Metabolic and Mental Health
Six Tips to Prevent Brain Atrophy and Lower the Risks of Mental Disorders
I offer healthy lifestyle choices to reduce the risks of cerebral atrophy based on my decades of experience in the field
This post aims to introduce brain atrophy (cerebral atrophy) and offer practical ways to lower the risks via healthy lifestyle choices.
What is brain atrophy, and why does it matter?
Brain atrophy refers to the loss of brain cells. This is a severe condition as it prevents neurons from communicating with each other. Brain atrophy is different from the expected loss of cells caused by aging.
Brain atrophy is associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia and cardiovascular disease such as stroke.
There are two types of this condition. The first one is generalized atrophy which impacts the entire brain. The second one is focal atrophy which affects specific brain regions.
The symptoms are loss of memory, seizures, aggravation, learning difficulties, difficulty with planning, and difficulty with speaking.
1 — Meet the fundamental needs of the body and brain.
The brain is another body organ, but it is a special one controlling other organs. So, anything we do good for the body is also good for the brain.
The fundamentals for the body are adequate nutrition, regular movement, restorative sleep, timely rest, recovery, and fun.
The brain needs energy from healthy fats or carbs. The good news is that the body can create glucose from proteins and fats through gluconeogenesis and lipolysis.
Thus, even if we don’t consume carbs, the brain can still get the required glucose. I am one of them as I follow a near zero-carb diet with a one-meal-a-day eating regimen. This regime allows me to utilize alternative energy to the brain through ketosis.
The brain also needs amino acids from proteins as building blocks for cells. Furthermore, it needs micronutrients such as minerals, vitamins, and unique fatty acids such as omega-3 (DHA/EPA).
In addition to minerals like magnesium, calcium, potassium, sodium, and trace minerals, B vitamins and vitamin D are critical to addressing their deficiency is necessary.
The next fundamental is movement. Exercise can contribute to brain health by balancing neurotransmitters and producing BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor), which can prevent brain atrophy.
Restorative sleep is non-negotiable for brain health. It is essential to protect from oxidative stress, balance hormones, and reduce inflammation in the brain. Stress affects the brain at the genetic level.
In addition to sleep, the brain also needs rest for timely recovery and fun for stimulation. One of the ways to rest and stimulate the brain, especially the neocortex, is through meditation.
2 — Improve cellular health.
Brain health starts with looking after cells (neurons and glial cells). Therefore, cellular health is critical to preventing brain atrophy.
Neurons and glial cells are sensitive to toxins and pathogens. Therefore, we need to refrain from them. Two lifestyle risk factors are cigarette smoking and excessive alcohol consumption.
Even though the defense system can eliminate toxins and pathogens, if they pass the threshold, the risks for brain atrophy might increase. Therefore, we need additional measures to address the toxicity problem.
After improving the immune and lymphatic systems with lifestyle habits such as the fundamentals mentioned in the first section, we can also activate the self-healing mechanism known as autophagy.
I introduce three tips to initiate autophagy based on my experience. As autophagy is a promising prevention and therapeutic mechanism, I documented my experience in an article titled Here Is What Happened When I Experimentally Initiated Autophagy Decades Ago.
Another cellular health consideration is improving mitochondria. Brain cells hold thousand of these organelles to create energy. The brain is highly dependent on mitochondria for energy production. As we know, the brain is energy hungry, consuming more energy than other organs.
Our defense system works hard to get rid of them. Nevertheless, the immune system struggles when toxins and pathogens pass the threshold. I summarized my experience in improving mitochondrial health in an article titled 12 Tips to Get Denser Mitochondria for Joyful Energy.
In addition, I documented my experience with mitophagy in an article titled Here’s How I Initiate Mitophagy and Make My Mitochondria Denser in 7 Steps.
By entering ketosis and using ketones (e.g., β-hydroxybutyrate) as alternative energy, we can significantly improve cellular health in the brain. For example, ketosis can contribute to increasing BDNF and reducing inflammation.
3 — Improve metabolic health.
Metabolic conditions can adversely affect brain atrophy. One of the critical points is insulin resistance. Therefore, making the body insulin sensitive can lower the risk of brain atrophy.
Fixing insulin resistance contributes to the brain’s health and other organs such as the heart, liver, lungs, kidneys, and pancreas. I provided three tips to eliminate insulin resistance which can also shrink the Waistline.
Studies indicate that excessive nutrients, such as too much sugar, can damage the brain cells causing neurodegenerative disorders. Interestingly, scientists call Alzheimer’s disease type III diabetes related to our metabolic health.
However, we need essential nutrients in adequate amounts. The key nutrients for the brain are minerals, vitamins, amino acids, glucose, and essential fats such as DHA and EPA.
Like nutrition, sleep and movement are also critical for our metabolic health contributing to mental health. Nevertheless, the crucial point for metabolic health is hormonal balance, which I will cover in the next section.
4 — Balance hormones and neurotransmitters.
The health of our brain depends on hormones and neurotransmitters. Cerebral communication happens through hormones and neurotransmitters. I see them as the software of the brain.
The notion of balance is critical because too much or too little hormone or neurotransmitters in the brain might cause disturbances. Therefore, they need to be balanced for the functionality and performance of the brain.
The balance of neurotransmitters depends on nutrition, movement, sleep, rest, and fun. As hormones are broad in scope, I posted an article titled Hormonal Intelligence: Sharpen It to Achieve Optimal Health.
As toxins and pathogens cause the imbalance of hormones and neurotransmitters, we must refrain from them.
5 — Manage thoughts and emotions.
As the brain is an organ of the body, bodily emotions can affect the brain. In addition, our thoughts also affect emotions.
