5 Habits that Put Your Brain Health at Risk and How Supplements can Help

Written by Mikiah Fender

Fact checked by The Brain Blog Team

5 Habits that Put Your Brain Health at Risk and How Supplements can Help

The human brain is the soil on which the analysis of all bodily processes is cultivated. That said, people don't nourish the brain as they do other body parts. Instead, they are malnourishing the soil, thus giving the body many reasons to need nutritional brain supplements.  

Improving your brain's health and keeping energy levels high can be as simple as adjusting certain habits. Since the brain organizes billions of functions, brain supplementation could be a boost. Nutrient deficiency or an absence of key nutrients could be risky, but these everyday habits put your brain health at risk too.

1. Poor Sleep

Sleep is as critical as a balanced diet is to the general well-being of an individual. While sleeping, the brain functions for repair and other mechanisms. Most of these mechanisms could include getting rid of toxins and other byproducts that are often accumulated in the brain. The following could leave the brain susceptible to damage over time.  

• Poor sleeping patterns 
• Inadequate nutrient absorption 
• Nutrient depletion (fruits and vegetables, vitamins and minerals, etc.) 
• Poor eating habits  Unbalanced nutrient density, etc.,   

According to the CDC's research, more than one-third of the study population sleep less than 7 hours per night. Everyone needs an average of 8 hours for optimal function.  

Most people have reasons to relate sleeping routines to reduced cognitive function, but the effects could be more extensive. That said, it could take poor sleep to shortchange you of increased productivity.

2. Lack of mental stimulation and physical exercise

Granted that the body needs supplements, people who follow mentally stimulating routines have little or no reason to worry. Mental stimulation, alongside the intake of vitamins and minerals, is related to the absence of dementia. Hence, regular exercise is not only ideal for your body; it is beneficial for the human brain. All aerobic activities including walking, jogging, running, or weight training helps the brain by; 

• Improving hippocampus function- the portion of the brain responsible for memory and learning.  
• Improves neuroplasticity- an ability of the brain to embrace change by learning to have new experiences  
• Builds up blood vessels, thus stimulating better blood flow and eliminating the formation of plaques related to dementia.  
• It improves the brain's capacity to organize and interpret information and events.
• Changes the white matter, so that brain cells synchronize and connect.      

This shows that the more active the brain is, the better for your memory. Brain drain and lack of proper nutrition have price tags. These could change the shape of specific neurons in the brain and may cause mental decline. It is ideal for reading, exercising your body, staying socially active, eating fruits, vegetables, and generally exploring new challenges to continuously stimulate the brain.

3. Overindulging

Overindulging  Everyone likes to eat well, but certain eating habits or nutrition (food) options that people explore are not ideal for the brain and immune system. Although essential nutrients derived from foods are vital, too much of certain food nutrients is terrible news. Excessive sugar, salt, alcohol, and even food intake may compromise the brain's health.    

• Salt - consuming too much salt is a contributing factor to high blood pressure, and high blood pressure has been linked to an increase in the risk of strokes. In turn, stroke can cause repeated traumas on the brain, thereby resulting in minor cognitive deficits. It is also linked to a disruption in immune system function.  
  
•  Sugar – you need nutrients from most sugars, but excessive intake is terrible news. Research shows that high sugar levels negatively influence brain structure and function, potentially compromising the ability to form long-term memories and learning. Furthermore, even in vitamin C rich foods, sugar consumption has been linked to decreased cognitive function.  
  
• Alcohol - Excessive alcohol cnsumption is likely to damage the brain, especially memory and spatial navigation. However, the mind heals itself when drinking is discontinued; the body can break down and absorb sugars, which are end products of alcoholic beverages, thus predisposing the brain to adverse health issues.  
  

The next time you visit a grocery store, consider the nutrients contents of most items. A lifestyle built on overindulgence may lead to health issues since poor diet choices have also been linked to cognitive impairment. Your insurance policy should function for supplementation rather than expensive health issues healthcare.

4. stress

Electronic gadgets are an integral part of our lives. You make a call while walking down the street, text while eating your food. You read about what’s happening in the New York Times while hanging with friends. You think you’re multitasking, but all it does is affect productivity and induce stress. Stress may be acute or chronic; therefore, it may be hard to separate from daily activities. When stress is chronic, all body processes are affected, which induces a stress hormone known as cortisol and adrenaline. Over-secretion of adrenaline causes overstimulation of the brain or scrambled thinking. Elevated cortisol levels in the body could lead to other physical challenges like weight gain, digestive issues, etc. 

