How to Keep Your Brain Healthy

Changes to your body and brain are normal as you age. However, there are some things you can do to help slow any decline in memory and lower your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias. Here are some tips for filling—and not draining—your reservoir of brain power:

1. Exercise regularly.

Daily physical exercise has been shown to prevent or postpone your risk for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. As little as 15 to 30 minutes a day can make a difference.

We believe these benefits are a result of increased blood flow to your brain during exercise. It also tends to counter some of the natural reduction in brain connections that occur during aging, in effect reversing some of the problems.

2. Sleep well.

Inadequate sleep is linked to slower thinking and risk of dementia. Seven to nine hours a night is best. But be wary of sleep medications that can make cognitive problems worse. Instead, talk to your doctor about “sleep hygiene”—that is, habits to help your body settle down at bedtime.

Dr. Eric B. Larson is executive director of Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute, where he leads research on healthy aging, including the Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) study.

Sleep plays an important role in your brain health. There are some theories that sleep helps clear abnormal proteins in your brain and consolidates memories, which boosts your overall memory and brain health.

It is important that you try to get seven to eight consecutive hours of sleep per night, not fragmented sleep of two- or three-hour increments. Consecutive sleep gives your brain the time to consolidate and store your memories effectively. Sleep apnea is harmful to your brain’s health and may be the reason why you may struggle to get consecutive hours of sleep. Talk with your health care provider if you or a family member suspects you have sleep apnea.

3. If you smoke, quit.

Tobacco use can harm all your organs, including your brain. But stopping now improves your chances for healthier brain function in the future, even if you’ve smoked for many years.

4. Take care of your heart.

The most important strategy, she says, is to work with your doctor to stay on top of your cardiovascular health. You want to keep blood moving easily through your heart and blood vessels. “High blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, smoking, and diabetes all increase the risk for developing neurodegenerative diseases by impeding blood flow to the brain,” she explains.

When artery walls get thick with plaque or “hardened,” a condition called atherosclerosis, it’s difficult to get enough blood to the brain and nurture its cells. This can also lead to ischemic stroke — when a blood clot forms in an artery, cutting off the blood supply to a section of the brain. That can cause temporary or even permanent brain damage.

A healthy, active lifestyle will go a long way toward keeping your blood flowing and avoiding those problems. A Swedish study of more than 30,000 women found that those who ate a healthy diet, exercised regularly, didn’t smoke, drank only moderately, and kept their body mass index (BMI) below 25 had a far lower risk of stroke than women who didn’t meet any of those five goals.

5. Avoid a high-sugar diet.

Your diet plays a large role in your brain health. High blood sugar can increase your risk for dementia, even without diabetes. So avoid highly sweetened foods like sodas and candy.

6. Keep your mind stimulated.

Games and puzzles are great. But also consider volunteer and social activities that keep you independent and engaged with friends and family. For example, learn new computer skills; participate on a board, in a book club, or dance group; or try gardening, crafts, or cooking.

Building new skills throughout your lifetime — how to cook Indian food, how to play an instrument, even learning the rules of new card games or traveling to an unfamiliar city — helps keep your brain healthy by constantly creating new connections between brain cells, Caccappolo says.

Challenging your brain essentially creates a backup system. “The more intellectual stimulation you have, the more various neural circuits are used. And the more circuits you have, the harder it is for the changes associated with neurodegenerative diseases to manifest,” she says.

It’s more helpful to master real-world skills than to play online “cognitive enhancement” games. “We’ve found that people improve on the specific tasks in those games,” she says, “but that doesn’t really correlate with real-world activities.”

7. Avoid certain drugs.

Talk to your doctor about your medication—both prescription and nonprescription. For brain health, you want to avoid dangerous interactions or being over-medicated.

8. Moderate or avoid alcohol.

Drinking has a stronger effect on our bodies as we age. Experts advise a limit of one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men.

9. Prevent falls.

Falls can cause a head injury, broken bones, or other harm that triggers gradual or sudden loss of function. To avoid falling, practice balance and strength exercises. Beware that drinking and drugs can affect balance. And be careful: watch for uneven walking surfaces and cords that can trip you. Wear shoes or slippers with good soles. Avoid going barefoot or walking in stocking feet. If you bike or ski, wear a helmet.

10. Minimize stress.

Hormones secreted when you’re under stress have a stronger effect on older brains, challenging your ability to recover from emotional upset. So take change slowly and learn ways to cope with anxiety or tension.