(Keep reading: What is early Alzheimer’s? Learn about the symptoms and causes of this disease)
In the world, more than 55 million people suffer from dementia and every year, there are about 10 million new cases.
According to Dr. Sigem Sabagh Sabbagh, representative of Colpsic’s North Zone Neuroscience and Psychobiology Field, the numbers increased exponentially after the crisis caused by covid-19, “while before, people of approximately 45 years of age arrived at our offices years, we are now receiving young adults up to 34 years of age with a significant impact on their higher cognitive functions”.
However, the brain is the most important organ of the human body, since it controls all the functions and activities of our organism, it is responsible for our thoughts, emotions, movements, memory, learning and all vital functions, but how to take care of it? ?
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“It is important to sensitize the population about the importance of caring for and protecting this organ, as well as promoting interdisciplinary scientific research between psychology and neuroscience, for the development of new treatments and therapies that improve the quality of life” assured Lozano.
Adds Dr. Sabagh “In the same way, both neuroscience and neuropsychology are shedding more and more light on the factors that have the greatest impact on the brain and the ways to protect it.”
- Perform mental exercises: Solve puzzles, do activities that challenge the brain, memorize information or games that require concentration and memory, crossword puzzles, read. There are curious exercises that people love to do, such as: Trying to form an image from dots, but looking at a mirror, drawing the same image or writing with the right and left hand at the same time.
- To learn a new language: Experts point out that learning a new language delays the possible onset of dementia by 5 years, because it is one of the most complete cognitive exercises, since it activates memory and helps create new neural connections.
- Play a musical instrument: Learning to play a musical instrument reduces the probability by 60%, since it favors memory, concentration, stimulates areas of the brain and releases serotonin, one of the happiness hormones that generates a feeling of well-being and relaxation.
- Maintain a healthy diet: Consume foods rich in antioxidants (fruits and vegetables), fatty acids, omega-3, and avoid the consumption of saturated fats and refined sugars. Review what inflames our body or causes us to have negative responses in it, because what inflames your body also affects your brain.
- Regular physical exercise: Physical activity promotes good blood circulation, benefits brain metabolism. Walking, swimming or dancing, any activity, no matter how gentle it may seem, favors the brain.
- sleep properly: Sleeping well is essential for proper brain function and regeneration of all cells in the body. It is recommended to have routines to better fall asleep and dedicate at least 7 to 8 hours a day to sleep; Similarly, research indicates that awakening should be relaxed for best results.
- control stresss: It is important to find relaxation techniques that allow you to manage stress, such as meditation or deep breathing. Cortisol and stress increase inflammation in the body and brain, leading to illness.
- Socialize and maintain social relationships: Being in contact with other people and participating in social activities helps stimulate the brain and maintain good emotional regulation. Studies even show that being listened to by someone who supports you preserves cognitive health even more than love and advice.
- Avoid the consumption of alcohol, tobacco and drugs: The consumption of alcohol, tobacco and drugs can impair brain health and memory. Not only can they cause inflammation in the brain, more and more studies show the negative impact because they generate emotions of anxiety, aggressiveness and sadness or depression in the short term, as well as significant cognitive deterioration in the long term.
- Avoid mental sedentary lifestyle: Spending a lot of time in passive activities, such as watching television or using social networks without a defined purpose, can negatively affect memory and mental health. Studies show that screen exposure puts us in an ‘autopilot’ mode, where we are not actively creating or generating anything, and has been shown to reduce our ability to pay attention and learn.
In case you have more questions or have suggestions on topics you would like to read about, please write to [email protected].
D. Vanessa Ortiz
