Research shows that regular exercise can actually increase brain size. Researchers used MRIs to look at the brains of 60 volunteers. Then they divided the volunteers into two groups. One group went into an aerobics program, the other into a “toning and stretching” program. After six months, the aerobic exercises had increased volume in both the white matter of their brains (the neurons) and the grey matter (the interconnections, which act like telephone wires between the neurons).

Other research has found those who don’t exercise are three times more likely to develop dementia.

Avoid the No. 1 Brain Shrinker

An important structure in the brain essential to memory, called the hippocampus, actually shrinks as a result of stress. The total number of cells decreases, and the existing cells shrink. (The hippocampus is one of the first regions to suffer damage in Alzheimer’s disease.)

Ways to reduce stress are as easy to find as your own bathroom. A soak in a warm bath works wonders. Ditto for lying in bed and reading a book that has nothing to do with work.

Whatever you choose, do something. Ultimately the health of your brain depends on it.

Did you know...

• Blueberries help neurons in the brain communicate with one another more effectively.
• Ginkgo biloba can increase the functional activity of the brain—both in animals and humans.

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