Although sometimes we do activities and try to eat certain foods to help our memory and prevent our brain from deteriorating, there are some habits that we are not aware of that actually harm it.
Here we tell you the details of what you should avoid doing too often to help your brain avoid deterioration and keep it stable and healthy:
1. Poor diet
Experts suggest that eating an unbalanced diet that is rich in foods that are bad for the brain can accelerate cognitive decline.
Conversely, “Existing studies point to the idea that we can reduce the chance of dementia by avoiding foods that compromise our gut bacteria and weaken our memory” explains Uma Naidoo, a nutritional psychiatrist at Harvard.
Following a Mediterranean diet, such as green leafy vegetables, eggs, avocado, oily fish, yogurt, nuts, tea, red meat and fruits such as blueberries, is a good option for the brain and memory.
2. Sedentary lifestyle
Some studies suggest that a sedentary lifestyle may accelerate age-related memory decline and increase the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s. The specialized site ‘The mind is wonderful’ points out that “it is suggested that 13% of Alzheimer’s cases worldwide might be attributed to a sedentary lifestyle”.
3. Soledad
Various studies have found correlations between loneliness and decreased memory and poorer cognitive function in general. The Pasqual Maragall Foundation, dedicated to scientific research on Alzheimer’s, indicates that “interacting with other people helps us keep neural connections active and is key to our well-beingr”.
4. Stress
Mayo Clinic experts tell us that: “Stress, anxiety, or depression can cause forgetfulness, confusion, difficulty concentrating, and other problems that interrupt daily activities”.
5. Smoking
A study conducted by the Arizona Translational Genomics Research Institute of 70,000 people found that smoking impairs verbal learning and memory significantlyespecially in women (who are also more prone to Alzheimer’s).
6. Not controlling diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol
According to experts, not controlling cardiovascular risk factors, diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol or obesity can affect memory. A study published in the journal Neurology tells us that: “People with type 2 diabetes have blood flow regulation problems. Our results suggest that diabetes and blood sugar impose a chronic negative effect on cognitive and decision-making abilities.”.
7. Do not challenge the mind
It is important to constantly stimulate the brain, like any other muscle. To prevent Alzheimer’s, the Pasqual Maragall Foundation says: “Offering challenges to the mind helps maintain our cognitive reserve, learn new skills, do crossword puzzles, read, sign up for workshops or courses”.
8. Not getting enough sleep
It has been mentioned many times how necessary sleep is for the health of the gray matter, and this naturally affects our memory. Researchers from the Functional Neuroscience Laboratory of the Pablo de Olavide University (UPO) showed that halving the night’s sleep time (only 4 hours) affects the formation of new memories the next day.
9. Alcoholism
Countless research has been done showing that alcohol has negative effects on the brain, such as reducing brain volume, and also affects memory. Harvard expert warns regarding alcohol and memory: “While drinking can make them relax in the moment, they pay for it the next morning, when they wake up nervous with brain fog.”.
