|
Dr. Tarek’s Comments:
Our Brains are shrinking:
During the course of human evolution, our brains have always increased in size and functionality. Only recently, researchers are documenting brain size decrease in humans. Some of the things that decrease brain size are:
-
Neurotoxins like alcohol:
It is beyond a shadow of a doubt. Alcohol is a neuro toxin that kills brain cells and diminish brain size and functionality. This effect is most noticeable in alcoholics but is also evident in non alcoholics. The good news is that the brain atrophy from the alcohol is reversible, for most part.
- Chronic pain in the body:
That is why it is important to address the cause of the pain. (Link to the article)
.
- Deficiency in Omega 3s and other brain nutrients:
Deficiencies in Omega 3 fatty acids, especially EPA and DHA have been conclusively linked to decreased brain function including decreased cognitive abilities, aberrant behavior, increased aggression, increased depression, autism, increased memory loss, accelerated brain aging, degeneration, and dementia and decreased normal brain and cognitive development in children.
That is why everyone must and should be taking omega 3s for the rest of their lives since we do not get enough in our diets.
The fourth, and this is the subject of the article in the NY Times, is lack of physical activity. Remember, physical INACTIVITY is an abnormal event for a genome programmed to expect physical activity. This is one of my favorite quotes. Our genes know that for us to eat, provide warmth and shelter, we must hunt, gather, collect and carry stuff. There is no way we can survive without doing that. At least, this is what our genes think. Nowadays, we can get food from the store and have someone else wheel it out to our car. Our genes expect physical activity and we are far from getting what is required for proper health.
Brain Res. 2010 Aug 21.
Here is a direct quote from the scientific article: “Because children are becoming overweight, unhealthy and unfit, understanding the neurocognitive benefits of an active lifestyle in childhood has important public health and educational implications.” They continue to discuss that in animal models exercise increase brain size and function. So they measure, using MRI, brain sizes of 9 and 10 year olds and compare those who are active with those who are not…” The findings are the first to indicate that aerobic fitness may relate to the structure and function of the preadolescent human brain.”
Dev Neurosci. 2010 Aug
“The present investigation is the first to explore the association between childhood aerobic fitness and basal ganglia structure and function.” That is the part of the brain that is dysfunctional in Parkinson’s disease. The conclusion of the study: “The findings suggest that increased childhood aerobic fitness is associated with greater dorsal striatal volumes and that this is related to enhanced cognitive control.” Bigger and better brains are the results.
Dev Psychol. 2009 Jan
“The data suggest that fitness is associated with better cognitive performance…”
Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2010 May
“The findings implicate childhood aerobic fitness as a factor in the ability to employ effective encoding and retrieval executive control processes for relational memory material, and possibly in the strategic engagement of prefrontal- and hippocampal-dependent systems.” These are the systems for memory processing and retrieval of old memories.
What about older adults?
Effect of Physical Activity on Cognitive Function in Older Adults at Risk for Alzheimer Disease JAMA.2008
"… The benefits of physical activity were apparent after six months and persisted for at least another 12 months after the intervention had been discontinued… Unlike medication, which was found to have no significant effect on mild cognitive impairment at 36 months, physical activity has the advantage of health benefits that are not confined to cognitive function alone, as suggested by findings on depression, quality of life, falls, cardiovascular function, and disability,"
August 27, 2008, Neurology
This is another article noting decline in cognitive behavior in adults and that physical activity slows down and stops the decline.
Old and Young alike, physical activity is an integral part of a healthy life style. We underestimate its benefits. For more info on healthy life styles, please check out our 6 month to wellness program. We are getting great results and people are changing their lives and the lives of their families. |
