September is China Brain Health Month

September 16 is China Brain Health Day

September 21 is the annual World Alzheimer's Day.

The establishment of the two "days" highlights the importance and concern of "brain health".

Photo credit: Pixabay

1.What is Brain Health?

The brain, as the most mysterious and complex organ of the human body, controls our thoughts, emotions, actions and every moment of life. Brain health generally means that the brain structure is complete and the function is normal; No obvious neurological or psychiatric diseases; Good mental state and cognitive function. Corresponding common brain health problems include cerebrovascular diseases (such as stroke, cerebral infarction) and brain trauma, neurodegenerative diseases (such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, etc.), and psychopsychological disorders (such as depression, anxiety disorders).

However, with the change of modern lifestyle, pressure, environmental pollution and other factors, brain health problems are becoming increasingly prominent, the incidence of related diseases is getting higher and higher, and the population is getting younger and younger, which brings many challenges to our life.

2.Brain health problems are getting worse.

According to the analysis report of the 2023 annual physical examination data of the in-depth examination of brain function of the Megnian Health Group, the detection rate of medium and high risk abnormalities reached 14.14% in 100,000 brain health examinations in 2023.

In recent years, cerebral diseases, mainly cognitive disorders and cerebrovascular diseases, show a younger trend. The detection of brain function also reflected the trend of younger age: the detection rate of medium and high risk under 50 years old was 18.90%, the abnormality of memory area - hippocampus was 3.24%, and the "white matter signal" of brain premature aging signal was 27.71%. Among the people aged 20-39 years old, the detection rate of high white matter signal above grade 1 was 19.51%. Ventricle enlargement (indicating brain atrophy and cognitive decline) tends to be younger, and the detection rate of ventricle enlargement under 50 years old is more than 10%.

3.How to keep your brain healthy?

Get enough sleep

During sleep, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flushes the brain to remove proteins that waste and impair memory. Adequate sleep time helps to alleviate brain fatigue, protect the brain from premature aging, and help to improve the cognitive function of the brain.

Exercise regularly

Exercise can help speed up and normalize blood circulation, and promote the blood supply and oxygen supply of the brain, maintain the health of the brain, is the world's most simple and effective, but also the cheapest brain health method.

Be social

Social interaction helps improve mental health and promotes brain activity. Being socially active exercises different aspects of cognitive abilities, such as language and memory, and therefore makes people better able to fight cognitive impairment.

Reasonable diet, appropriate supplement of brain nutrients

The brain is inseparable from the blood circulation to supply its nutrients and oxygen at all times, to eliminate smoking, drinking, eating sweets, high salt, high oil diet and other bad habits that affect the blood circulation, scientific supplement nutrition, such as high-quality protein, vitamin B group, phosphatidylserine, etc., to ensure the nutritional supplement of the brain.

Among the many nutrients that contribute to brain health, phosphatidylserine has attracted much attention due to its unique biological functions and wide application prospects. As one of the important components of cell membrane, phosphatidylserine plays a vital role in maintaining brain function. It can enhance the activity of nerve cells, promote the transmission of neurotransmitters, and improve the brain's cognitive ability and reaction speed. In addition, phosphatidylserine also has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and other biological activities to help protect nerve cells from damage and death.