From Workouts to Red Peppers: How to Keep Your Brain Healthy

The ageing of the human brain is an inevitable process, which may sometimes result in Alzheimer's disease or other types of dementia. Being physically active remains a major factor in helping your brain feel better when you are over 60.

Time flies and those who are now in their 20s and 30s may realise one day that they cannot remember the name of the person they just met.

This is because a human brain's functions weaken as a person ages, a natural yet not so joyful process that can be partially tackled with the help of these simple tips.

Try to Remain Physically Active

Studies show that physical activity can improve thinking, reduce the risk of depression and anxiety, and help you sleep better.

Regular exercise benefits your brain cells, no doubt, but forget doing workouts in polluted areas, such as busy highways, something that scientists warn can damage the brain's neurons.

Maintain a Healthy Blood Pressure Level

Millions of people across the globe have high blood pressure, and it doesn't always pertain to those over 60. So, take this piece of advice from scientists who believe that medication for high blood pressure significantly reduces your chances of cognitive collapse.

Gill Livingston, a professor of psychiatry of older people at University College London, warns that people with untreated high blood pressure "show more thinning of the brain tissue itself, which reduces cognitive reserve — this is the ability of the brain to function well despite being damaged".

Include Red and Yellow Peppers in Your Diet

This is good for your glial cells, which, in turn, play an important role in a range of brain functions. Chronic inflammation in these cells may lead to a number of problems ranging from depression to dementia.

Get Enough Sleep

Studies indicate more people admit to their getting less sleep than the recommended amount, which rides roughshod over the brain's cognitive functions.

On the other hand, some need just four or five hours of sleep to feel good but on the whole, getting seven to nine hours of sleep is essential for the human brain, according to researchers.

Quit Smoking (For Smokers Only)

It's up to you, of course, but just remember that giving up cigarettes may help maintain your brain health, with recent research showing that smoking considerably accelerates brain ageing.

Control Your Thyroid

The problem pertains to an underactive thyroid, which can result in weaker memory and cognitive decline because thyroid hormones are significant to brain function.

Stephen Shalet, an emeritus professor of endocrinology at the Christie Hospital in Manchester, cautions that "thyroid hormone deficiency, even of short duration, may lead to irreversible brain damage, the consequences of which depend not only on the severity, but also on the specific timing of onset and duration of the deficiency".

According to the professor: "If you have symptoms of lethargy or unexplained weight gain, particularly if you're a woman aged 40 to 50, have your thyroid tested".