One example would be pain. Research published in the Journal of Neuroscience found that when people didn’t know how much a painful heat stimulus would hurt — when they watched a group of others who disagreed wildly about it — they felt more pain than when the group agreed. The heat itself didn’t change. Only the uncertainty did. That single finding opens a door onto something much bigger: the way the brain interprets incoming signals doesn’t just affect physical pain. In fact, it shapes every experience, every emotion, and every belief we form about the world around us.

The Brain Is a Prediction Machine, Not a Camera

Your brain doesn’t work like a camera, passively recording what’s in front of it. It works more like a detective — making its best guess about what’s happening based on past experience, context, and whatever signals it can pick up in the moment. In fact, this is the way AI works the same way because it guesses what you intend when you are dictating to it. That’s based on what you have known to use before. It’s not original; it’s from something you’ve already said or thought.

Scientists call this predictive processing. Fancy words for something that’s simple. The brain is constantly generating a model of reality and checking it against what the senses report. Most of what you experience isn’t raw sensory data. It’s the brain’s best guess, already processed and interpreted before you’re even aware of it.

This has enormous consequences. Because your brain fills in gaps with guesses, your perception of any situation is shaped as much by what you expect as by what’s actually there. Research on how emotions are built in the brain confirms this same pattern. Feelings aren’t simple, automatic reactions that arise out of nowhere. They’re constructed — assembled by the brain from past learning, bodily signals, and whatever the surrounding context suggests is happening — all woven together into something that feels completely immediate and real. Fear, hope, dread, excitement — none of these are just responses to the world. They’re interpretations. And like all interpretations, they can be mistaken.

This might be unsettling to hear. But it’s also genuinely freeing, because it means your perception of reality isn’t fixed. It can be trained.

The Brain’s Thumb on the Scale

Here’s the catch. The brain doesn’t interpret experiences evenly. It has a strong, built-in bias toward the negative. This explains why negative information is so strongly entrenched in our minds. Negative information is stored more vividly in memory and carries more weight in the decisions we make than equivalent positive information does. This isn’t a character flaw. It’s an evolutionary feature.

Our ancestors survived by treating ambiguous situations as dangerous — if a rustle in the bushes might be a predator, it was safer to assume the worst and run. The cost of a false alarm was low; the cost of missing a real threat could be fatal.

In modern life, that same wiring creates serious problems. We’re exposed to more alarming information than any previous generation — not necessarily because the world is more dangerous, but because we carry a device in our pockets that streams us the worst of humanity around the clock. Research on how news consumption affects perception found that a steady diet of threatening content actively cultivates a distorted view of the world, pushing people to overestimate danger (The Scary World Syndrome) and feel a constant sense of impending doom that doesn’t match their actual circumstances.

In one study on risk perception during a health crisis, people overestimated their personal risk of dying from a disease by more than 270 times the actual probability. Their brains weren’t computing risk. They were amplifying fear.

Uncertainty makes all of this worse. Much worse. The same research that revealed how uncertainty increases physical pain also showed that not knowing what to expect activates a specific brain region — one that amplifies the intensity of an experience, for better or worse. And this effect isn’t limited to physical sensation.

Research on stress and health outcomes has found that the threat of losing a job can actually be more damaging to physical health than losing it outright, because the brain treats an uncertain threat as something to brace against continuously — a draining, exhausting posture that takes a real toll on the body over time. Sounds like burnout, doesn’t it? It isn’t just pain that uncertainty turns up. It’s almost everything the brain interprets as potentially threatening, which, given the negativity bias, covers a whole lot of ground.

What makes this particularly important in today’s world is that this feedback loop isn’t passive. The beliefs we form — shaped by perception, fear, and repeated exposure to alarming information — circle back and filter what we’re willing to notice next.

Research on how beliefs affect the brain’s processing of sensory information suggests that what we expect to see and feel actually controls what reaches our conscious awareness. Our beliefs aren’t just conclusions we reach. They become part of the filter that determines what evidence the brain even considers. This is like throwing the wheat away with the chaff.

What You Can Actually Do About It

Understanding how the brain constructs experience isn’t just interesting. It points directly to what we can do differently.

The first step is recognizing that your interpretation of a situation isn’t the same thing as the situation itself. When you feel dread about a conversation you haven’t had yet or are certain something’s going to go wrong, your brain is filling in a gap with a guess — shaped by past experience, current stress, and the negativity bias — not delivering a reliable preview of the future. That awareness alone, when you can genuinely hold onto it, changes your relationship with the feeling. You don’t have to argue with it or push it away. You just don’t have to treat it as truth.

The second step involves what you feed your brain. Because the brain builds its models of the world out of the patterns it encounters most often, the information environment you live in genuinely shapes how you perceive things — including things that have nothing directly to do with that environment. Heavy exposure to alarming content trains the brain to scan for threats even in neutral situations. Seeking out different perspectives, sitting with ambiguity instead of rushing to resolve it, and spending time in environments where uncertainty is met with curiosity rather than alarm — these gradually reshape the models your brain is running.

The third step is learning to treat uncertainty itself differently. That’s harder than it sounds, because not knowing really activates stress responses that narrow attention and make everything feel more urgent and more threatening. But evidence consistently shows that people who can stay open when they don’t know what’s coming — who can resist the pull toward premature conclusions — think more flexibly, solve problems more creatively, and make sounder decisions. The ability to hold more than one interpretation in mind at once isn’t a fixed personality trait. Like any other cognitive skill, it responds to practice.

None of this is an argument for forced optimism or pretending that hard things aren’t hard. Negative emotions carry real information and serve genuine purposes when they’re in proportion to what’s actually happening. The goal isn’t to replace one distortion with another. It’s important to notice when the brain’s interpretive machinery is running hot — turning not-knowing into catastrophe, amplifying uncertainty into doom — and to remember that what feels like reality is always, to some degree, something the brain has made.

The world you live in isn’t the world as it is. It’s the world your brain has built for you, piece by piece, out of everything it expects, fears, and has learned to look for. That’s not a reason for despair. Actually, it’s an invitation to get curious about the builder — and to ask whether the story it’s been telling you still has to be the only one.

The post Reality Isn’t What You Think: It’s How Your Brain Builds Everything appeared first on Medika Life.

Perhaps we should not have been surprised. He was always on the go, ate healthy meals, never smoked, and enjoyed being with friends.

He always seemed calm and collected, so on his 101st birthday, I asked how he had managed his stresses — his ship, the Canberra, was torpedoed during WWII with the loss of many of his buddies, and he was nearly killed. He had lost his daughter to cancer when she was forty, and his wife to cancer when she was 67. Yes, he had grieved greatly, but somehow, he was resilient and came back strong each time. He had been very sad but lived through his grief and always appeared unperturbed. “Well,” he said, “I guess I just let stress roll off my back.”

