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It can be easy to get bogged down in brain-health directives. Recently, I’ve been targeted with next-gen nootropic dietary supplements that promise cognitive enhancement and vibrating, vagal-nerve-calming wearables. I’ve received invitations to a “brain rave” (an event blending music and movement with a discussion around how both modalities benefit brain health) and to an aesthetics studio launching transcranial stimulation. But some of the most important things you can do to boost your brain power are very simple.
1. Protect your head
Basic as it sounds, take measures to avoid bashing your head. Bike helmets may seem like a faff, but just buckle up, says Dr Sabine Donnai, a physician and founder of Viavi, a health clinic that offers brain mapping and cognitive tests. “Closed head injuries can have an impact on the blood-brain barrier,” she says, referring to the protective layer of cells that prevents harmful substances from entering the brain. “Once it is compromised, toxins, drugs and viruses have free entry to our brain and very often result in ‘brain fog’ or longer-term cognitive decline.” And helmets are becoming more portable. Ventete has created the world’s first inflatable bike helmet, and UK brand Newlane makes a foldable helmet that meets European safety standards and folds to half its size to slip into a bag.
2. Protect your heart
According to Masud Husain, professor of neurology and cognitive neuroscience at the University of Oxford and author of Our Brains, Our Selves, “people don’t realise that high blood pressure makes a big difference to their brain health”. Get regular health checks to keep tabs on your vascular health – blood pressure, BMI, blood sugar and cholesterol – or at the very least employ a home-use blood-pressure monitor to ensure that blood pressure is consistently below 135/85 (the British Heart Foundation recommends devices by Omron). And as a baseline, aim for around two and a half hours of moderate-intensity activity – such as running, cycling or brisk walking – each week.
3. Eat a colourful range of foods
The gut-brain axis is well established. “Your intestinal microbes produce neuroactive compounds that impact everything from cognition to mood,” says Olga Donica, nutritionist and longevity innovation director at Clinique La Prairie. “A practical start is to consume fermented foods and a range of colourful plants each day.” Diversity is great, agrees Donnai. “Eat a massive variety of whole foods: spices and herbs, in particular turmeric, ginger, garlic and cinnamon, and healthy fats [salmon, avocado, olive oil, mackerel and sardines].” An easy add is Newroad 30, a powdered supplement containing 30 freeze-dried organic fruits and vegetables that can be sprinkled on yoghurt or incorporated into a drink. Refined sugar and ultra-processed foods are not encouraged.
4. Embrace calm
“The brain thrives on stimulation, but also restoration,” says Donica. “Meditation, even for five minutes twice a day, regulates the autonomic nervous system, reduces cortisol and activates neuroprotective pathways.” If this isn’t for you, a simple path to the parasympathetic “rest and relax” state is to find something fun to do – and think about writing it down (the Five Minute Journal has fill-in-the-blank sections so you can note what you are grateful for each day). “Gratitude journalling and laughter are super-useful to de-stress and flood our brains with positive hormones,” says Donnai. “Neuroplasticity is enhanced, mood improves through increased serotonin and dopamine release and focus is increased.”
5. Learn a new skill
According to Murali Doraiswamy, professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences and director of the neurocognitive disorders programme at Duke University School of Medicine, the best way to keep your brain sharp is the “lifelong pursuit of mentally stimulating and challenging activities”. While he’d suggest you push retirement off as long as possible in order to keep the brain challenged in a wide variety of demanding ways, alternatives include anything from competitive bridge to walking book clubs (that’s the discussion of books – while walking). The key is to try things that you find difficult. If you are a whizz at sudoku, for example, then consider something more physical, such as tango; if your comfort zone is numbers, perhaps try to write some poetry. “Greater cognitive stimulation enhances brain size and resilience to pathology,” says Doraiswamy.
6. Detoxify your life
“We are exposed to microplastics, pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals and so forth every day,” says Donnai. “In combination, our detoxification pathways are overwhelmed and this results in storing toxins – mainly in fatty tissues like our brain.” What to do? Avoid toxins where you can: some studies suggest you should drink filtered water (look to brands like AquaTru for reverse osmosis, or Water2 for an easy under-sink filter) and try to avoid heating plastics (don’t drink your coffee, for instance, through a black plastic lid, or microwave food in a plastic container). If you’re concerned about the chemicals in the coatings on non-stick pans, swap them for cast iron or stainless-steel alternatives; and check the labels on your clothing and bedding: natural fibres won’t shed microplastics.
7. Test your hearing
Scientists are linking hearing loss with reduced brain health. Husain says: “The greater the level of hearing loss, the higher the risk of dementia; exactly why this is the case is not established, but it might be through increased social isolation or less intellectual stimulation [caused by missing out in conversations].” People with hearing loss who use hearing aids have a lower risk of cognitive decline, so getting your hearing tested is recommended if you have any concerns. Last year, Apple launched a hearing-aid feature in the AirPods Pro 2 (take a five-minute test, and if the test detects mild-to-moderate hearing loss, the earphones can boost certain frequencies, for example, when listening to someone speaking against a noisy backdrop).
8. Go to bed
“Sleep is not simply rest, it’s a biological imperative for cognitive function and long-term brain health,” explains Donica. “It’s foundational to brain performance and emotional regulation. Aim for between seven and eight hours each night, and support your circadian rhythm by avoiding late-night meals, alcohol and screen time.” Some research suggests blue light can cause melatonin levels to drop, so blue-light-reducing sunglasses could help you drift off more quickly (try a pink-tinted pair from Loving Victorious Beings, £196), and consider supporting your sleep with magnesium (see BetterYou’s bath flakes, £5.49, or Verden’s Nocturne Magnesium Night Balm, £30).
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