses, have been shown to alter the secondary structure and expression of DNA, which could have unfavorable consequences for human health.

In an article published in the journal Oncology Letters, Swedish researchers highlighted the fact that 252 EMF scientists from 43 countries have found sufficient evidence that “RF-EMF affects living organisms at levels well below most international and national guidelines.” Some of the serious health issues linked to RF-EMF emitted by 5G include “increased cancer risk, cellular stress, increase in harmful free radicals, genetic damages, structural and functional changes of the reproductive system, learning and memory deficits, neurological disorders, and negative impacts on general well-being in humans.”

A study published in the Journal of Biomedical Physics Engineering also called attention to the fact that MMW irradiation has been found to trigger biological responses within the skin that negatively affect the heart, immune system and nervous system in the long run. In addition, absorption of 5G radiation through the skin triggers excessive production of free radicals, which increases the risk of skin cancer.

Studies have shown that free radicals can cause DNA base damage and strand breaks. They can also damage tumor suppressor genes and promote the expression of pro-cancer genes. In turn, free radical-induced DNA damages increase the rates of DNA mutation, decrease genomic stability and trigger apoptosis, or programmed cell death. Cancer and atherosclerosis, in particular, are “salient free radical diseases” that could be triggered by heightened exposure to 5G radiation. (Related: 5G Danger: Hundreds of respected scientists sound the alarm about health effects as 5G networks go up nationwide.)

The push for 5G in America comes with significant risks to public health and safety. Learn more about the dangers of 5G and smart meters at 5GAlert.com.

Watch this video about the hidden dangers of 5G.

https://www.brighteon.com/embed/6d908021-88a9-483a-a554-8cfd01e2b558

This video is from TheMoreUKnow channel on Brighteon.com.

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Poor Oral Health Tied to Worse Brain Health

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Proper care of teeth and gums may offer benefits beyond oral health, including improving brain health, new research suggests.

In a large observational study of middle-aged adults without stroke or dementia, poor oral health was strongly associated with multiple neuroimaging markers of white matter injury.

“Because the neuroimaging markers evaluated in this study precede and are established risk factors of stroke and dementia, our results suggest that oral health, an easily modifiable process, may be a promising target for very early interventions focused on improving brain health,” wrote the authors, led by Cyprien Rivier, MD, MS, with the Department of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.

The study was published online on December 20, 2023, in Neurology.

Research data came from 40,175 adults (mean age, 55 years; 53% women) with no history of stroke or dementia who enrolled in the UK Biobank from 2006 to 2010 and had brain MRI between 2014 and 2016.

Altogether, 5470 (14%) participants had poor oral health, defined as the presence of dentures or loose teeth. Those with poor (vs optimal) oral health were older, more likely to be male, and had higher prevalence of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, overweight/obesity, and current or past smoking history.

In a multivariable model, poor oral health was associated with a 9% increase in white matter hyperintensity (WMH) volume (P < .001), a well-established marker of clinically silent cerebrovascular disease.

Poor oral health was also associated with a 10% change in aggregate fractional anisotropy (FA) score (P < .001) and a 5% change in aggregate mean diffusivity (MD) score (P < .001), two diffusion tensor imaging metrics that accurately represent white matter disintegrity.

Genetic analyses using Mendelian randomization confirmed these associations. Individuals who were genetically prone to poor oral health had a 30% increase in WMH volume (P < .001), 43% change in aggregate FA score (P < .001), and 10% change in aggregate MD score (P < .01), the researchers reported.

These findings, they noted, add to prior epidemiologic evidence for an association between poor oral health and a higher risk for clinical outcomes related to brain health, including cognitive decline.

‘Huge Dividends’

The authors of an accompanying editorial praised the authors for looking at the consequences of poor oral health in a “new and powerful way by using as their outcome MRI-defined white matter injury, which is associated with, but antedates by many years, cognitive decline and stroke.”

“The fact that these imaging changes are seen in asymptomatic persons offers the hope that if the association is causal, interventions to improve oral health could pay huge dividends in subsequent brain health,” wrote Steven Kittner, MD, MPH, and Breana Taylor, MD, with the Department of Neurology, University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore.

“The mechanisms mediating the relationship between the oral health genetic risk score and white matter injury are likely to be complex, but the authors have taken an important step forward in addressing a hypothesis of immense public health importance,” they added.

Data from the World Health Organization suggested that oral diseases, which are largely preventable, affect nearly 3.5 billion people globally, with three out of four people affected in middle-income countries.