Organs decline about 1% per year.

One of the most important things that happens with aging, sort of like a car, “old parts wear out.” Most organ functions decline by about one percent per year. Of course, there is great variation from person to person, year to year, organ to organ, but 1% is a pretty good average to consider. We usually think of a person being in their prime through at least age 60. In many ways, that is correct, but you may be surprised to learn that the 1% decline starts in early adulthood and continues throughout life, speeding up as we age. Fortunately, most of our organs have significant redundancy so that we can tolerate these declines without any appreciable impact. But eventually, the decline may get to the point where we have a functional impairment that can be serious or at least impair our day-to-day activities.

I recently turned 84. I don’t feel “old,” but I do know I can’t do everything I used to do, or at least not as quickly. My hearing is less; my vision is reduced. My muscle mass and strength are definitely much less than they were in the recent past. My balance is OK, but not as good as it used to be, and so on. It has been a set of changes that came slowly at first but are now progressing faster. I always enjoyed splitting wood for the fireplace. I kept a woodshed filled with wood split and logs drying for a year before splitting. As time went on, I realized that I couldn’t keep at it for as long before wanting to take a break. As one friend in his early 80s told me, “I was fine until about age 78, and then it seemed that the aging process was suddenly there and moving fast.” Those declines, developing “under the radar” for decades, had accelerated and become overt.

The 1% Per Year Decline, Author’s image

Hearing decline begins at about age 25 but is not noticed until much later. Many of you will need reading glasses by age 40, even though you have had excellent vision for years; cataracts may occur later. Balance starts its inevitable decline early, although it, too, will not be noticed until much later. Meanwhile, internal organs, including the heart, lungs, and kidneys, are slowly declining, and so too is brain function, especially cognition.

This normal aging process of old parts wearing out is universal and is progressive, but you can slow it and sometimes reverse it, at least partially. Let’s use bone mineral density (BMD) as an example. BMD is easily measured to demonstrate the sturdiness of our bones — how strong they are. We start life with cartilage rather than bones. As we grow from toddlers to children to teenagers, calcium and other minerals, along with a protein-collagen matrix, are laid down in our bones, and they become increasingly strong, reaching a peak around the age of twenty. Once that age and that peak are reached, it can’t go up any further — that’s it. Then there is a plateau, and at about age thirty to forty it starts to decline at a rate of about 1% per year. At age twenty, men’s bone mineral density is, on average, higher than women’s.

Nevertheless, for women as for men, the decline is about one percent per year. Menopause changes this; the rate of loss increases to perhaps three percent per year for a few years and then returns to the one percent average decline until reaching osteopenia and then osteoporosis. There are three important points to consider. If you live long enough, your bone mineral density will decline to a level where, if you fall, a bone fracture becomes more likely. Since women start at a lower level and because they have this increased loss of BMD during menopause, they’ll reach that fracture threshold in life earlier than men. Since women tend to live longer than men, in total, more women than men will have a fracture at some point in their lives. We might just say this is one of the risks of living longer.

But why will you fall? Because your balance mechanism is likewise declining, and your muscle mass and strength are not as capable of “catching” your fall. The three combine together in a very negative manner!

Muscle mass and strength decline in a similar fashion, resulting in what doctors call sarcopenia. Most people lose perhaps 30% of their muscle mass between ages 50 and 70, and the loss continues at an even faster rate thereafter. Older individuals who exercise find it takes more effort to maintain their muscle mass and strength, but regular exercise and good nutrition have a significant beneficial impact and slow the process considerably.

Cognitive function is another example; your brain loses some of its abilities as you age. Cognitive abilities and brain volume do not decline in lockstep but do have a clear relationship. A fascinating study published in the journal Nature in April 2022, pulled together 123,984 MRI scans taken at over 100 institutions from 101,457 individuals ranging from 115 days post-conception to 100 years of age — from fetuses to centenarians. At the age of three years, the brain had reached 80% of its maximum size. The gray matter, which consists of the actual brain cells, reaches its maximum by about age 6, whereas the white matter, the inner connections between brain cells, does not reach its peak until the late 20s. The decline in brain volume thereafter is slow but accelerates after about age 50. These changes can be seen in the figure, which shows the growth trajectories of gray and white matter. The charts show volume (in mm3) across age, beginning before birth and ending at about 100 years.

If you are over 65, you have probably noted that you can’t memorize as well, recall names as quickly, etc. When I was in medical school, memorization was relatively easy; not so today! This is normal. This loss of cognitive function over time should not be confused with the disease Alzheimer’s. Nearly everyone who lives long enough will suffer from some cognitive decline, but only some will develop Alzheimer’s. As with BMD, you reach your peak cognitive function around age twenty; it plateaus for about 10 years, then starts that slow decline. Given the great redundancy in your brain, it is not noticeable for some time. Eventually, you reach a functional threshold where your cognitive function begins to impair your ability. This becomes more apparent when an older person is engaged in highly technical activities, very fast-paced activities, or stressful situations (emotional, physical, or health-related). Those cognitive challenges are less apparent in highly familiar situations.

This 1% annual loss is normal. No, it is not an exact number, nor is it the same for every person or every organ, nor is it exactly 1% in the same person at all times. But 1% is a good proxy for what is happening throughout your body throughout adulthood and into your elder years.

Slowing the aging losses

Here are some suggestions to slow that steady decline in functions. If you start at age twenty with very strong bones (i.e., a high BMD), then you have a longer way to go down before reaching that level of potential bone fracture from a fall. Perhaps too late for you if you are older, but encourage your children and grandchildren to eat a good diet, play/exercise daily, preferably outdoors, manage their stress, and get a good night’s sleep. And for their brains, do just the same (quality food, plenty of exercise, sound sleep, and managed stress) as for their other organs. Then, continually challenge their brains with new learning. Those with more years of schooling will start out with greater reserves, so the 1% decline will take much longer to cause difficulties. Muscle mass and strength are similar. Encourage them to build it up now as a teen. No need to be a muscled bodybuilder, but regular exercise and a good diet will mean more strength at the start of that long decline.

Most people seem to accept that, with age, comes a decline in function. “That is just what happens when we get older.” They may not like it, but they do not realize that they can substantially modify the downhill course. You can slow this continuing loss of body functions, including cognitive decline, and you can start at any age. It is never too late. It is not hard to do, and it does not cost money, but it does take time and persistence. It is all about how you move, what you eat, how you manage chronic stress, get adequate sleep, avoid tobacco, not too much alcohol, plus challenge your brain and keep socially engaged.

