Habits that damage your brain. When it comes to our health, we don't
always think about taking care of our brains the way we take care of our bodies. We tend to focus
on other parts of the body and overlook the brain which is responsible for all bodily functions.
Take a look at some of these daily habits that are doing serious damage to your brain.
1. Consuming too much sugar Include brain damage to the things we
already associate with a high sugar intake like type 2 diabetes, dental cavities and obesity.
So you may be asking; How does taking too much candy affect your brain?
Taking sugar in excessive amounts for a long period of time messes with the body’s ability
to absorb proteins and nutrients. This might consequently lead to malnutrition which deters
brain development. This happens because the body lacks enough nutrients in the bloodstream
and therefore is unable to deliver sufficient nutrients to the brain,
which then deters its growth and development. Eating too many sweets can damage your memory
and ability to think, so sticking to alternatives like anti-oxidant-rich sweets like dark chocolate
and raspberries would be a much better choice for both your brain and your waistline.
2. Not getting enough sleep Insufficient sleep is a huge
problem for many busy professionals. Depriving oneself of sleep can result in several issues
such as extreme daytime drowsiness, depression and impaired memory. Recent studies reveal that
not getting enough sleep can actually decrease the size of your brain. The hippocampus is
the part of the brain that suffers when you don’t get enough sleep. Even a single night
of inadequate sleep can interfere with the brain’s ability to recall new information.
A number of studies have shown that the brain cleanses itself of toxics only during the sleep
cycle. Lack of sleep can also cause the death of brain cells which slows down your thinking,
impairs your memory, concentration, judgement and decision making and hinders learning.
3. Playing loud music with earphones or headphones People naturally tend to crank up the volume. It
makes the music sound more fun and immersive. If you constantly listen to music at a very
high volume with your earphones or headphones you should stop doing it because it can damage
your hearing. But it’s not just your ears that are affected. Hearing loss in older
people is connected to brain problems such as loss of brain tissue and Alzheimer’s.
When your brain has to make an extra effort to understand what someone’s saying it can’t store
what you’ve heard into memory. So protect your hearing by adjusting the volume of your earphones
for it’s a great way to preserve your hearing and permits your brain to function better.
Headphonesty.com suggested one to test to ensure your volume is not too loud.
The digital headphone magazine recommends that one should take off their headphones, keeping them at
your preferred volume and then hold them out in front of you at arm’s length. If you can hear the
music clearly then you should try turning it down and repeating the process. They also said that
you should aim to take regular breaks throughout the day to give your ears enough time to relax.
4. Skipping breakfast Many people choose to skip
breakfast probably because they’re on a diet or to save time. Not many people know that missing
breakfast could damage your brain. The body needs enough nutrients after a good night’s
sleep and so skipping breakfast denies the brain of these essential nutrients.
A Japanese study of over 80,000 subjects over a period of 15 years
revealed that participants who frequently skipped breakfast increased their chances
of having a stroke and high blood pressure. Another study showed that children who took
breakfast on a regular basis perform much better in school than those who don’t.
Skipping breakfast lowers blood glucose levels which adversely affects the brain’s functioning.
So before you leave your house in the morning, remember to have a bite to eat.
5. Eating too much food Overindulging in food makes us gain weight,
feel boated and increases our chances of having life threatening diseases. But one fact that you
might be unaware of is that it can also do serious damage to your brain.
It hardens the brain arteries hence harming our mental capabilities. Studies have shown
that a prolonged high-calorie diet can in fact increase a person’s risk of developing memory loss
or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) later in life. A study published in the journal Neurology in 2012
examined 6,000 people who were 50 years old on average.
The same participants were examined a decade later, and the ones who were overweight had a 22%
higher deterioration of their cognitive functions as compared to their slimmer counterparts.
6. Sleeping with your head under the cover Oxygen is very essential for normal brain
functioning. The less air you inhale, the poorer your brain functions.
A situation you create where you breathe in less than 20.95% of oxygen is when you sleep
with a blanket or comforter over your head. Is it all warm and cosy when you bury yourself
under the covers? Certainly. Does it help to decrease the annoying effects of too
much light or sound first thing in the morning? Of course it does. But it will result in an elevated
intake of carbon dioxide which means you’re increasing the risk of damaging your brain cells.
