Keys to keeping your brain healthy

DIG DEEPER at Norwegian SciTech News:
https://norwegianscitechnews.com/2022/09/keys-to-keeping-your-brain-healthy/

Things slow down for a lot of us as we get older. But your brain can stay healthy longer with a little effort.

Your brain is pretty fabulous. Around 100 billion nerve cells work together to keep you nimble and quick in your thinking.

But just like the rest of the body, your brain may not be quite as vigorous when you get a little older. Maybe you find yourself having to write things down, or you forget appointments, or can’t quite follow the conversation or action on TV without straining.

Luckily, it’s possible to exercise your brain too.

“The keys to our nervous system are the grey and white matter,” says Hermundur Sigmundsson, a professor at NTNU’s Department of Psychology.

Roughly speaking, the grey matter consists of the nerve cells – or neurons – and dendrites, while the white matter provides the contacts between the cells (myelinated axons) and contributes to the transmission speed and distribution of the signals.

A recent article in the journal Brain Sciences brings together a lot of what we know from previous research in the field of brain health. The researchers went to great lengths to be thorough in their theoretical perspective paper and offer 101 references to articles on how to keep our grey and white matter in shape.

“Three factors stand out if you want to keep your brain at its best,” says Sigmundsson.

These factors are:

1. Physical exercise.
2. Being social.
3. Having strong interests. Learn new things and don’t hold back from new challenges.

DIG DEEPER at Norwegian SciTech News:
https://norwegianscitechnews.com/2022/09/keys-to-keeping-your-brain-healthy/