Stephen C Schimpff, MD, MACP, is a quasi-retired internist, professor of medicine, former CEO of the University of Maryland Medical Center, and author of Longevity Decoded — The 7 Keys to Healthy Aging, and is co-author with Dr. Harry Oken of BOOM — Boost Our Own Metabolism

The post Normal Aging — A Steady Decline in Organ Size and Functions appeared first on Medika Life.

In fact, there is a lot. Some of it requires help from your physician, but most depends on your lifestyle, preferably begun in midlife or even sooner. But it is never too late to start. Even with early evidence of developing dementia, making changes can be of tremendous help.

Details below, but the most important steps are regular exercise — resistance and aerobic, a high protein, high fruit, and vegetable, but low sugar diet, good sleep, reduced stress, no tobacco, limited alcohol, intellectual challenges, and social engagement, along with attention to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar or diabetes.

The causes of dementia

It is best to think in terms of risk factors rather than direct causes. There are multiple types of dementia, but the most common is Alzheimer’s disease. It has many possible risk factors, often in combination, in any individual. Among the most important are high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, elevated LDL cholesterol, obesity, high intake of ultraprocessed foods, being sedentary, not dealing with chronic stress, inadequate deep sleep, smoking, an unchallenged brain, and lack of social engagement.

Untreated high blood pressure damages the blood vessels supplying the brain, as does poorly controlled type 2 diabetes. Diabetes correlates with a 10 to 15 times greater risk of Alzheimer’s. Like the rest of the body, brain cells can become insulin-resistant, depriving them of their primary fuel—glucose —hence the term “type 3 diabetes.” Add to this elevated LDL cholesterol, which leads to plaque deposition in the large blood vessels, analogous to that seen in the heart’s coronary arteries.

Obesity is a definite risk factor, especially as it predisposes to diabetes, but also produces chemicals that cross the blood-brain barrier and cause inflammation. The combination of blood vessel damage and inflammation is clearly associated with the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

Being sedentary, along with eating excess ultraprocessed, sugary, fatty, and salty foods and smoking, are known to correlate with dementia, as does persistent lack of restorative sleep and continuing low-level chronic stress. Maintaining good muscle mass through appropriate exercise not only supports muscle and bone density but also releases chemicals that positively impact brain function. Substantial exercise literally enlarges the brain’s hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, both critical to cognition.

Among the presumably less important risk factors for dementia are some chronic infections, often undetected, such as chronic Lyme disease, which can cause persistent low-level brain inflammation. So too can a variety of neurotropic viruses, such as the varicella-zoster virus that causes chickenpox and shingles. The varicella-zoster virus (VZV) remains dormant in the nervous system after chickenpox infection but is reactivated in older age as herpes zoster (shingles). It is believed that this virus causes long-term chronic inflammation in the brain while dormant, and then amplifies inflammation when reactivated as shingles.

There are other causes of inflammation. An unbalanced colonic microbiome is common. There is a gut-brain axis, meaning the two systems send messages back and forth, which can be altered by the microbiome. This axis can help or hinder normal inflammation maintenance in the brain.

The gut bacteria convert high-fiber diets into short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which, in mice, lead to reduced microglial (the brain’s immune cells) activity and a lower degree of brain inflammation. Aging mice normally have reduced SCFAs, but a high-fiber diet increases SCFAs and reduces inflammation in their brains. The key message is that a healthy colonic microbiome can help to prevent the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

The mouth has its own microbiome. Chronic oral gum infections, known as periodontal disease, often go unrecognized, disrupting the oral microbiome and inducing a chronic state of inflammation that produces a steady flow of damaging chemicals that affect the brain. The bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis is a frequent cause of periodontal infection, but it can also directly affect the brain. It produces a toxic enzyme called gingipain, which crosses the blood–brain barrier and directly damages neurons. P gingivalis has also been found in the brains of deceased Alzheimer’s patients.

Even the eye microbiome has been shown in a January 2026 article in Nature Communications to have an adverse impact on the brain if it includes Chlamydia pneumoniae, a common cause of pneumonia and sinus infections that, in some people, infects the retina and, from there, travels to the brain, amplifying inflammation.

Several environmental toxins have been implicated in Alzheimer’s development. Lead is a known neurotoxin. Once in the body, it can persist in bones. We tend to think of it in old lead paint, but it is common in many city water supplies (remember Flint, Michigan) and was common in leaded gasoline until about 1980. Leaded gasoline suggests that many older people may have elevated bone lead levels.

Lead is also occasionally found in food and air. In a prospective study reported in February 2026, bone lead levels correlated with the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and all-cause dementia in a representative sample of Americans followed for 30 years in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES _III). The authors speculate that up to 18% of dementia cases could be avoided with reduced lead exposure.

Various other metals (e.g., arsenic, zinc, mercury, and cadmium) and biotoxins (produced by molds, especially Aspergillus, bacteria, and viruses) are believed to be correlated with the onset and progression of dementia through the production of cytokines (compounds produced and released from cells) that cause neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration.

Microplastics (particles less than 5 mm in diameter) have been implicated as a potential cause or predisposing factor to Alzheimer’s disease, although the data are limited. It is known that they can cross the blood-brain barrier and, in animal models, elicit neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Microplastics can be found in the brains of many people at autopsy. Still, the quantity in the brains of those with dementia tends to be many times higher, suggesting both a cause and a dose-response relationship. Microplastics are found in air, food, and water. It is not known which microplastics are potentially important, nor which route might be most important — inhalation, skin absorption, or ingestion. Finally, be aware that these are correlation studies, not causal studies.

Hearing loss not only causes social isolation but also directly leads to brain atrophy and “cognitive overload,” meaning the brain cannot process inputs as effectively and has fewer resources left for memory and thinking. The combination leads to an increased risk of dementia. Visual loss, common with age-related cataracts, as well as macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy, has the same impact as hearing loss.

Bear in mind that all of these are correlation studies. Correlation does not equal causation, but when they are found in study after study, they are likely actual risk factors.

Note also that many of these risk factors create or amplify chronic low-level inflammation. It is the inflammation that is doing much of the damage. Inflammation means that your immune system, the system that normally protects you from disease-causing agents like bacteria, is constantly turned on at a low level, damaging your brain without you knowing it until years later, cognitive decline becomes obvious.

What you can do to avoid dementia

It is not unlike what I described for slowing normal cognitive aging, but with more intensity and a broader range of inputs.

Let’s start with the medical side of it

Most physicians do not look or know to look for many of these predisposing conditions, but since you do, ask to have them checked for you. They will most likely check your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar, for different reasons.

High blood pressure is a clear predisposing factor. Unfortunately, nearly 50% of Americans have hypertension >130/80), with the prevalence increasing to about 70% of adults over age 60, but many are unaware, and even less, perhaps 20–25%, are adequately treated. Be sure you are being treated appropriately.

