Am I going MAD...? 5 key ingredients to keeping our brains happy and healthy for longer
Updated: Sep 10
The term “mad” was widely considered acceptable within the medical profession to describe mentally ill patients until 200 years ago, when this was largely replaced with the term “dementia”. However, in 2013, the term was updated again to “neurocognitive disorder” (NCD) which better encapsulates the decline in mental ability, whilst attempting to minimise the stigma that normally comes with it.
Major NCD pertains to those that are suffering from significant cognitive loss - enough to detrimentally affect daily living; whilst Minor NCD refers to those that are suffering from a modest cognitive decline but can live independently.
NCD is unique to the person experiencing it and diagnosed based on where in the brain the degeneration is most prolific and on the symptoms being experienced. The term encapsulates ALL degenerative brain diseases, including Alzheimer's (abnormal build-up of plaques and proteins in the brain) which is the leading cause of NCD in the UK.
Other causes of NCD include;
vascular disease (reduced blood flow)
Lewy Body Dementia (abnormal build-up of proteins)
Fronto-temporal dementia (shrinkage)
Mixed dementia (a mixture of the above)
Associated risk factors
Age is the biggest risk factor
Physical brain damage and/or smaller repetitive trauma (boxing, rugby)
Medical conditions such as thyroid issues, Vit B issues, encephalitis and HIV related infections
Lifestyle factors such as smoking, obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and prolongued stress
In most cases, NCD is not directly inherited but certain genes may increase the risk.
Did you know that NCD is the
number one cause of death for women in the UK?
We all know that exercising the body is good for us, especially as we get older and the body's innate ability to bounce back starts to slow down. We need a healthy functioning body to enable us to physically do all the activities that we love for as long as we possibly can.
But it doesn’t seem to be as widely acknowledged that our brains could do with the same level of love and attention. And when you consider that it’s the brain that controls all bodily functions, this seems like a huge oversight.
The good news is that there is lots we can do to help keep our brains healthy but let’s first understand which part of the brain needs our love and attention the most.
The hippocampus
Say hello to the hippocampus (aka sea horse)
(Latin: hippos - horse / kampos - sea monster)
The hippocampus got its name from an Italian surgeon and anatomist who discovered it in 1587 and felt it looked like a seahorse.
The hippocampus is a very small part of the brain with a very big job, and we have two of them embedded deep within our temporal lobes; one on each side.
Together they help us to build and develop self-awareness of our environment, so we can confidently navigate our way around, to verbally connect with others using the right words at the right time and to store short and long-term memories.
To function effectively and efficiently, the hippocampus requires a consistently high flow of nutrient-rich, oxygenated blood. As we age, this naturally slows down, which is why we sometimes forget the odd word or struggle to recall a name. This is totally normal.
However if any of the associated risk factors listed above are at play, they may complicate and/or accelerate symptoms.
SO, what can we do to help ourselves?
It seems that there are five key ingredients to developing and maintaining a healthy brain, all helpfully beginning with the letter S.
Stress
Did you know that this term actually encompasses two very different types of stress?
The first is Eu-stress which is the motivating, excited feeling that boosts motivation, enhances performance and helps you rise to the challenge.
Di-stress, on the other hand, leaves you feeling overwhelmed, exhausted and detrimentally affects your ability to perform.
Distress is what we are talking about here.
In times of distress, the body releases higher levels of cortisol to help you cope. This is fine in the short term, and the body will quickly return to normal once the stressful issue has passed. However, lots of big, short-term stressful situations (grief, moving house, losing job) or, more typically, long-term, low-level stressors (money worries, family issues, illness) can cause sustained levels of cortisol to circulate and this can damage the hippocampus.
So, anything you can do to minimise your own levels of stress can help. Sharing how you feel? Reaching out or asking for help? Doing something you love and that brings you joy. A change, however small, is always better than no change.
Sugar
High levels of sugar in your diet can have a hugely negative effect on the hippocampus too. It can cause localised inflammation, and it can reduce the ability of the stem cells to proliferate, differentiate and mature into new cells (neurogenesis) which will ultimately cause the hippocampus to shrink. Simply being more mindful of what, when and why we reach for sugary foods can help.
As an alternative to processed sugars, honey can be used sparingly to sweeten drinks and dishes, and natural spices such as cinnamon, ginger or cocoa can boost flavour when needed. It’s not about cutting things out completely, it’s about bringing some awareness and balance.
Your hippocampus will be grateful.
Sleep
In 2012, evidence of a glymphatic system arose. This system flushes cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) through perivascular spaces in the head to clear out toxins and waste materials (including sugars and fats) to help keep the brain healthy. The glymphatic system functions best during sleep so a good night’s sleep is absolutely crucial.
Some simple ideas to help include:
No screen time for at least an hour before sleep
Journalling before bed so your notebook keeps a record of any worries or outstanding tasks for you
Regular times for bed
Keep bedroom cool, dark and quiet
Limit caffeine and alcohol
Create a bedtime routine - read, meditation, gentle yoga, warm bath
Regular exercise during the day
Strength
This might come as a bit of a surprise, but that exercise that we briefly mentioned earlier can have a significantly positive effect on your brain health too. And you really don't need a gym for this one. You can get creative at home. You can use cans and bottles as weights and set your own targets. Or buy velcro weight straps to attach around your wrists and/or ankles so you weight train as you go about your daily tasks.
Any strength training, particularly resistance training, has been shown to increase the size of the hippocampus and protect against age-related decline.
Unsurprisingly, a regular yoga and meditation practise can really help too and has actually been shown to reverse shrinkage of the hippocampus and to promote growth instead.
And spending a little time every day on an activity specifically for the brain can also help too. Flex your mental muscles by learning something new, doing a crossword or working on a puzzle. Be creative… it all helps.
Social
Humans are wired for connection so having a core group of people that we regularly see and talk to is invaluable for brain health. Isolation has a very noticeable impact on the size and functionality of our hippocampus and has been shown to accelerate shrinkage.
Anything that brings you into contact with others is good. Some ideas include joining a book group, volunteering, joining a class to learn a new skill, or refresh an old one, and organising a regular meet up with friends, neighbours or family. Even a chat over the garden fence is good.
Sadly, there are too many stories about the living loss of a parent or friend to NCD but the message here is that it’s not predestined to be our fate. There is so much we can do to minimise the chances of it happening to us. Our body has an innate ability to find its way back to health and by implementing some of these changes, sooner rather than later, we can help it do that.
Anyone fancy a pottery class?
