How These 10 Unhealthy Habits Are Shrinking Your Brain!

Did you know that as we age, our brain starts shrinking? One of the common terms used widely by neurologists is cerebral atrophy. When there is progressive loss of cytoplasmic proteins, it causes a reduction in the size of any cell in a tissue, which is called atrophy. In case of brain, the loss of neurons and connections between them is called cerebral atrophy that causes shrinking of brain and this happens to all of us when we age.

Though it is common to everyone, but the scary fact is that our current lifestyle is contributing in speeding up the process of brain shrinking. In the last few decades, we have become slaves of the sedentary lifestyle. You might have heard that the percentage of lifestyle diseases among youth across the globe is rising stupendously and this is because of some unhealthy habits that we have picked up unintentionally.

These habits can over the time cause a downfall in our brain’s cognitive functioning and makes it lazy and least active. While you might strive hard to keep your physique in good shape, it is equally vital to keep your brain nourished and active so that the shrinking process in the brain moves as per the biological clock. Have a look how these 10 unhealthy habits are shrinking your brain and get yourself hooked to some good habits that will improve your health:

1. Not Drinking Sufficient Water

Not maintaining your body’s hydration levels can have a remarkable effect on your brain’s working. Water should be your favourite drink and you must consume it even if you are less thirsty. Your brain’s blood circulation gets adversely affected when you don’t drink enough water and thereby, you may start feeling low and exhausted. Since your brain cells comprise of 85 percent of water, keeping it hydrated is the only key to slow down the shrinking process.

Recommended: 10 Signs That Tell You To Drink More Water

2. Not Having Adequate Sleep

Sleep is an essential activity for your brain to repair, rejuvenate and kills the rising stress levels. When you get sleep deprived, the mental fatigue builds up and gradually this lack of sleep, starts hampering your brain’s cells affecting your concentration and comprehensive abilities. Due to this, your brain may find performing routine activities too difficult and the distorted hormonal activities in the brain adversely impacts your long term health.

3. Pampering The Foodie Inside You

Obesity has emerged as one of the most prevalent diseases globally and has been killing more than a million people each year. Obesity is an open invitation to many other lifestyle diseases. Being a foodie is no sin but over indulging in food while living a sedentary lifestyle, is weakening your heart and brain too. Many recent surveys have proved that overeating can cause obesity, which in turn, can cause a deterioration of internal systems of the body making you lazy. Moreover, eating spicy, oily and junk food in huge amounts can provide no significant nutrition for your brain, causing gradual cell damage and brain shrinkage.

4. Not Exercising

Exercising not only improves blood circulation to the body and brain but also stimulates the secretion of endorphins, which are feel good hormones. They help in controlling mood swings and keeps you super active. Feeling of fatigue and laziness can be kicked away if you workout regularly. By being active, your brain’s functioning boosts stupendously and stress levels start dropping.

5. Skipping Breakfast

When you wake up in the morning, you need to break your fast of 8 to 9 hours and must indulge in some healthy breakfast to ensure that your brain gets energetic. The feeling of dizziness, laziness and mild headaches in the morning can be a sign that your brain needs a dosage of power nutrients. The breakfast releases essential chemicals in the brain, which eliminates mood swings and keeps you extremely active. Fasting for long hours can cause shrinkage of your brain by damaging the cells. So don’t forget to have a nutritional and wholesome breakfast before heading to work!

6. Getting Addicted To Drugs

Taking drugs, either by sniffing or injecting, is injurious to your overall health. But the part of your body that gets significantly impacted by drugs is your brain. Though it may give you a high temporarily, it gradually damages your brain’s cells causing memory loss, reduced cognitive performance and can change your behavioural traits to be aggressive, frustrated and increases anxiety disorder too. This addiction of yours can cause serious brain shrinkage.

7. Being Stressed Always

Increasing competition at workplace and the ever busy lifestyle has brought in a major health issue in the form of stress. Stress is caused by a surge in the secretion of cortisol hormones and this in turn, can cause anxiety and depression issues. This stress damages your brain’s cells, specifically the ones related to memory and learning, which drastically hastens the process of brain shrinking. So beat out the stress by indulging in your favourite hobbies, listening to music, meditation, etc on regular basis.

8. Being Addict To Gadgets

Since we have become slaves of technology, we cannot resist our temptation to use our smartphones, tablets and laptops for every other thing we think of. The screen of these gadgets emit blue light, which impacts your retina and keeps distorting the hormonal secretions inside your brain. At night, this blue light confuses your brain to remain active and this stops the production of melatonin or sleep hormones owing to you may not feel sleepy soon.

9. Smoking Profusely

While you are already aware that ‘smoking kills’ and you still find thrill in smoking, this habit of yours is not only killing your lungs, but is hampering your brain at light’s speed. Many studies have supported the fact that smoking regularly causes thinning down of major tissues in the brain, making it shrink faster. Even though, you may find smoking, a relaxing activity for your brain, but it has never actually benefited any person.

10. Over consumption Of Alcohol

Consuming alcohol can have some great effects on your health but having it in excess can make you alcoholic, owing to which your brain may not act in its true senses. Medical experts have revealed that alcohol acts as depressant and has retrogressive effects on your thinking and decision making process. So limit your alcohol consumption to weekends only for enjoying better brain health.