Type 2 Diabetes is a profound predisposing factor to Alzheimer’s disease. What both high blood pressure and diabetes have in common is that they cause inflammation in the brain, blood vessels, and neurons. Over time, they also lead to reduced blood flow to the brain. Over ten percent of Americans have diabetes, with the prevalence rising with age. Only about 50% are adequately treated and controlled. Here, again, be sure you know if you have diabetes and follow your doctor’s advice on management.

High LDL cholesterol (the “bad” type), especially when combined with hypertension and diabetes, can lead to plaques in the blood vessels supplying the brain, similar to those in the coronary arteries. Just one more adverse cause of reduced blood flow to the brain. Only slightly more than 20% have adequate management of all three key factors. So be sure to have your physician review your blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol status, and follow their advice, remembering that lifestyle changes might be adequate (see below), but, if not, there are effective medications.

Obesity is a significant predisposing factor. If you are obese and have had difficulty with weight reduction, you and your physician might want to consider GLPs like Wegovy or Zepbound.

Ask to be checked for lingering chronic infections, such as Lyme disease. Visit your dentist and dental hygienist every six months for a prophylaxis. You will not only be preserving your oral health but also reducing your risk of dementia. You should be tested for lead and other heavy metals.

Consider the shingles vaccine if you are 50 or older. Multiple studies have shown that it reduces dementia by about 20% for at least seven years after vaccination. Less clear is how long the effect lasts after that or whether a booster is necessary. Certainly, it is an easy way to get a dual benefit — less likelihood of dementia while also reducing the occurrence of shingles and possibly even heart disease.

If you are over 65, you have likely gotten regular influenza vaccines. Recent data published in April 2026 show that the standard vaccine has some protective effect, and the higher-dose vaccine has an even greater effect, at least for the 2–3 years of follow-up in the studies.

If you have significant hearing loss, work with an audiologist to determine the best approach for you. Fortunately, there are now devices that can assist at a reasonable price. If you have significant vision loss due to cataracts, the evidence is strong that correction will significantly reduce your risk.

Early life

Those who start adulthood with the “strongest” brains have “more room” for loss, suggesting that it is advisable to encourage your children and grandchildren to be as well educated as possible.

Lifestyle modifications

Your doctor can be a major source of assistance in limiting your chance of dementia, but of even greater importance is what you can do for yourself with lifestyle modifications, especially exercise and diet.

Maintaining your physical health is one of the most important things you can do to avoid dementia. If you smoke, get help to stop; it’s critical. Then, start with exercise. The science is clear: those who move are at much reduced risk of dementia. Aerobic exercise, like walking, cycling, or swimming, helps your heart and lungs deliver more blood to the brain. When doing aerobic exercises, push to the point where you are breathing somewhat heavier than normal and, although you can respond to a question, you are too busy breathing to engage in a conversation.

When a group of 120 young adults aged 28 -56 was randomized to a steady moderate to vigorous exercise regimen for 12 months or not, those who exercised had brains that appeared “younger” after one year. In contrast, the control group showed no significant change between MRIs taken at the beginning and end of the year. VO2 max increased substantially over the 12 months in the exercise group but not in the control group.

And those who regularly engage in resistance exercises are at an even lower risk. In fact, resistance exercises may be the single most important thing you can do to prevent dementia. Choose a variety of exercises that maintain and strengthen your upper, core, and lower body muscles. Plan to use a resistance weight you can fully move, like a biceps curl, for only 8–12 repetitions. Remember that these exercises release chemicals called myokines or exerkines that stimulate the brain, heart, and blood vessels. They can stimulate growth of the hippocampus and other parts of the brain, perhaps by releasing brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Exercise also stimulates the liver to release exerkines. One of these, called GPLD1, reverses memory loss in aging mice.

Various studies have shown that regular resistance exercise is critical to maintaining brain function and brain volume. Leg power is especially effective in reducing cognitive aging.

In addition to regular aerobic activity and at least twice-weekly resistance training, consider high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Dr. Harry Oken and I discuss this in detail in our book BOOM — Boost Our Own Metabolism. In brief, ride an exercise bike at a comfortable resistance and pace for a few minutes to warm up, then increase the resistance and pedal as fast as you can for 30 seconds. Your legs should ache, and you may be sweating. Drop back to a comfortable pace for 90 seconds. Repeat eight times. Studies indicate that this can enlarge your hippocampus, the brain’s processing center, by as much as 50% or more over six months. More neurons are produced, connectivity is enhanced, and cognitive abilities are maintained or improved. HIIT is also the most efficient way to improve your VO2 max.

What you eat, or do not eat, and what you drink are of critical importance. Avoid ultraprocessed foods, excess fast foods, sugar (such as candy, sodas, and ice cream), and foods that are digested directly into sugar (such as white bread and other white-flour products—pastries and donuts). A good “diet” to follow is the Mediterranean diet or its cousin, the MIND diet. The former emphasizes healthy grains, seeds and nuts, legumes like beans, good oils such as olive oil and avocado oil, and cold-water fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines). Eat somewhat less dairy and poultry and relatively little red meat.

As for red meat, processed meats like bacon, jerky, and many deli meats are unhealthy, whereas meat from 100% pasture-raised animals is probably healthy. The MIND diet is based on the Mediterranean diet but emphasizes green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, and collards, as well as berries over other fruits. When participants in a long-term study at Rush University Medical Center followed these diets, their brains at autopsy showed less evidence of Alzheimer’s compared to those who ate a “less healthy” diet.

If you like coffee or tea, you will be pleased to know that in a long-term study of 131,000 individuals followed for up to forty years, those that drank two to three cups of coffee (but not more) had an 18% reduction in dementia onset compared to those in the lowest intake group. The findings were similar for tea, with a 14% reduction. Presumably, coffee and tea with their many chemicals reduce inflammation, reduce oxidative damage, improve the lining of blood vessels, reduce blood-brain barrier leakage, and enhance neurons’ ability to communicate. Notably, decaf coffee did not have the same effect.

Also consider fasting. Just avoiding eating after dinner and before breakfast is a good start, or pushing breakfast off for a few hours.

Restorative sleep is very important to avoid dementia. Deep sleep is the time when the brain cleanses itself of toxins and other waste materials. It is also when memories are formed and the hippocampus, the brain’s processing center, is “emptied” so it can begin again tomorrow. Don’t listen to people who say they can get by with less than about seven hours of sleep.

Most Americans are living with low-level chronic stress. Stress releases a series of compounds that stoke chronic inflammation in the brain and elsewhere. Ways to reduce stress include exercise, a healthy diet, meditation, Tai Chi, yoga, and avoiding, when possible, those things, people, and situations that lead to your stress.

Your brain needs to be used and challenged. Do creative activities like chess, art, writing, learning a musical instrument, dancing, or learning a foreign language.

