7 Discoveries Showing How the Brain and Body are Linked
The brain is a part of our body, so of course,
it's connected and influenced by our body, you may think. And while this
basic assumption is definitely at the heart of the findings we will discuss
here, the ways in which our brains are interconnected with the other organs and
systems of our body can be quite unexpected, with things like hydration level
and specific foods having a profound influence on our mind. But it isn't only
our gut or cardiovascular system that can influence how well our brains
work: our experiences and habits are just as important to our mental health and
cognitive performance. These 7 neuroscientific discoveries illustrate
how our brain, our body, and our experiences are all meaningfully
interconnected and have a strong effect on our health and well-being.
1.
Your Brain’s Health and Functioning is Dependent on Your Gut Health
The idea of the gut-brain connection has been around for a
while, but the more scientists learn about the specific ways our guts influence
our brains, the more we get to understand the holistic importance of a healthy
diet. More specifically, we now know that a poor diet is a contributor to
mental illness, particularly anxiety and depression, but it may
also alter our cognitive abilities.
For example, a diet high in sugar was shown to impair our cognitive abilities
in the short term, causing brain fog. The long-term effects of sugar are no less alarming, as
there is evidence linking depression and a high-sugar diet. On a more positive
note, a healthy diet was shown to have a beneficial effect on depression.
2.
Mental Tasks and New Experiences can Boost one’s Brain Health
One of the most significant neuroscience
discoveries of the past decade is the idea that our brain is malleable and new
experiences, training, and learning can improve its functioning. In
neuroscience, this notion is known under the term 'neuroplasticity', and, as
you might expect, the
human brain is most pliable in childhood, but it continues
being shaped by our experiences throughout our lives.
This is why reading, playing and listening to music,
painting and many other types of mental training are all so beneficial
for our cognitive health and help us maintain a sharp mind for longer. More
interestingly, recent scientific research focusing on the ways we can use
neuroplasticity to our advantage also showed that we can improve our memory
by simply engaging in new enjoyable activities and trying new things.
3.
Both Too Much and Not Enough Sleep Can Affect Your Cognition
Sleep is one of the favorite topics in neuroscience, with
numerous studies suggesting that both too much and not enough sleep can impair
our memory, creativity and cognitive tasks, such as concentration and
problem-solving. The largest-ever sleep study
was conducted in 2017, with over 10.000 participants tested, and it concluded
that the previous hypothesis was true and sleep does affect our decision-making
and concentration even in the short term.
However, the same study concluded that memory performance is
NOT affected by sleep, although admittedly they did not look at the long-term
effects of sleep. Still, it’s best to get an average of 7-8 hours of
sleep every day to stay in top shape.
4.
Healthy Body, Healthy Mind: the Effects of Exercise on Our Brain
Your brain needs exercise, we discussed that in the second
point but turns out that regular old exercise, too, can boost your
cognitive health and help retain a sharp mind in your senior years. One study even suggested that exercise helps
delay dementia by 15 years!
Apart from being an excellent preventative
measure of Alzheimer’s and dementia, however, exercise can help us boost
our cognitive performance and thinking skills, too. As for the
kind
human brain is most pliable in childhood, but it continues
being shaped by our experiences throughout our lives.
This is why reading, playing and listening to music,
painting and many other types of mental training are all so beneficial
for our cognitive health and help us maintain a sharp mind for longer. More
interestingly, recent scientific research focusing on the ways we can use
neuroplasticity to our advantage also showed that we can improve our memory
by simply engaging in new enjoyable activities and trying new things.
5.
Chronic Stress Can Shrink Your Brain
You probably heard that a little stress is useful for our
brain from time to time, and it may be true, but most of us don’t get just a
little stressed, don’t we? And that’s exactly the problem. When we are stressed
out day after day, our prefrontal cortex, the steering wheel of our brain, gets
affected, making us less alert and worse at performing cognitive tasks,
all because of cortisol, the infamous stress hormone.
Another brain area affected by stress is the hippocampus,
which helps us learn and remember things. Ultimately, chronic stress can even
cause mood swings, irritability, mental illness (e.g. anxiety,
depression, addiction) and was even found to contribute to Alzheimer’s
disease. In extreme cases, constant stress was even shown to be able to
shrink the brain volume, particularly the cortex.
6.
Mindfulness May Help Keep Your Brain Younger for Longer
Mindfulness training is a hot topic both in psychology
and neuroscience nowadays, but it’s not a new invention, as both yoga and meditation
rely heavily on the idea of self-awareness and mindfulness. There’s a massive
amount of research showing that mindfulness can make you more resistant to
pain, help you deal with mental illness and even prevent
cortical degeneration caused by dementia and aging.
So if there’s one thing you should start doing, that’s some
sort of mindfulness practice, be it yoga, meditation, or mindful breathing.
7.
Your Water Intake Affects your Brain
A dehydrated brain is a sluggish brain, one that can make it
difficult for you to focus, maintain attention, and engage in problem-solving
tasks. A 2018 study found
that losing as little as 2% of body weight for adults can instantly affect all
these mental faculties. Keep in mind that losing that much water is not
uncommon, especially in the summer weather.
Also, kids and seniors are at a higher risk of suffering
from dehydration. The conclusion is simple: always keep a full water bottle on
hand, especially if you’re spending time in the sun, but don’t overindulge
either. Why? This is because drinking too much water is as dangerous as dehydration,
as it can dilute your blood and, in severe cases, can make your brain swell,
which can be lethal.
How much water should you drink, then? Doctors generally
recommend drinking around half a gallon (2 liters) of water a day for an
average adult, which is about 8 glasses of water, but this may differ
depending on your weight and diet.
T