“20 Must-Know Facts to Harness Neuroplasticity and Improve Brain Health”

As a brain tumor survivor, I am constantly on the lookout for ways to improve my brain health. I am also a sucker for lists on how to improve myself. So I found this list of “20 Must-Know Facts to Harness Neuroplasticity and Improve Brain Health” written by Alvaro Fernandez, CEO of SharpBrains, helpful, insightful and inspiring. Here’s a link: http://www.creativitypost.com/science/20_must_know_facts_to_harness_neuroplasticity_and_improve_brain_health

1. There is more than one “It” in “Use It or Lose It” -- our performance depends on a variety of brain functions and cognitive skills, not just one (be it "attention" or "memory" or any other).
2. Genes do not determine the fate of our brains. Thanks to lifelong neuroplasticity, our lifestyles are as important as our genes--if not more-- in how our brains grow and our minds evolve.
3. We need to pay more attention to Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) to verify whether any intervention causes an effect, and under what specific circumstances -- The media is doing quite a poor job, in our view, to educate the general public.
4. The largest recent RCT (the ongoing FINGER study) and a 2010 systematic review of all relevant RCTs provide useful guidance: First, they report a protective effect of social and cognitive engagement, physical exercise, and the Mediterranean diet. Second, the average benefits at the population level appear quite limited, so we need to have realistic expectations.
5. Physical exercise and increased fitness promote brain functioning through a variety of mechanisms, including increased brain volume, blood supply and growth hormone levels.
6. Cardiovascular exercise that gets the heart beating – from walking to skiing, tennis and basketball – seems to bring the greatest brain benefits; thirty to sixty minutes per day, three days a week, seems to be the best regimen.
7. Mental stimulation strengthens the connections between neurons (synapses), improving neuron survival and cognitive functioning. Mental stimulation also helps build cognitive reserve, helping the brain better cope with potential AD pathology.
8. Routine activities do not challenge the brain. Keeping up the challenge requires going to the next level of difficulty, or trying something new.
9. The only leisure activity that has been associated with reduced cognitive function is watching television.
10. Brain training can work, putting the "cells that fire together wire together" to good use, but available RCTs suggest some key conditions must be met to transfer to real-life benefits.
11. The brain needs a lot of energy: It extracts approximately 50% of the oxygen and 10% of the glucose from arterial blood.
12. The Mediterranean Diet, supplemented with olive oil and nuts, is associated with decreased risk of cognitive decline.
13. Moderate doses of caffeine increase alertness but there is no clear sustained lifetime health benefit (or harm).
14. Light-to-moderate alcohol consumption seems to lower the risk of dementia.
15. Taking "brain supplements" of any kind does not seem to boost cognitive function or reduce risks of cognitive decline or dementia, unless directed to address an identified deficiency.
16. The larger and the more complex a person’s social network is, the bigger the amygdala (which plays a major role in our behavior and motivation). There is no clear evidence to date on whether "online" relationships are fundamentally different from "offline" ones in this regard.
17. Chronic stress reduces and can even inhibit neurogenesis. Memory and general mental flexibility are impaired by chronic stress.
18. There is increasing evidence that meditation and biofeedback can successfully teach users to self-regulate physiological stress responses.
19. We will not have a Magic Pill or General Solution to solve all our cognitive challenges any time soon, so a holistic multi-pronged approach is recommended, centered around nutrition, stress management, and both physical and mental exercise.
20. Having said that, no size fits all, so it's critical to understand and address individual needs, priorities and starting points.

Copyright: <a href='http://www.123rf.com/profile_mrspopman'>mrspopman / 123RF Stock Photo</a>

AARP’s “Eat Your Way to Brain Health” Advice

The first sentence in this AARP article says it all:  “The research is clear: What you eat has a big impact on your brain. In fact, the right foods — and combinations of foods — can enhance memory, build new brain cells and even help ward off Alzheimer's.”

Author Amy Paturel reports that "Scientists are increasingly examining whole food groups — and diets — to determine which ones contribute to better cognition and which seem to hinder it. They've found that certain eating plans — including the Mediterranean diet, the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet and a hybrid of the two, dubbed the MIND diet — can help stave off cognitive decline and protect the brain against disease."

I need to stave off my cognitive decline as I’m worried that someday soon my wife is just going to put me on a stool in a corner of the kitchen and occasionally dust me off as I lapse into senility.

I especially like that Ms. Paturel highlights these four food groups that can provide significant complementary brain health improvements:

1. Olive oil, green tea and leafy greens (broccoli, spinach and kale)
2. Beets, tomatoes and avocados
3. Nuts (especially walnuts), curcumin and pomegranates
4. Fish, blueberries, grapes, coffee and dark chocolate

Here’s a link to the article: http://www.aarp.org/health/brain-health/info-2015/brain-diet.html

The Mediterranean Diet: Healthier Looking Brains

From the Wall Street Journal, here’s their report on a study that’s trying to better understand the food-brain health link.  In this case, study participants had brain scans and those who adhered more closely to the Mediterranean Diet had healthier-looking brains.  How so? Their brains had fewer “markers” that seemed similar to lesions.

Here’s the link: http://online.wsj.com/video/the-best-foods-for-thought-literally/4AC8D42C-D9C2-44EC-A66C-F4E1205826CC.html?KEYWORDS=Best+foods+for+thought (Sorry, you have to view a commercial first)

Has this made me change my mind about how I eat?  Well, no, because I did make a big, stomping moussaka the other night which, unlike the Mediterranean Diet guidelines, had an awfully lot of lamb in it.

As a reminder, the Mediterranean Diet primarily focuses on fish and seafood, veggies, nuts and lots of olive oil. Here’s the Mayo Clinic’s description of the diet: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mediterranean-diet/CL00011

All this reminds me, though, of Ms. Strauch, her book entitled The Secret Life of the Grown-up Brain, and her observation that this "better diet = better brains" playground is a tricky, complex arena in which to find simple, straightforward answers…no matter how much we yearn for them.