Computer-assisted cognitive training. All studies have not been effective, except for a 20-year follow-up clinical trial published in February 2026 by Johns Hopkins involving 2021 adults over age 65. This study evaluated a cognitive training program initiated in 1999 and followed through to dementia onset in 2019. Alzheimer’s was reduced by 25% among those who did computer-based cognitive speed training, with a 6- to 12-month booster. Speed training asked the person to identify a center object (like a car) on the computer screen while locating a peripheral target (like a road sign) on a screen, with the speed increasing as the user improved. The other arms of the trial, looking at memory and reasoning, did not lead to reduced dementia.

“This study shows that simple brain training, done for just weeks, may help people stay mentally healthy for years longer,” said NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, M.D., Ph.D. “That’s a powerful idea — that practical, affordable tools could help delay dementia and help older adults keep their independence and quality of life.”

Humans need social engagement. Call it “cognitive engagement.” Make and keep friends, meet regularly with others, and get involved in group activities. It’s enjoyable, and it’s critical. The Rush Memory and Aging Project followed about 2000 individuals with an average entry age of 79 for nearly 8 years. In their February 2026 article in Neurology, the authors looked at lifetime cognitive enrichment activities and found those in the highest cohort had a 38% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Those with the highest level of lifetime enrichment who did develop AD did so 5 years later than those with the lowest levels. Similarly, their rate of cognitive decline over the course of the study was slower.

Where possible, merge your creative, active, and social activities, such as group Tai Chi, dancing, or walking together. Consider dancing. If you are learning a new step, your brain must follow the music and move your body to the new step; a dual cognitive function and social engagement, with some aerobic exercise.

Remember that there is no one risk factor for dementia, so “bundling” lifestyle changes makes the most sense, a logical concept that is supported by a research study in Finland that showed multiple steps taken together slowed cognitive decline in high-risk seniors. It helps to have help with structured support so that lifestyle changes become consistent rather than relying on willpower alone.

Putting it all together

This may at first glance seem overwhelming. But you can address your risk step by step and have fun doing so. Remember that the 7 Keys to Healthy Aging not only reduce your risk for Alzheimer’s disease but are also very effective in preventing the development of many chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity, so start with these and pick one or two to address first. I would suggest diet and exercise, as they are likely the most important. But before you start anything discussed here, talk with your doctor to see if these suggestions are appropriate for your personal situation. And while there, discuss the items you need their help with — especially elevated blood pressure, blood sugar, LDL cholesterol, and excess weight. No matter your age, it is never too late to start.

Can this really prevent Alzheimer’s?

There are no guarantees. But following these suggestions will have a major impact on your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. It will also go a long way to preventing other chronic diseases like heart, lung, kidney disease, or cancer. That’s a very good return on your investment of time and energy.

The post Simple Steps Anyone Can Take to Reduce Alzheimer’s Risk appeared first on Medika Life.

America’s AI Action Plan, recently announced by the Trump Administration, aims to achieve U.S. dominance in artificial intelligence but overlooks a key force multiplier: investing in the American people’s human brainpower. From design to deployment, AI systems reflect and rely on the cognitive capacities of the people who build and use them. 

American ingenuity—what Lincoln called ‘the fire of genius’—has long been the engine of our productivity and progress. From the space race to Silicon Valley, it’s not just natural resources or industrial capacity that set the U.S. apart, but the cognitive, creative, and entrepreneurial capacity of our people – our brain capital.

The Administration’s stated aim of “powering a new age of American leadership in science, technology, and global influence” will not be achieved by silicon and data infrastructure alone. It must be accompanied by investments in a different kind of infrastructure – our national brain infrastructure.

Just as AI relies on chips, cloud networks, and compute power, its success ultimately depends on the human intelligence that shapes, governs, and applies it. The World Economic Forum has identified the capabilities most essential in the AI era: analytical thinking, resilience, creativity, empathy, and curiosity. These are not technical upgrades – they are human ones. Failing to build brain infrastructure means our most powerful tools may evolve faster than our capacity to direct them.

Despite enormous advances in neuroscience, the brain remains one of the least understood organs in the human body. We know that brain health and performance is shaped by everything from genetics and inflammation to early life experiences and social connection, but we lack a full understanding of how these factors interact—or how to intervene most effectively across populations. Rising rates of mental and neurological health conditions are eroding America’s cognitive resilience – threatening our nation’s capacity to learn, work, innovate, and lead. Further, we know very little about how AI itself may reshape our ability to do these things.

While the U.S. is slashing strategic investments in science, education and health, other nations are doubling down. China, for example, has dramatically expanded its national brain science agenda—accelerating brain-computer interface trials, funding neuro-AI innovation, and integrating neuroscience into its economic and defense strategies.  If America fails to act, it risks ceding not just scientific leadership, but the very foundation of AI competitiveness.

To compete with China and lead the next era of innovation, the U.S. must go beyond chips and deregulation. As many European nations already are developing, the United States needs a national brain capital strategy – a Human Intelligence “H.I.” Action Plan – that will enable us to fully flourish and lead.

Any strategy to power a new age of American leadership must expand the aperture beyond the technology that aids us – to include us. This involves prioritizing early child development and strong education systems, and embedding neuroscience-informed learning in schools. It also requires us to address the health and social risk factors that hamper cognitive resilience, scale cognitive capacity across the workforce through tools, culture and design, incentivize brain health innovation across sectors, and address rising rates of mental and neurological health conditions that plague Americans at all ages.

There is no doubt that AI holds the promise of augmenting and accelerating human productivity and scientific discoveries. But we must remember this is a collaboration. Investing in AI without equally investing in human capacity, ethics, and well-being risks collapsing the very foundation we aim to build. By nearly every meaningful measure – life expectancy, happiness, living standards, equality, cognitive resilience – Americans are falling behind. Our technological ambition must be matched by a human one.

The bottom line: we cannot build intelligent systems without fueling human intelligence. The countries that win the AI age will be those that invest not only in machines – but in the cognitive, emotional, and creative capacity of their people.

The post The Missing Piece in America’s AI Strategy: Brain Capital appeared first on Medika Life.

Both short-term and long-term exposure to wildfire smoke and other pollutants like ozone and diesel emissions can cause inflammation in the brain. We believe pollutants in the lungs cause the neurological effects. Previous research has suggested that breathing in particulate matter (PM) causes pulmonary proteolysis, creating fragmented peptides that enter the bloodstream and weaken the blood–brain barrier (BBB).

Climate Central, a non-profit group, says that every person in the US took in more harmful wildfire smoke in 2023 than in any other year since 2006. Studies show that over the last ten years, exposure has grown 27 times in the United States.

