The other thing you can do is to protect your brain from internal injury –
and that means eating properly.
The brain is a famously hungry organ, using about one-fifth of the body’s
calorific intake. Brain food is delivered by the blood via a dense mesh of
vessels. If the blood hits a bottleneck, it may form a clot, causing a stroke.
Depending on its size and location, a stroke may deal a catastrophic blow,
or pass by barely noticed. Such minor strokes are called Transient Ischemic
Attacks (TIAs), but, while they might not cause much problem when they
happen, repeated TIAs cause severe cognitive decline. Vascular dementia
(as such a decline is known) is almost as common as Alzheimer’s disease.Absolutely the best thing you can do to preserve
your brain is to protect it from injury. This may
sound obvious, but the long-term effects of brain
trauma are only just being recognised.
According to Headway, the brain injury charity,
about one million people in the UK currently live
with memory loss, confusion and psychosis due to
brain injuries that may have happened years before.
People with a history of brain injuries suffer earlier
cognitive decline and succumb to dementia earlier
than others, and – scarily – they are at least three
times as likely as others to go to prison.
Falls, sports-related incidents and road accidents
are the main causes of head injury. So the first,
simplest thing you can do for your brain is to wear
sensible shoes and a protective helmet when you are
cycling or doing any kind of sport where there’s
a chance of getting your head bashed.NUTRITION
Antioxidants,
which clean up
the detritus left by
normal metabolic
processes.
Dark-coloured
foods such as
blueberries, dark
chocolate, kidney
beans and
artichokes are
brimming with
antioxidants.Vitamins A, B, C,
D and E, which
between them
help clean
away rubbish,
strengthen arteries
and keep brain
cells healthy. Find
them in wholegrain
cereals, eggs,
chicken, nuts and
leafy greens.Omega-3 and
other non-
saturated oils,
which strengthen
and clean the
arteries as
well as help to
build brain cell
membranes.
Good sources of
omega-3 include
oily fish, walnuts
and edible seeds.Neuro
transmitter
precursors such
as tryptophan and
glucosinolates.
Find them in milk,
nuts, seeds, tofu,
cheese, red meat,
chicken, turkey,
fish, oats, beans,
lentils, eggs
and broccoli.HELP PREVENT STROKE BY ADDING
THESE FOODS TO YOUR DIET:“The simplest thing you can
do for your brain is to wear
sensible shoes and a helmet
when you are cycling
or doing any sport where
there’s a chance of getting
your head bashed”
Protecting your brain from
injury is probably the most
important step you can takePROTECTION
June 2017 75