Like the rest of your body, your brain ages naturally with time. The pace at which your brain matures, however, can also be influenced by your nutrition and way of life. The aging process of the brain can be sped up by some habits and slowed down by others.
Moderation is crucial when it comes to food and lifestyle decisions, and while you shouldn’t starve yourself constantly, things may get complicated if you do so on a regular basis. Therefore, occasionally drinking sugary foods or beverages won’t cause your brain to age prematurely, but frequently taking added sugar in big amounts may cause problems with your brain and cognitive function (not to mention a whole host of other health issues).
Soda can age your brain.
In a 2017 study that was published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia, it was shown that soda use was linked to accelerated brain aging and that individuals who consumed at least one soda per day were more likely to have a reduction in brain volume.
Regular soda drinkers also exhibited worse episodic memory, or the capacity to recall prior experiences over a longer period of time.
Many of these people also had reduced hippocampal sizes, which is the area of the brain in charge of the majority of our memory and learning processes. Our hippocampus volume declines with age in a normal way, but this study reveals that regular drinking of drinks with added sugar may quicken the process.
Diet soda can age your brain too.
Your first instinct may be to reach for diet soda after reading about the potential consequences that soda use may have on the aging process of your brain. Unfortunately, studies have linked diet soda to impaired brain function.
According to a research that was published in the journal Stroke, those who drank one diet Coke per day had a nearly threefold increased risk of having a stroke or dementia. The study stated that they weren’t able to account for several illnesses that the participants may have developed throughout the trial, such as diabetes, so additional research is necessary.
These results are startling, and more research is required. However, it’s sufficient justification to make you reevaluate your desire for a diet soda.
Alcohol may impact your brain—even in moderation.
Most people think that binge drinking or excessive drinking might hasten the aging process of the brain. But whether moderate alcohol use can affect your brain is a matter of disagreement.
There is contradicting research at the moment. The Blue Zone areas are home to some of the world’s longest-living individuals, who are noted for having nearly no incidences of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease and who routinely enjoy a glass of red wine.
However, new study from 2022 suggests that even a few beers per day might have a harmful effect on your brain. In a research that was published in the journal Nature, it was shown that even moderate alcohol use causes both the brain’s white matter and grey matter to decrease.
What kills your brain cells?
Physical damage to the brain and other parts of the central nervous system can also kill or disable neurons. – Blows to the brain, or the damage caused by a stroke, can kill neurons outright or slowly starve them of the oxygen and nutrients they need to survive.
Which alcohol is good for brain?
Additional research suggests that moderate red wine drinking on a regular basis may postpone aging and has been related to heart and brain health advantages.
Do brain cells grow back?
Research by Fred “Rusty” Gage, PhD, president and professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and adjunct professor at the University of California, San Diego, and others revealed that the hippocampus and sub ventricular zone continuously produce new brain cells, replenishing these brain regions throughout life.