Pollutants from wildfire smoke are mixed together, but fine particulate matter (PM2.5) makes up most of it and is a significant health risk. A study of more than 1.2 million people in southern California over the course of ten years found that wildfire smoke raises the chance of dementia more than any other type of air pollution. Researchers indicate that wildfire smoke is more dangerous to brain health than other types of air pollution.

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is air pollution from industry, cars, and wildfire smoke. These are very small drops of solid and liquid matter in the air, 30 times smaller than the width of a human hair. The chance of getting dementia was much higher when people were exposed to PM2.5 from wildfire smoke than when people were exposed from other sources of air pollution. Smoke from other sources increases the risk of dementia, but not as much as smoke from wildfires.

Mental Health Consequences

On days with a lot of pollution, more people go to the hospital for depression, suicide attempts, and psychotic episodes. Study after study shows that children whose mothers were exposed to high amounts of particulates while they were pregnant are more likely to have motor and cognitive problems as adults.

One study is one of the first to look at the effects of particulate matter on teens, whose brains are still growing.

Data from 10,000 pre-teens in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (ABCD), the largest US child health study, was analyzed. Two of the 21 study sites are at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Researchers looked at parent questionnaires from four different times over three years and found that for both boys and girls, each extra day of exposure at unsafe levels increased the chance that they would have depression, anxiety, and other “internalizing symptoms” up to a year later.

But wildfire smoke doesn’t only affect the immediate area. While the exact distance depends on the wind and weather, smoke from wildfires can move hundreds of miles. This wide area has an effect on the air quality in places far from the fire, and the effects can last for weeks.

Smoke from wildfires, as previously noted, can have a significant effect on health. Some of the chemicals and small particles in smoke can impact the eyes, nose, and throat, making it hard to breathe, cough, and wheeze. If someone already has a breathing problem, like asthma, these signs can get worse.

How Can You Protect Yourself

It’s important to remember how the air quality is affected by the flames in the area, even if you are miles away. These are some simple things you can do to stay away from smoke and clean the air in your home and car.

1. Spend as much time as possible inside
Do not go outside as much, especially if you are working out when the air quality is poor. Inside is the best place to be when there is smoke. Keep a close eye on local news on the air quality. They often include a color-coded Air Quality Index (AQI) to help you decide how active you should be.

2. Close all the doors and windows
All of your windows and doors should be closed to keep smoke out of your home. Weather stripping or towels can fill in holes under doors and windows if you can. If your whole-house fan or window air conditioner does not have a HEPA filter, do not use them. They can bring smoke inside.

3. Use an air cleaner
If you have an air cleaner, especially one with a HEPA filter, use it to help clean the air inside your home. You might want to use portable air cleaners in the bedrooms and living rooms where you spend the most time. Do not use things that make ozone because it can make the air quality worse.

4. Create a room with clean air
Set aside one room as a “clean air room” if keeping your whole house smoke-free is hard. A HEPA air filter should be set up in a room with few windows and doors. During times of smoke, spend most of your time in this room.

5. Know how to use your air conditioner well
If you have an air conditioner, make sure it is set to bring in air from outside and move it inside. Keep the windows closed and, your car, set your air conditioner to the recycling mode to keep smoke out of your car while you drive.

6. Stay away from things that make indoor pollution worse
When the air quality outside is a concern, it is important to cut down on indoor pollution sources as well. Do not use gas stoves, burn candles, or smoke inside. The air quality inside can get even worse, and these actions can make the environment more dangerous.

7. Put on a mask if you need to.
If you have to go outside, wear a mask to keep out small particles. Wearing N95 respirators or KN95 masks can help protect you from dangerous particles in wildfire smoke. Scarves or masks made of cloth will not keep smoke out.

8. Keep an eye on air quality
You can check the air quality in your area in real time with apps or websites. There is a simple way to tell if the air is safe to breathe with the Air Quality Index (AQI), which helps you plan your day.

9. Drink plenty of water and look after your health
It is important to stay hydrated because wildfire smoke can irritate your lungs and make it harder to breathe. Your lungs and sinuses stay moist when you drink plenty of water. For people who already have conditions like asthma, make sure they have all of their medicines on hand. Also, do not wait to call their doctor if they have trouble breathing or other signs.

We are beginning to suffer through the effects of climate change and wildfires are a result. Living with these conflagrations may mean changes over a long period of time because climate change will be with us for decades, if not longer. Lifestyle changes are mandated if we expect to maintain our health when we need to interact with wildfire-induced pollution.

The post Wildfire Smoke Linked to Dementia, Brain Damage and Body Health, So Beware appeared first on Medika Life.

One of the most blatant examples of ignorance and bias has been shown in political campaigns where stroke seems to be a central issue — it shouldn’t be. The inappropriateness of a medical professional in this area is startling.

A stroke comes in varying degrees of brain involvement, some fatal and many neither life-threatening nor totally incapacitating. Medical breakthroughs and physical and cognitive rehab today, offering new hope for stroke patients, are breaking through the wall of ignorance and bias. Even stroke patients with sight loss are now receiving further treatments. One program helps patients to retain or potentially restore stroke-vision loss.

What about the cognitive impairments of a stroke? The results here all depend on the stroke type, the damage’s extent, and where it occurred. Many have ischemic strokes caused by blood clots; an illustration can be found here. One type of stroke, a TIA, or transient ischemic attack, is a “warning stroke” that occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery for a short time. The only difference between a stroke and TIA is that with TIA, the blockage is transient (temporary).

Depending on the type of stroke, rehab can often aid the brain in accessing its extraordinary ability to utilize other areas to take over some actions. The treatments for a stroke are many and varied to address physical and cognitive difficulties. Currently, more than seven million persons in the US have had strokes, so the numbers are not minuscule. But one of the problems is that up to one-third of them don’t receive rehab. What might be the problem here?

One of the problems may be insurance coverage where services are denied because the insurance company doesn’t believe there is “medical necessity,” ask the doctor to get involved. If you believe you are being denied payment or access to a medical service that you are entitled to, you have the right to appeal the decision. If this should happen, appeal the decision or look for ways to take additional action to receive the needed services.

Disability consultants have told me that the usual rehab course is about one year, but insurance may only provide three months of coverage. If Social Security Disability benefits are received, and the consultant decides to limit benefits to three months, do not accept it. Appeal and provide yourself with a disability attorney.

What does Medicare pay for in terms of stroke rehab? Medicare reimbursement depends on the type of Medicare and co-insurance the individual has with Medicare.

The costs may vary, but one study found it can be expensive, especially if all of the stroke patient’s medical insurance isn’t sufficient. One-year costs after the start of medical specialist rehabilitation post-stroke from a societal perspective, were $70,601 and $27,473 for inpatients and outpatients, respectively. For both inpatients and outpatients, rehabilitation was the biggest contributor, yet to a larger extent in inpatients than in outpatients. Both the costs for staying in the rehabilitation facility and for all types of therapy were higher. These costs may not relate to the US since the study was conducted in Europe.