Consequently, chronic stress may negatively impact the adrenal glands, leaving the affected individual mentally drained. The mental drain is linked to other stress symptoms like memory loss, brain fog, etc. When such symptoms reach an advanced level, it changes the brain structure and function. 

5. Dehydration

Water makes up almost two-thirds of the human body hence playing a vital role in bodily functions. Therefore, dehydration can take a toll on the brain's health, causing migraines, constipation, chemicals warning, and other issues that could affect brain function. Again, when the body has nutrients without water supply, the diet is incomplete. When the body experiences dehydration, the brain's water volume shrinks, leading to fatigue, irritability, and possibly anxiety.

The path to a healthy brain may be affected by the lifestyle you choose to pursue - poor eating habits, inadequate food supply, plenty of junk food, and more. However, if you desire a boost from a reliable source, meeting your nutrient needs is the way to go. Your body tends to absorb nutrients in different forms, so supplements capsules, as well as fruits and vegetables (foods generally), are the best bet.  The need to take supplements may differ for individuals, so you may consider knowing nutrients before opting for supplements. Although people need supplements for diverse reasons, adding essential nutrients to the diet may be considered.

It is true that foods in the diet provide nutrients; however, certain food items may lack certain supplementary units. Supplements are nutritional elements made in isolated quantities of specific nutrients designed to meet nutritional needs. To put it simply, the body need supplements to fill the void that a normal diet or nutrition could be missing. Since people around the world make poor diet choices, supplementation may suffice. Most probiotics, vitamins, and minerals in the diet are considered natural sources and all supplements help in compensating nutrient depletion while maximizing results. Before turning to food or vitamin c, you may consider seeking the help of an expert before taking supplements. For optimal result, you may consider taking supplements like;

Omega-3s

As far as brain health goes, these essential nutrients are a must-have. By default, you cannot produce Omega-3s but they are gotten from foods or other sources. Therefore, you want to consume more foods rich in fatty elements like salmon, trout, herring, etc. Several brain nutrients are embedded in Omega-3, and a recent study with the aid of specific types of fish oils report that the supplement may help delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease.  Medical practitioners recommend omega-3 fatty nutrients, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and eicosatetraenoic acid (EPA). In addition to promoting brain health, the supplement is also known to reduce cholesterol levels while cushioning the effects of other health challenges.

Vitamins

By nature, Vitamin c is one of the most popular vitamins, but B vitamins (folic acid) are equally famous. Vitamins are known to scavenge free radicals. Free radicals are highly reactive and harmful chemicals produced by reactive oxygen species. However, maintaining healthy lifestyle habits could help curtail the activities of these harmful chemicals. 

Vitamin D works for brain function while combating bone challenges. Presently, maintaining healthy vitamin D levels in the body could curtail the onset of mental health challenges like depression, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, and dementia. Therefore, you might consider incorporating your nutrient levels every day with vitamins and minerals rich food.  

It may interest you to know that sunlight stimulates the production of vitamin D in the skin. Hence, a 5 to 10 minutes’ walk could help too. People who find it difficult to absorb nutrients or have strict dietary recommendations may consider opting for Vitamin D supplements in the recommended dosage. You want to avoid items affected by pesticides and herbicides or grown on poor soil.  

Like Vitamin D, vitamin B12 (also called folic acid) is beneficial to the brain. It boosts memory function, thus making learning easier. Also, it has been reported to improve the mood while lessening depressive symptoms. Vitamin B12 is derived from natural products like fish, poultry, dairy, cereals, and whole grains.  

Other supplements to be considered include iron supplements, minerals, beta carotene, etc. the good news is, in addition to being available as nutrients, these are made into capsules, rights reserved to the producers.  

Now you know that the need to take nutritional supplements is to complement nutritional gaps rather than a substitute. It would be better to consider including certain nutrients in your diet before deciding what supplements work best for you. Again, embracing better eating habits while following a balanced regimen consistently is essential too. As you do more with your supplements, your brain will thank you.