Thanks for testing out your brain knowledge! Let's find out how you did:
1. About how much sleep do you get each night?
The best answer is: b. 6-8 hours
It may feel like “just” resting to you, but the processes that go on as you sleep are critical to brain health. There are hormonal cues that tell your brain when to sleep and when to wake up, in addition to the all-important consolidation of memories and purging of “waste” that happen while you cycle through the stages of sleep. Individual needs vary, but most adults need a minimum of 7 hours of sleep to allow the brain time to accomplish its work. Kids and teens need even more. If you need an alarm clock to wake up in the morning, chances are you’re not getting enough sleep!
2. How would you describe your diet?
The best answer is: c. I'm conscientious about eating healthfully—lots of "real" food, not much junk!"
Many Americans eat a notoriously poor diet, which affects more than the waistline. To improve brain health, eat dark-green leafy vegetables (spinach, kale); nuts; berries; beans; whole grains; fatty fish; poultry; citrus fruits; and a little olive oil. LIMIT your intake of red meat, cheese, sweets, and fried foods, and ELIMINATE margarine. Sound familiar? That’s because a diet that’s good for your heart is also good for your brain. The link between diet and dementia is still emerging, but some neuroscientists are now referring to Alzheimer’s disease as “Type 3 diabetes.” Isn’t that enough to spur you to improve your diet?
3. How often do you interact with friends and family (talk on the phone, visit in person)?
The best answer is: c. Very often.
Individuals with strong social networks have been shown to have healthier brains and the slowest rate of memory decline as they age. It helps to be part of a couple, which has been shown to protect against cognitive decline, but even singles can enjoy those benefits by staying engaged with friends and family. So go ahead and make those dinner plans with friends, relax with the family on weekends, and enjoy good company and stimulating conversation. It’s good for your brain’s health!
4. Which of these best describes your exercise level?
The best answer is: c. I exercise regularly
You already know that a sedentary life is not healthy for your heart—but did you know it’s also unhealthy for your brain? People who do regular aerobic exercise, which gets the heart rate up, have been shown to have more volume in parts of the brain that affect learning, verbal memory, and cognition. The prefrontal cortex and medial temporal cortex, as well as the hippocampus are larger in those who get regular aerobic workouts than in those who don’t. Exercise also helps reduce insulin resistance and inflammation, and promotes the release of growth factors that support brain health. Need more reasons to get off the couch? Exercising has also been shown to improve mood and sleep, and to reduce stress levels.
5. How would you describe the amount of stress in your life?
The best answer is: a. I'm pretty calm, not a lot of stress
When you’re faced with sudden stress, your adrenal glands release adrenaline and your hypothalamus tells your pituitary gland to release cortisol. These hormones get your heart pumping faster and release sugar into the bloodstream, allowing you to react quickly. This is helpful for a short-term threat, but it’s a problem when you’re living in a perennial state of stress, feeling always under threat, with hormones always surging, never subsiding. Over time, too much cortisol can kill off brain cells, especially in the hippocampus, which affects your memory. It can cause thinning of the frontal and prefrontal cortex, which affects cognitive function. It can keep your blood pressure too high all the time, putting you at risk for a stroke. People with high levels of cortisol even have higher rates of depression. That makes it imperative that you learn to manage stress in order to protect the health of your brain. You can’t avoid all the stress that life throws at you, but you can build the skills to handle it better. One way to do that is through mindfulness training, specifically practicing meditation or yoga. Try it!
6. Which of the following statements best describes you?
The best answer is c: I love learning new things, reading about different topics, and trying new activities
For most of human history we had to work our brains hard just to survive, but over the past several decades things have changed dramatically. We used to have phone numbers seared into our brain, but now they’re all stored on our cell phones. We no longer have to remember any facts about history (we can just look them up on Wikipedia), and it’s rare that anyone memorizes poems or speeches any more. There is effort involved in cognition, and we’re no longer making that effort. Most of us no longer have to memorize anything, and like any other part of your body: If you don’t work it, it starts to atrophy. So what can you do? Give your brain some work! Learn new things, engage in interesting conversations with a variety of people, memorize a long poem—stay engaged! Re-engage your brain if you’ve fallen out of the habit of using it, and use every opportunity to work it.
7. How would you describe your alcohol consumption?
The best answer is: c. I drink pretty regularly
Red wine contains antioxidants, including flavonoids and resveratrol, which are good for your heart and may help protect against Alzheimer’s disease. But other kinds of alcohol—or too much of any kind—have some terrible effects on the brain. Alcohol is ethanol (EtOH), which is responsible for the short-term “buzz” many people get from having a drink. Long-time heavy drinkers, however, tend to have smaller brains—literally, brains shrink when exposed to alcohol over time—and a large portion of those who drink heavily develop a deficiency in vitamin B1 (thiamine), as alcohol impairs the body’s ability to absorb it. What constitutes heavy drinking? Estimates vary about how much is too much, but in general experts recommend no more than 8 drinks a week for women, 12 for men. If you are concerned about whether your drinking may be excessive, talk to your doctor—and be honest about how much and how often you drink.
For more information about your brain’s health, visit weillcornellbrainandspine.org/brain-health