The many areas of cognitive rehab require specific interventions long enough to aid in remediation. Going back to work might be one of the things you can plan to do once recovery has begun. A few helpful hints are offered here to assist anyone recovering from a stroke.

Anyone who wants a high-profile example of a brain injury victim (and that is what a stroke can be considered) should follow former Congresswoman Gabby Gifford’s rehab after a gunshot head wound. The woman should inspire any stroke patient, whether they have had a major or minor stroke.

A stroke is not the end of everything, and one of the most potent factors working on a patient’s behalf is motivation to keep improving. The brain is a wonderful organ, so let it perform its wonders.

The post Stroke Patients Are Being Cast Aside by a Lack of Understanding and Bias appeared first on Medika Life.

Today we explore the findings of a randomized clinical trial that used simulated driving sessions for 17 participants taking CBD. First, however, let’s look at some cannabidiol basics and side effects.

Cannabidiol (CBD) basics

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a chemical in marijuana. CBD is different from the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana that induces a so-called high, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

CBD comes in oil form, but it is also available as a vaporized liquid, an extract, and an oil-based capsule. Want to use CBD? You may find the product in food, drinks, and even beauty products.

Today, the only CBD product approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration is a prescription oil known as Epidiolex. State laws regarding cannabidiol use vary by state.

Cannabidiol (CBD) side effects

Researchers are exploring CBD as a management tool for various conditions, including anxiety, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and schizophrenia. Efficacy data remains limited, and cannabidiol has potential risks:

• dry mouth
• diarrhea
• diminished appetite
• fatigue and drowsiness

CBD can also alter the effects of other medicines, including the common blood thinner warfarin, a heart rhythm medication known as amiodarone, the thyroid medicine levothyroxine, and several seizure medications (including clobazam, lamotrigine, and valproate).

The stated dose and purity levels of CBD in products are unreliable. A study of 84 CBD products purchased online showed that more than one-quarter contained less CBD than stated on the level. Moreover, 18 products had the psychoactive component, THC.

Cannabidiol (CBD) and cognitive function

Researchers conducted a randomized clinical trial involving simulated driving sessions.

Each subject, aged 18 to 65, did four treatment sessions and two simulated driving conditions. None had used cannabis for at least three months prior. The treatments consisted of oral CBD (15, 300, or 1500 milligrams) or a placebo. The subjects then had a washout period of at least seven days.

Researchers then conducted a driving simulation at 45 to 75 and 210 to 240 minutes after consuming CBD. A second driving test coincided with peak blood levels of CBD concentrations (about three hours after consuming 25 mg or 300 mg of CBD and about four hours after the 1,500 mg dose).

The researchers checked the subjects’ cognitive function at baseline, before the first simulated drive, and before the second simulated drive. They also asked participants about their feelings (for example, do you feel sedated, stoned, alert, anxious, or sleepy?).

Finally, the scientists checked the participants’ cannabinoid concentrations, blood pressure, and heart rate while seated.

Here are the conclusions:

• The 17 subjects appeared no more likely to weave or drive too close to a car in front of them (compared to those taking a placebo).
• Even at high doses, CBD does not appear to induce feelings of intoxication or impaired driving performance.
• CBD persisted in blood plasma for more than four weeks following the 1,500-milligram dose.

This small study indicates that a single dose of CBD did not impact specific driving aspects, at least in young, healthy adults.

My Take: Cannabidiol (CBD) and cognitive function

As more people turn to cannabinoids such as CBD for symptom relief, we will need more studies about the cognitive and real-world behavioral consequences of use.

While this study is reassuring that CBD use does not appear to impair driving, we need studies with larger sample sizes to understand the implications of CBD use better. I also worry about CBD’s interactions with other drugs.

And remember, CBD products have varying amounts of the psychoactive chemical THC. The current study examined the effects of pure non-plant-derived CBD. Finally, the research examined acute administration; we need studies examining chronic use’s implications.

The post Does CBD Affect Your Cognition? appeared first on Medika Life.

STRESS CAN PLAY HAVOC WITH YOUR BRAIN HEALTH. Today we explore how you can walk away from stress and other means to calm your brain.

One of the best stress-busters is one of the easiest for many of us: Put one foot in front of the other and walk.

Other negative contributants to cognitive well-being include too much sitting, lack of socializing, and inadequate sleep. Fortunately, we can often change our lifestyles to optimize our brain’s well-being.

Chronic stress and health

Do you ever get forgetful or feel disorganized in times of stress? I know that I have had this experience. There are these acute negative consequences of stress, but the chronic ones are in our sights today.

Chronic stress may change your brain to affect cognitive functions such as memory. Listen to Dr. Jull Goldstein, Professor of Psychiatry and Medicine at Harvard Medical School:

“Stress affects not only memory and many other brain functions, like mood and anxiety, but also promotes inflammation, which adversely affects heart health.”

Acute stress, memory, and cognition

Why does stress affect our memory and thinking? Let’s get back to brain basics. Rather than thinking of the brain as one unit, conceive of it as a bunch of disparate parts that perform different tasks.

Dr. Kerry Ressler, chief scientific officer at McLean Hospital and professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, explains that when one part of the brain is engaged, the other parts may not have as much energy to do their assigned tasks.

This explanation makes sense to me. For instance, let’s say you are in an alleyway and fear being the victim of a robbery. Your amygdala, designed to activate our survival instincts, takes charge in a “fight or flight” fashion.

The other brain structures, including ones designed to store memories or perform high-order tasks, have less energy to do their jobs. In survival mode, energy shunts to brain structures that help us to survive the moment. In this context, you would not be surprised that the stress associated with traumatic events can make us forgetful.

Chronic stress and the brain

Did you know that chronic stress can rewire your brain? Dr. Ressler explains that animals that experience stress over long periods have lower activity levels in brain parts designated for performing high-order tasks (for example, the prefrontal cortex).

On the other hand, chronic stress leads to more activity in primitive parts of the brain focused on survival (for example, the amygdala). The brain builds up the parts of the brain that handle threats, while the brain regions dealing with more complex thought become a lower priority.

Stress management

Many of us could do a better job of coping with stress. Here are some tips that may help you better manage your stress (and hopefully dodge some of its brain-damaging effects):

• Try to establish some control over your situation. While stress is not always predictable, it may help to focus on what you do have control over. Having a routine helps me quite a bit.
• Get some sleep. Stress can cause challenges with sleep, and inadequate sleep affects our brain’s higher-function regions.

