Taking certain steps like maintaining cholesterol, checking vitamin D level, taking supplements, eating whole plant foods keeps your brain young & active
Aging is inevitable and with time, your body slowly becomes more fragile. As you lose your youth, the muscles weaken and the brain does not function as it once did. You cannot think fast enough, and have problems remembering certain things.
Although aging cannot be avoided, there are ways to keep your brain strong and active even at an older age. There are many elderlies who can still use their brain in the same way they used 20 or 30 years ago. Here are a few ways you can adopt to keep your brain active and young, even as you grow old.
1. Prevent High Blood Pressure and Cholesterol Level
High blood pressure and cholesterol are the two nightmares almost everyone has to face at an elderly age. High blood pressure could result in irregular blood flow through your blood vessels, and can seriously damage your brain.
Often you could have too much blood flow in the brain, increasing the risk of stroke and internal bleeding, or hardly any blood, making the brain feel numb and you feel dizzy.
One reason that largely affects high blood pressure is the cholesterol level. The higher the cholesterol level, the higher your blood pressure is. Therefore, to maintain normal blood pressure, you need to maintain your cholesterol level.
2. Take Necessary Supplements
For those who are physically fragile and cannot go out for exercise daily, taking supplements can give good results. As you grow old, your brain lacks two nutrients. They are Omega-3 Fatty Acid DHA and Vitamin B12.
As you grow old, the body gradually loses the ability to absorb vitamin B12 from foods. Therefore, supplements are necessary. For instance, you can take Magnesium L-Threonate supplements to enhance the level of magnesium that enters the brain to keep it young and healthy.
The deficiency of these two nutrients can create depression, dizziness, memory loss, and much more. Many supplements contain these two nutrients. The supplement can help mitigate deficiency.
3. Have A Stable Vitamin D Level
Vitamin D directly influences the part of your brain that records memories. Studies have found that if an elderly person lacks a sufficient amount of vitamin D, he may suffer from amnesia or dementia.
The required level of vitamin D for a human is between 30 and 45 ng/ml. As vitamin D can also transport glucose and calcium to the brain, having a sufficient amount of vitamin can reduce inflammation in the brain and help create some neurotransmitters.
4. Avoid Red Meat and Animal Products
Iron and Coppers are very important for the sustainability of the body. They are present in red meat, but the bad thing is; they are present in great quantities.
Absorbing a large quantity of iron and copper can do more harm than good. If too much is accumulated, it can create oxidative stress in the brain.
There are plenty of other foods that have iron and copper in them in sufficient amounts. Eating these foods can fulfill your iron and copper needs.
Foods such as pumpkin seeds, edamame, and other beans have just the right amount of iron and copper for your body. So, try to eat these healthier food options.
5. Eating Whole Plant Foods
To keep our powerful brains healthy we need nutrition. And nothing beats whole plant foods when it comes to healthy nutrition. Many doctors and nutrition experts suggest that 90 percent of everything you eat should be from whole plant foods.
The biggest disorder an elderly person can face is Alzheimer's disease. But it is proven that if you eat whole plant foods regularly, the risk of Alzheimer's disease can be reduced up to 36 percent.
So try to eat as many vegetables as possible like tomatoes, beans and eat raw vegetables to get the best benefits.
6. Regularly Eat Fruits and Berries
Fruits, especially berries, have also been proven to be beneficial for your brain. Several berries have been found to help reduce the aging disorders of the brain. The two best examples are pomegranates and blueberries.
These berries have shown significant improvement in the stability and activeness of the brain. So, eating these berries regularly can help your brain sustain over a long period.
7. Avoid Added Salts and Sugars in Your Food
Salt and sugar are known to increase the taste of your food. But you should also know that those ingredients give rise to various health risks. Too much sugar will increase your glucose level, while too much salt can raise blood pressure.
High glucose levels can decrease mental capacity and shrink your brain. We have already discussed how harmful high blood pressure can be.
To keep your brain fit, active, and capable of fast thinking, avoid salt and sugar in food as much as possible.
If you have a sweet tooth and crave sweet food, eating fruits will be much better than foods with added sugars. These fruits have the right amount of glucose and antioxidants.
8. Working Out and Exercising Regularly
Diet can only do so much for you. If you truly want your brain to be active, then your body must be active as well. Working out daily will help with your blood flow and metabolism.
This will ensure that a sufficient amount of blood can reach your brain, keeping it working properly.
Even though it sounds odd, physical fitness improves the fitness of your brain. Your brain produces more mitochondria, essential for increasing the energy of the cells.
Physical exercise is even more important for children since it helps in brain development and prevents obesity.
Final Thoughts
Your brain is the most important vital organ in your body that is responsible for almost everything. What you do and what you remember all depends on your brain. So, keeping it active is crucial at all stages of life and hopefully, this article has shown you how to do so.