While pleasant emotions can enhance brain health, unpleasant feelings in excessive amounts and prolonged time can be hazardous.
The critical point about managing emotions is expressing them rather than suppressing them. As emotional regulation is crucial for health, I posted an article titled Regulate Emotions to Knock Chronic Stress with Five Powerful Tools.
Even though the brain might regulate emotions through cognitive, limbic, and reptilian parts, we also need the body to control our emotions.
The bodily control mechanisms are breathing and movement. Therefore, breathing exercises and physical activities like workouts and dancing can be used to regulate emotions. These activities lower the chance of brain atrophy and mental health disorders.
Similar to emotions, we also need to manage our thoughts. One of the most effective ways to manage thoughts is through mindfulness practices such as meditation, visualization, expressive writing, music, self-talk, and working in the flow state.
6 — Connect with others meaningfully.
We are spiritually connected to each other and entities beyond us in invisible modes. Though we don’t have empirical evidence yet, various brain regions are believed to manage these connections.
However, the impact of our relationships with others on the brain and mental health has enough evidence. Therefore, meaningful social connections for improving brain health are necessary.
Socially active people who connect with others meaningfully and develop healthy relationships might live longer based on findings in Bluezone studies.
Living mindfully, we can connect with others better. Care, empathy, compassion, and optimism are essential to improving our relationships. As a result, the impact of good relationships manifests as less stress and anxiety, which affects brain health.
Self-love and compassion toward others might nurture the brain. With these approaches, we can attract loving people to our lives.
Conclusions and Takeaways
Mental health disorders such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, and Korsakoff’s Syndrome are critical risk factors for brain atrophy. Of these conditions, Alzheimer’s disease is the most common. For example, Alzheimer’s disease affects over six million Americans.
Neural conditions and autoimmune diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are also critical risk factors for brain atrophy.
Even though there is no cure for ALS and it has a genetic connection, we might be able to lower the risk formation via healthy lifestyle habits and by seeking timely support from qualified healthcare professionals.
As stress and inflammation adversely affect brain cells and functions, we must find effective ways to deal with them. Stress and inflammation are inevitable, but we might lower them significantly with healthy lifestyle habits.
In addition, healthy lifestyle habits might also contribute to increasing cognitive reserves. Having robust mental reserves might be handy when we face brain atrophy.
Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.
Here is the comical version of this story.
Here’s How I Activated Neurogenesis and Transformed My Depressive Mind into a Joyful One
Here are my recent stories that might give you different perspectives on mental health.
I aim to increase the hormonal intelligence of my readers and write about various hormones and neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, GABA, acetylcholine, norepinephrine, adrenaline, glutamate, and histamine.
One of my goals as a writer is to raise awareness about the causes and risk factors of prevalent diseases that can lead to suffering and death for a large portion of the population.
To raise awareness about health issues, I have written several articles that present my holistic health findings from research, personal observations, and unique experiences. Below are links to these articles for easy access.
Metabolic Syndrome, Type II Diabetes, Fatty Liver Disease, Heart Disease, Strokes, Obesity, Liver Cancer, Autoimmune Disorders, Homocysteine, Lungs Health, Pancreas Health, Kidneys Health, NCDs, Infectious Diseases, Brain Health, Dementia, Depression, Brain Atrophy, Neonatal Disorders, Skin Health, Dental Health, Bone Health, Leaky Gut, Leaky Brain, Brain Fog, Chronic Inflammation, Insulin Resistance, Elevated Cortisol, Leptin Resistance, Anabolic Resistance, Cholesterol, High Triglycerides, Metabolic Disorders, Gastrointestinal Disorders, and Major Diseases.
I also wrote about valuable nutrients. Here are the links for easy access:
Lutein/Zeaxanthin, Phosphatidylserine, Boron, Urolithin, taurine, citrulline malate, biotin, lithium orotate, alpha-lipoic acid, n-acetyl-cysteine, acetyl-l-carnitine, CoQ10, PQQ, NADH, TMG, creatine, choline, digestive enzymes, magnesium, zinc, hydrolyzed collagen, nootropics, pure nicotine, activated charcoal, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B1, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine, and other nutrients to improve metabolism and mental health.
Disclaimer: Please note that my posts do not include professional or health advice. I document my reviews, observations, experience, and perspectives only to provide information and create awareness.
As part of my creative non-fiction writing goals, I’d like to share a few stories that might warm our hearts with a bit of humor into weighty topics.
Sample Humorous Stories
Finally, After Burning Her House, Georgia Found Enlightenment
Hilarious Tips to Prevent Brain Atrophy and Keep the Gray Matter Giggling
8 Psychological Points I Had to Unlearn and Relearn the Opposite
Based on my writing experience and observations, I documented findings and strategies that might help you amplify your voice, engage your audience, and achieve your desired outcomes in your writing journey.
I publish my lifestyle, health, and well-being stories on EUPHORIA. My focus is on metabolic, cellular, mitochondrial, and mental health. Here is my collection of Insightful Life Lessons from Personal Stories.
If you enjoy writing and storytelling, you can join Medium, NewsBreak, and Vocal as a creator to find your voice, reach out to a broad audience, and monetize your content.
You may also check my blog posts about my articles and articles of other writers contributing to my publications on Medium. I share them on my website digitalmehmet.com. Here is my professional bio. You can contact me via weblink.
As a writer, blogger, content developer, and reader, you might join Medium, Vocal Media, NewsBreak, Medium Writing Superstars, Writing Paychecks, WordPress, and Thinkers360 with my referral links. This post includes affiliate links.
You might join my six publications on Medium as a writer by sending a request via this link. 22K+ writers contribute to my publications. You might find more information about my professional background.
If you enjoy reading, you may join Medium with my referral link for limitless access to my stories and other writers.
