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The quest for the fountain of youth has fascinated human beings throughout history, but we now know that this magical mecca doesn’t need to be sought anywhere “out there.” It’s actually with you at all times, sitting right there in your skull—your brain! But, if you’re like many people, your brain may be older than you are.
This reality, of course, can be viewed as either positive or negative. On the plus side, we can greatly influence our brain’s aging through our everyday habits. But that also means we must operate with caution every day, taking personal responsibility and consistently making better choices to keep us healthier and happier as we age. In essence, you have the power to speed up the aging process—making your brain look and feel older—or you can help slow it down, creating a brain that stays younger than expected for your chronological age.
You have the power to speed up the aging process—making your brain look and feel older—or you can help slow it down, creating a brain that stays younger than expected for your chronological age.
Just as muscles in the human body can atrophy as a result of the aging process, brain activity also decreases across its entire surface as we get older. In fact, on average, the adult brain loses about 85,000 neurons every day. But, though many of us expect impeded brain function as a normal side effect of aging, we can actually strengthen our brains, just as we would tone up our other muscles. Incorporating a few smart strategies every day will help stave off the brain aging process. Here are the top 4 areas in which we can change our behaviors to produce a more youthful effect.
Intake of harmful toxins is one of the biggest culprits that accelerates brain aging—but it’s also fairly straightforward to simply say no to many of these health destroyers. For example, everyone knows that smoking is a killer habit to be avoided at all costs, but keep in mind that other drugs, both legal and illegal, can cause similar harm. while alcohol abuse contributed 0.6 years of accelerated aging. Prescription drugs, such as benzodiazepines and painkillers, as well as too-high levels of caffeine (more than 300 milligrams per day, or more than 3 normal-size cups of coffee), can also age the brain. Any of these substances are also addictive, so their impact can easily snowball over time.
Additionally, we are all vulnerable to being exposed to environmental toxins, such as pesticides, organic solvents, phthalates, and mold. Even those who have undergone chemotherapy should be extra careful to incorporate other brain-healthy habits to fight back against any potential damage. Cancer patients have demonstrated signs of “chemo brain,” since these treatments can impact healthy cells as they kill cancerous cells.
Chronic inflammation, which is promoted by the formation of free radicals, is thought to be a root cause of a wide variety of diseases that develop with age, including Alzheimer’s, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. In a nutshell, free radicals attack our cells like rust erodes a car, damaging our DNA and accelerating the aging process.
Free radicals can be avoided by banishing toxic habits like cigarettes, vaping, and sun overexposure. Within your diet, avoid charred meats, which develop compounds in the cooking process that may damage DNA, as well as trans fats and pesticides. (To reduce the latter, choose organic varieties when buying any of the “dirty dozen” in the produce aisle: peaches, apples, blueberries, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, imported grapes, spinach, kale, and potatoes.) Inflammation can also be related to low levels of vitamin D or omega-3 fatty acids, high levels of omega-6, diabetes, stress, and diets with too much meat and/or sugar.
How do these influences impact DNA? One way is through telomeres, which act like caps at the end of each DNA strand to keep it from unraveling. Inflammation, exposure to free radicals, vitamin deficiencies, and a lack of omega-3s can erode these protective telomeres, which shortens cells’ life span—and, ultimately, can shorten a person’s life span. Researchers have found that, among those older than 60, shorter telomeres indicated a three times greater likelihood of death from heart disease and an eight times greater likelihood of death from infectious disease.
Obviously, there are myriad ways in which our lifestyles and habits can prematurely age our brains, but let’s look more closely at two major cornerstones of health: diet and exercise. Those who have adopted the Standard American Diet (SAD)—high in processed foods that feature loads of fats (including trans fats) and added sugars—are also doing a load of damage to the body. When a large quantity of sugar mixes with proteins and fats, the process forms molecules called Advanced Glycation End products, or AGEs, which promote aging. Women should aim to consume no more than 100 calories per day of added sugars; for men, no more than 150 calories per day. Choose high-fiber, low-glycemic foods instead.
A SAD diet also leads to being overweight or obese, which directly impacts the brain—because as your weight increases, brain size decreases. Help keep your weight at a healthy level through regular exercise that focuses on building both endurance and strength. Do make exercise a priority, aiming for 30 minutes of activity every day, but don’t overdo it—that could backfire by creating, not reducing, inflammation. Finally, choosing the right supplements can also help keep the physical body in tip-top shape and protect against vitamin deficiencies.
There is a range of health concerns that contribute to brain aging. For example, in recent years, we’ve found that COVID-19 has been associated with damage to the brain, joining the list of more established culprits, from gum and heart disease to diabetes and hypertension. Of course, brain injuries, and/or a lack of brain rehabilitation when needed, can also create lasting impacts. But even seemingly lower-intensity health problems influence brain aging, such as digestive issues, high or low testosterone or thyroid hormone levels, allergies, elevated levels of iron in the body, and chronic insomnia or sleep apnea.
Furthermore, we cannot overlook the impact of mental health issues. In the SPECT study of more than 30,000 individuals referenced above, findings noted a link between accelerated aging and various brain disorders and behaviors. The top offender was schizophrenia, which was associated with an average of 4 years of premature aging, followed by bipolar disorder (1.6 years) and ADD/ADHD (1.4 years). Surprisingly, major depressive disorder was not linked to accelerated aging, however, this may be due to the fact that SPECT shows there are 7 different types of depression, each associated with a unique brain pattern. In the “behaviors” category, brain-aging influences include negative thinking patterns, elevated anxiety levels, and impulsive or thrill-seeking behaviors.
