Protect Your Brain Health

One of the big issues for improving brain health is that many people, and this includes both the general public and health care professionals, are unaware of what you can do to improve your brain health and reduce the risks to you brain.

What is Brain Health? 

Brain health is not simply the absence of brain disease; it’s about getting the most out of your brain, protecting and reducing risks to your brain and building resilience across the life span.

It is a key factor in mental and physical health that allows people to realize their full potential across their lives (World Health Organisation, 2022). Remember, there is no health without brain health. If your brain fails, you and your body can’t function. 

However, there are things you can do to promote and protect your brain starting from where you are at, even if you have a brain illness.

Your brain is your most important asset, and you need to keep it healthy.

What Can I do About It? 

The good news is that your brain is plastic, and it can grow and adapt in response to new experiences across the lifespan.

While the first 5-10 years of life are critical for brain development, as that’s where most brain growth occurs, it doesn’t end there.

Taking a brain health approach across your life builds up reserve in your brain so that as you age you are better able to deal with the wear and tear effects on your brain that life and aging brings.

While there are some non-modifiable risks to your brain health and the risk of getting dementia—such as age and genetic factors—most of the risk factors to your brain are modifiable or treatable such as high blood pressure, diabetes, head injury and concussion, pollution, excess alcohol, smoking, lack of social connection, low education, lack of physical exercise, poor sleep, depression.

Addressing modifiable risk factors for heart disease has reduced deaths from heart attack and stroke; by taking the same approach for brain health we can reduce the number of people living and dying with dementia.

Brain Healthy Habits

^{Designed by Atlantic Fellow, Macarena Espina Díaz}

Brain health isn’t a given, it’s something that you can have but you have to work at it. But it’s a value worth aspiring to, like physical fitness, and if you can reach it and when you are achieving it, you will feel better.