"To live a healthy life, it's crucial to have a healthy brain. In the short term, it keeps you sharp and firing on all cylinders. In the long term, it can reduce your risk of cognitive decline, dementia and stroke. Practicing basic healthy behaviors, like eating nutritious food and getting regular exercise, is the best way to enhance your brain power and protect the longevity of your neurons."
"Lots of studies have shown that getting a good night's rest (seven to eight hours) is associated with better memory and other cognitive abilities. That's because sleep, especially REM sleep, is when your brain transfers short-term memories things you learned or experienced during the day into long-term storage. Sleep is also when your brain does its daily housekeeping. While you rest, the brain's glymphatic system kicks into high gear, clearing out abnormal proteins and other molecular garbage."
Daily engagement in activities that support brain health enhances short-term cognition and lowers long-term risks of cognitive decline, dementia, and stroke. Basic lifestyle behaviors — nutritious eating, regular exercise, adequate sleep, and habit formation — build resilient neural function across ages. Some activities yield small immediate cognitive benefits; larger benefits accumulate through consistent practice. Sleep consolidates memories during REM and enables glymphatic clearance of abnormal proteins such as amyloid. Accountability with a friend or community support increases adherence to healthy behaviors. Clinical trials show lifestyle changes can improve cognition or slow decline, though they cannot guarantee prevention of all brain diseases.
Read at www.nytimes.com
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