Prevention: Protecting Your Brain

The brain is connected to the health of the whole body, so when one looks at brain health, we also have to look at many other variables that contribute both to its healthy function as well as its decline. Medications may help in the short-term, but single solutions are not going to bring overall positive results without evaluating the complex relationship of the whole body to the brain. We think the best approach focuses on looking at each person as a unique individual, with treatment strategies that vary depending on each person's imbalances despite similar symptoms.

A Prevention Protocol

Diet

The typical American diet lacks enough vegetables and fruits to supply digestive enzymes, and it is a diet without enough antioxidants to support proper digestion, enzyme production, or normal metabolic activity. As a result, we age more quickly than necessary and the risk of disease onset increases. The nutrient composition of processed foods in the Western diet can also negatively affect the brain and contribute to the development of degenerative diseases.^{1, 2}

Large studies (5,000-18,000 subjects) find that a diet high in fried foods and processed meats is associated with lower scores in learning and memory³ and with inflammation and a faster decline in reasoning over ten years.⁴

We recommend the MIND diet (Mediterranean diet plus DASH (heart-healthy diet), plus attention to acid/alkaline balance, omega 3/6 balance, and paying attention to nutrients.

See our brain support diet protocol.

Nutrients

These nutrient groups, coming from organic fruits and vegetables, poultry and fish, and medicinal and culinary herbs provide essential nutrients to keep our brains healthy and protect against neurodegenerative conditions.

They include antioxidants (enzymes, phytonutrients, vitamins, and vitamin-like nutrients), amino acids, essential fatty acids, herbs, and minerals.

Read our discussion of nutrient groups for the brain.

For details on specific nutrients from these groups which have a beneficial impact on brain health, neuroprotection, and reducing risk of neurodegeneration, read Natural Brain Support: Your Guide to Preventing and Treating Alzheimer's, Dementia, and Other Related Diseases Naturally.

Exercise

Exercise. The benefits of exercise are indisputable. Getting enough exercise, every day, is one of the most important prevention protocols.

Footnotes

1. Francis H, Stevenson R. (2013). The longer-term impacts of Western diet on human cognition and the brain. Appetite.Apr;63(1):119-128.
2. Kanoski SE, Davidson TL. (2011). Western diet consumption and cognitive impairment: Links to hippocampal dysfunction and obesity. Physiol Behav. Apr 18;103(1):59-68.
3. Pearson KE, Wadley VG, McClure LA, Shikany JM, Unverzagt FW, et al. (2016). Dietary patterns are associated with cognitive function in the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort. J Nutr Sci. Sep 28;5:e38.
4. Ozawa M, Shipley M, Kivimaki M, Singh-Manoux A, Brunner EJ. (2017). Dietary pattern, inflammation and cognitive decline: The Whitehall II prospective cohort study. Clin Nutr. Apr;36(2):506-512.