Topic: brain health

Plan To Booze It Up Soon? Why You Should Hit The Gym First

Fitness freaks and workout buffs are less likely to experience the damage to the brain’s all-important white matter that heavy drinking typically brings. More »

The Type Of Stress That’s Actually Good For You

“Stress can be something that makes you better, but it is a question of how much, how long and how you interpret or perceive it.”
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Mediterranean Diet Decoded: What’s On The Menu For Mediterranean Dieters

Because no one “created” the Mediterranean diet, it doesn’t contain the kind of strict rules and exclusions that many diet plans do. So what does one on a Mediterranean diet actually eat? Here’s a look at the daily diet regiment used in a new Spanish study on the Mediterranean diet’s health benefits. More »

Scientists Discover Novel Neuro-Protein That Protects Starved Brain Cells From Death

The human brain is truly an amazing organ, and researchers have just discovered one more amazing thing about it: A mechanism used to protect and keep nerve cells alive even when they’re starved of oxygen and nutrients. More »

Cannabis Compound Could Help With Alzheimer’s Disease

Neuroscientists suspect the main active ingredient in cannabis, called cannabidiol, could help prevent or reverse early stage brain damage and memory loss from Alzheimer’s disease.
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Kudos To Former NFL Player Thomas Jones For Raising Awareness About Football Brain Injuries

Thomas Jones, a former running back in the NFL, has announced plans to donate his brain to science after he dies. Why? He’s spearheading an effort to raise awareness about the risks of playing football, including the affects of multiple concussions. An issue that’s definitely something to be cognizant of as you’re watching tomorrow’s Super Bowl, or any football game. More »

Study Shows Clogged Arteries Hurt Heart And Brain Functioning

A large new study showed older women with heart disease were three times as likely to suffer from mild cognitive impairment, a type of noticeable but not debilitating trouble with thinking and mental processing that’s often a precursor to dementia. More »

Exercise Your Brain: Movement, Not Meat, Made Humans Smarter (And Still Does)

The idea that carnivorous cooking took us from cavemen to CEOs has been floating around for a while. But recent research suggests that it may be exercise — not meat eating — that helped humans grow bigger brains and gain intelligence. More »

This Is Your Brain On Fatty Foods

A new study analyzing what happens to your brain when you eat fatty food confirmed that not only are donuts and fries not great for your arteries; they’re also not the best brain food, either. They found that junk food actually changes your brain, spiking certain chemicals and and possibly causing symptoms of anxiety and depression. And the worst part is that cutting yourself off from fatty food can also cause withdrawal. More »

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The Number 1 Thing You Can Do To Help Find An Alzheimer’s Disease Cure

The most important thing you can do to contribute to a cure for Alzheimer’s disease doesn’t cost anything and doesn’t require running shoes. What people working to find a treatment that delays or prevents Alzheimer’s need is for as many people as possible to sign up for the Alzheimer’s Prevention Registry. Run by the Alzheimer’s Prevention Initiative (API), the registry supports enrollment for Alzheimer’s prevention studies taking place across the United States. More »

Night Light Could Be Making You Sad, Dumb, Distracted

Feeling sad, apathetic, mentally sluggish? Take a look around your bedroom and just outside. Streetlamps, neon signs, computer screens — any source of bright or blue light exposure throughout the night could be wreaking havoc on your brain’s limbic system. Even if it doesn’t disturb your sleep, that light could be stealthily wrecking your moods and memory. More »

Alzheimer’s Is The New Cancer (Which Could Be Both Good, Bad For Generations X & Y)

November is national Alzheimer’s disease awareness month, and there’s good reason for members of Gen X and Gen Y to pay attention. Though not marked by nearly as many ribbons or races, Alzheimer’s is looking a lot like it could be the next cancer where public health is concerned. Like cancer, Alzheimer’s was once very stigmatized but is now being addressed more openly. Like cancer, it can cause the body to turn on itself. Like cancer, it’s deadly – currently the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. And, like with cancer, it’s looking as if prevention is a much better bet than an Alzheimer’s cure. More »

Hormonal Birth Control Could Give You A Better Brain

Unexpected upsides to hormonal birth control seem to get way less attention than potential risks, but here’s a benefit we shouldn’t let slip under the radar: Using hormonal contraception could help give you a better brain. In a new study published in the Journal of Women’s Health, researchers Kelly Egan and Carey Gleason say hormones in the pill et al. can improve women’s cognitive abilities in middle- and old-age — and the longer the use, the greater the effect. More »

Even Slightly High Blood Pressure Can Damage Your Brain

It seems like every week the list of things that can age your brain grows, but take heart — this just means we’re finally learning not to treat the brain and the body like totally separate entities. If your body is under stress, your brain suffers as well. The latest evidence shows high blood pressure — even slightly or moderately high — can speed up structural damage to the brain. More »

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