Why Brain Health is Important

Why Brain Health Is Important

The brain is one of our body’s largest and most complex organs. From scratching your nose to solving an intrinsic problem, we have our brains to thank for our every thought and our every action.  Because the brain is so important, you would think brain health would get more recognition. The importance of heart health has long been studied and promoted, so why do people rarely talk about brain health?  The brain controls your body's everyday functions and allows you to interact with the world around you. A healthy brain gives us the fulfillment of a life-well lived. I don’t know about you, but I want to get the very best out of my brain as I get older. I’m no brain professional, but through my research I've learned that our brains will change as we age.  Because of this, it's never too early to start taking care of your brain health. 

The decisions and choices we make in our life today will directly affect our mind and cognitive functions in the future.  According to the Alzheimer's Association, over 5 millions Americans 65+ are living with Alzheimer's disease and this number is estimated to triple by the year 2050.  Contributing to this growing number has been a major increase in early-onset patients, since Alzheimer’s and dementia are also starting to affect people at much younger ages.  The causes of Alzheimer's and dementia has been attributed to a combination of age-related changes in the brain, along with genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. I personally am interested in the environmental and lifestyle factors, i.e., What changes can I make today to protect my brain tomorrow?  Scientific evidence and clinical research has shown that it is possible to improve brain health and reduce the chance of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease, by making certain lifestyle changes such as a healthy diet and supplementation.  

Here are some immediate lifestyle changes you can make:

1. Exercising regularly
2. Cutting bad habits like smoking or sugar intake
3. Eating a balanced diet - Click through to learn more about how you can nourish your brain to improve and protect it.
4. Supplementing with omegas and carotenoids - Click through to learn about the best supplements for brain health.

Brain health can hold a different meaning for each and every one of us.  I’m 21 years old and I'm still learning what my brain health means to me. It’s the small memories and thoughts along the way that I want to protect and be able to look back on later in life. Your brain allows you to interact with the world around you...I can't think of anything more worthy of protecting than that.