photo/pexels
An unhealthy lifestyle can speed up the aging process of the brain.
Everyone cannot prevent aging, but the effects of aging can be managed. Various effects of aging can affect body functions, including the aging process of the brain.
Natural aging is as bad for the brain as it is for the rest of the body. The brain changes over time that include shrinkage of the hippocampus, frontal lobes, and myelin.
So is the decline in chemical messengers and synaptic connections. Gradually, these changes will harm memory, thought processing, and mood management.
Some activities, such as exercising and playing a musical instrument, can slow down the aging process. Meanwhile, an unhealthy lifestyle, including consuming foods and drinks with unbalanced nutrition, can accelerate the aging process.
Food and drink consumed are one of the factors that directly determine the severity of aging symptoms. Healthy eating is not just about losing weight, but the effect it has on quality of life.
Therefore, choosing foods and drinks that are good for the body is very important, especially if you want to manage the effects of aging on the brain. Specifically, regarding drinks, three drinks cause the brain to age faster.
The first drink is soda, which has very high sugar content. Sugar is known to impair diet and blood sugar levels, and is associated with an increased risk of dementia.
Diet soda options should also be avoided. Although often claimed to have less sugar than regular soda, diet soda products can contain other ingredients that may have health consequences.
A 2017 study published in Stroke found that daily consumption of diet soda leads to an increased risk of several diseases. These include dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and stroke.
The next popular drink that can stimulate the brain is sugary drinks. Alzheimer's & Dementia published a study that found that people who drank sugary drinks regularly had lower brain volumes.
They are also at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. As with natural aging, patients' brains tend to shrink when they have Alzheimer's disease. Therefore the signs of Alzheimer's and lower brain volume directly indicate brain aging.
Another drink that accelerates brain aging is alcohol, as it causes dehydration and inflammation. Drinking alcohol can affect the circulatory system and make blood sugar levels out of balance.
Research published in the journal Nature found that drinking alcohol, even in moderation, can reduce brain matter, similar to brain shrinkage due to aging. The affected brain areas will lead to a decline in memory and cognitive function, quoted from the Health Digest page, Saturday (8/10/2022).