5 Things You Need to Do to Get Better Sleep, Backed by ScienceA STRONG BIOLOGIC DRIVE regulates sleep, but the ability to fall asleep at your preferred time and to maintain…medium.com

“You must learn to let go. Release the stress. You were never in control anyway.”
― Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free

• Be flexible with your reactions. When I sense that I am about to get upset, I know that I have no more than a second or two before my brain’s primitive centers kick in. Stop and breathe. That driver that cut you off? Not worth reacting to. Breathe and thank yourself later. This brain hack works wonders for me. Alternatively, repeat some mantra to yourself, such as “I’m okay, I’m okay, I’m okay.” Done quickly, you may keep your mind in the thinking brain rather than the primitive amygdala.
• Change your mindset. We all experience some degree of stress. We need some stress to grow.
• Use lists. The day can seem overwhelming, but I love having my task list. Even better, I love crossing things off.
• Get help if you need it. Early intervention may help you avoid long-term health consequences from chronic stress.

The post How Stress Affects Your Brain appeared first on Medika Life.

That’s the view of Dr. Denise Park, the Director of the Center for Vital Longevity at the University of Texas at Dallas (USA).

OUR HABITS CAN HAVE PROFOUND EFFECTS on our cognitive functions. There are many contributants to our brain health, but today I want to focus on a relatively simple way you can lower your chances of suffering from cognitive decline.

First, before we talk about too much sitting, let’s quickly list some brain hacks that may lower your risk of suffering from a cognitive decline.

1. Physical activity may provide some protection for many of us. Dr. Laura Baker, a neuropsychologist at the University of Washington (in my beloved Seattle), discovered that older adults with mild cognitive impairment demonstrated improvements on tests of executive function after six months of aerobic exercise (for four days weekly).
2. Stress is associated with an increase in beta-amyloid protein, a component thought by many (but not all) to be a causal agent for Alzheimer’s dementia, at least in mice brains.
3. Mental stimulation. A 2006 meta-analysis showed fewer years of education associated [emphasis added] with a greater risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
4. Short sleep is associated with brain dysfunction. I have written about the link here:

Short Sleep and DementiaSleep disturbance is associated with a higher risk of dementia.medium.comUse Sleep and Exercise to Drop Your Dementia RiskToo little (or too much) sleep may increase your dementia risk. Optimizing sleep and getting some exercise may reduce…drmichaelhunter.medium.com.

First, full disclosure: I am unaware of any high-level evidence pointing to a clear cause-and-effect relationship between lifestyle interventions and improvements in cognitive impairment risk.

The US National Institutes of Health agrees, with an expert panel concluding that there is not enough evidence to support any particular modifiable factor as reducing dementia risk.

Still, many habits are associated with poorer brain health, and today I want to look specifically at the effects of sitting too much.

Sitting and the brain

“Americans Sit More Than Anytime In History And It’s Killing Us.”

That’s the headline I recently stumbled across. Do you sit too much? In the United States, the average American adult sits more than at any other time in history.

As a radiation oncologist, I have a relatively sedentary job. Do you? According to the American Heart Association, these types of jobs have increased 83 percent since 1950.

We sit. A lot.

Did you know that physically active jobs comprise less than 20 percent of work in the USA? This low number is down from approximately half of jobs in 1960.

And, Johns Hopkins researchers contend that “physically active jobs now make up less than 20% of the U.S. workforce, down from roughly half of jobs in 1960.” The typical office worker sits a remarkable 15 hours daily. And then we sit on our commute home.

And there is this: Too much sitting can offset the health benefits of working out.

All of this sitting can do a job on our brains. A 2018 PLOS One study reports that sitting too much is associated with changes in a brain region central to memory.

University of California, Los Angeles (USA) researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to peer into the brain’s medial temporal lobe (MTL), a zone that creates new memories. The research subjects ranged in age from 45 to 75 years.

They compared the scans with the average number of hours an individual sat each day. Those who sat for the most prolonged time had thinner MTL regions. Unfortunately, such brain changes can be precursors of cognitive decline and dementia.

Sitting and the brain — An action plan

I recommend moving after 30 minutes of sitting to all of my able patients. Many of us have reminders on our wrists: My FitBit device buzzes periodically to remind me to get up and move.

I recall a New York Times piece that suggested we exercise for three minutes every half hour to counter the harmful effects of sitting too long. Walk around the office or home. Climb stairs. Stretch. Just move. Even as few as 15 steps during mini-breaks can improve our blood sugar control.

The post One Simple Way to Protect Your Brain appeared first on Medika Life.

This well-written article examines ways you might soothe your brain. Today, I will focus on three means to soothe your brain.

I want to review these approaches to stress reduction, with an eye to the underlying evidence suggesting we can benefit from the practices.

1. Stress reduction: Reconnect

Are you bombarded with information? From the Internet, television, the car radio, and more? If so, you may be suffering from information overload.

Combining social isolation, a common phenomenon during the COVID pandemic, we get a toxic combination with information overload.

If we feel disconnected from others, we may experience a faster cognitive decline rate than those who don’t feel lonely. Loneliness also makes us more likely to lose the ability to care for ourselves and can be associated with early death.

People who feel lonely (disconnected from others) have faster rates of cognitive decline than people who don’t feel lonely. Loneliness also raises our risks of losing the ability to take care of ourselves and early death.

How might loneliness do its dirty work? Here are some potential mechanisms:

• an association with physical activity
• poorer sleep
• higher blood pressure
• elevated levels of inflammation

2. Stress reduction: Practice mindfulness

With the ongoing pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and inflation soaring, you may be experiencing higher stress levels. If you want to drop the stresses of daily life, you might want to try mindfulness meditation.

Mindfulness practices can reduce stress by facilitating our return to the present (when we are distracted).

We have long known the benefits of meditation. At Harvard Medical School, Dr. Herbert Benson taught about the benefits of mindfulness — including lower blood pressure, heart rate, and brain activity — as early as 1975.

In 2011, Harvard Medical School neuroscientist Dr. Sara Lazar was the first to document that mindfulness meditation changes the brain’s structure, including the gray matter and regions associated with the sense of self, memory, and the regulation of emotions.

In the New York Times article, Nkechi Njaka suggests that we “take advantage of the transitional moments of the day to practice mindfulness — when you wake up, right before or after a meal or when you change your physical location, for example — so that you can start to form a routine.”

3. Stress reduction: Reduce information overload

I sometimes get caught up in a seemingly unstoppable news cycle. Do various media bombard you? It might be time to reconsider your news consumption in this noisy world.

Here’s the recommendation of Cal Newport, the author of Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World:

Pick one or two reliable sources of information and read them at a specific time each day. He adds that we should take a 30-day break from technologies [such as social media].

Instead of scrolling through Tik Tok videos, consider listening to some of your favorite music or taking a walk amongst the trees.

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