Keeping the Mind Sharp

As we age, we may begin to notice that our brain is not as sharp as it once was.  Or perhaps, this is one of the worries of what lies ahead of us as we age.  People experience mild cognitive decline in different ways - reduced memory, slower processing, poor balance, less focus, or hard to find words or remember names.  

There can be a number of influences acting upon the brain when we experience a reduction in function, including an exaggerated immune response causing low-grade inflammation, poor blood flow, dysregulated glucose metabolism or high oxidative stress.  For women, a reduction in the protective effects of oestrogen during peri- and menopause can also impact on the ability of the brain to rebuild and repair, and support a healthy blood supply - hence why cognitive changes can occur around menopause.

While traditional views would have us believe this is “part of growing older”, there is research into ways that we can reduce these processes to support a healthy brain throughout our life.  And (spoiler alert) they are not about ‘brain training’!

While brain training type apps or games may see our performance improve in those particular activities, research has shown that does not necessarily transfer to an improvement in everyday life.  On the other hand, giving our brain a workout through learning a new language or skill, dancing, playing chess or getting creative have all been shown as useful ways to use your downtime to support better brain function.

The brain-gut connection and our gut microbiome get plenty of attention these days - and for good reason!  This strong connection is not just about mood regulation and stress response regulation through the gut, but our learning processes and memory have also been found to be regulated through our gut microbiome.  The microbiome in our mouth also has a strong influence on mental function, and interestingly - chewing gum has shown a positive effect on both the microbiome and memory function in a number of studies.

We can also support the brain through what we eat.  A balanced, fresh diet such as Mediterranean, DASH or MIND diets are great approaches to a whole way of eating.  But you can also just tweak what you currently eat, such as adding more fruit or vegetables, reducing saturated fat from meat and dairy, and increasing omega-3 fats from fish. The brain loves getting protein, and particularly those from plant sources.  

Keeping to a regular eating schedule can also help the brain, which thrives on a routine.  The same goes for our sleep patterns.  By maintaining a regular sleep-wake cycle, the brain can better prepare for and support sleep.  While we sleep, new brain connections are made, memories consolidated, and repairs are made.  A specialised detoxification system in the brain also clears out waste three times faster while we sleep.  Combined, this makes sleep a wonderful tonic for the brain.

As you can probably guess, daily physical activity paired with purposeful regular exercise will also benefit the brain as it acts on all those influences on our brain health - reducing inflammation, improving glucose regulation and blood flow.  While deciding to exercise is one approach, deciding to break your relationship with sitting could also be a great place to start for your brain.  Studies have shown that the memory section of the brain reduces relative to the time spent sitting each day.  And no amount of other exercise can reverse this effect from sitting throughout the day.  Making sure you get up for 10 minutes out of every hour in the chair can help your brain to stay sharp!

• Don’t sit for more than an hour at a time

• Include fresh fruit and vegetables, fish, nuts, and plant-based proteins in your diet

• Stick to a daily schedule for eating and sleeping

• Chew gum after meals

• Eat fermented foods

• Challenge your body with new activities

• Learn something new

Article written by Claire George, one of our staff naturopaths who has a passion for the brain and its many function.  Claire is also available for Neuro Integration appointments which can assist to reinforce brain connections for keeping the mind sharp.