7. Multitasking You’ve probably heard
that multitasking has a negative effect on your productivity. It turns out that doing this also
scrambles your brain and makes you less effective. A neurologist at MIT and one the world’s experts
when it comes to divided attention, Earl Miller said that our brains are not wired to multitask
well. When people think they’re multitasking they’re actually switching from one activity
to the other real quick. And every time they do there’s a cognitive cost. The habit of
multitasking also increases the stress hormone cortisol as well as the fight or flight hormone
adrenaline which can overstimulate your brain and can cause mental fog or scrambled thinking.
Researchers at Stanford University have discovered that people who are bombarded
with multiple streams of digital information regularly have more pronounced problems recalling
information and paying attention when compared to people who complete one activity at a time.
8. Inadequate water intake The body is made up of approximately 70% of water,
so it’s vital to every bodily function including brain function. When your brain
is functioning on a full reserve of water, you will be able to think faster, be more focused,
and experience greater clarity and creativity. Water is also essential for delivering nutrients
to the brain and for eliminating toxins. When the brain is fully hydrated, the exchange of nutrients
and toxins will be more efficient—thus ensuring better concentration and mental alertness.
The effect dehydration has on the brain is almost immediate with researchers saying
that even two hours of intense exercise without water can cause a cognitive decline. Studies also
show that dehydration had the most impact on functions like complex problem-solving,
coordination and attention. The brain needs sufficient water
to think faster and focus better. So it’s very important that you stay hydrated all the time.
Drinking water benefits both your body and brain enabling them to function better.
9. Smoking This is most likely the
most harmful habit that indulging in it has on your brain. Smoking not only causes lung
diseases or even heart disease, but it also has a lot of negative effects on your brain. Smoking
damages cell membranes and neural viability in certain areas of the brain that manage balance,
coordination and both fine and gross motor skills. Not only that, but it also thins the cortex where
processes such as language, memory and perception occur. It can also lead to problems like dementia,
Alzheimer’s and maybe even death. Smoking excessively causes neuroinflammation indirectly,
which can cause an autoimmune disorder known as Multiple Sclerosis or MS.
10. Consuming alcohol
Alcohol begins affecting a person’s brain the moment it enters the bloodstream. For someone
who is healthy, the liver quickly filters the alcohol, helping the body get rid of it. However,
when someone drinks excessively, the liver cannot filter the alcohol fast enough,
and this triggers immediate changes in the brain; often known as getting drunk.
Alcohol causes chemical imbalances when consumed for longer periods of time and larger quantities.
Brain volume also decreases due to chronic alcohol intake.
There are some subtle differences in how brain damage occurs in men and women,
but regardless of gender, loss of brain matter increases with age and amount of alcohol consumed.
More than two units a day for men and one unit a day for ladies is considered excess alcohol.
11. Working when sick If ever need an excuse
to get out of work, well here's one. We often fall sick when we’re overworked.
If you continue working during an illness, it’s bound to take a toll on the brain’s
efficiency and this only adds to the stress. A certain study showed that participants who
had developed a cold reported less alertness, more negative moods and sluggish thinking. A
second round of tests also revealed that they reacted slowly and were slower at learning
new information and completing tasks dealing with verbal reasoning and semantic processing.
When we’re sick the body and the brain are already working overtime to cope with the infection.
Working while sick only adds to the burden so take a break, relax and get better.
12. Not exercising Exercise affects the brain immensely.
It increases your heart rate, which pumps more oxygen to the brain. It also helps in the bodily
release of a number of hormones, all of which participate in aiding and providing a conducive
environment for the growth of brain cells. Exercising is also known to decrease stress levels
in the body and also increases mobility and makes you more flexible. If you don’t exercise enough,
your mobility and motor skills begin to decline in one way or another.
Studies also show that exercise helps to keep us younger by releasing endorphins which are
happy hormones. All in all, exercise strengthens your heart and your lungs, not just the brain.
If you’re concerned with the well-being of your brain and the quality of your
thinking either now or in the future you need to learn to take care of your brain.
A few changes to the way you’re living your life could go a long way in boosting your memory,
learning, mental resilience and the health of your brain overall.
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