12 Habits That Damage Your Brain

Habits that damage your brain. When it comes to our health, we don't  always think about taking care of our brains the way we take care of our bodies. We tend to focus  on other parts of the body and overlook the brain which is responsible for all bodily functions.  

Take a look at some of these daily habits that are doing serious damage to your brain.

1. Consuming too much sugar

 Include brain damage to the things we  already associate with a high sugar intake like type 2 diabetes, dental cavities and obesity.  

So you may be asking; How does taking too much candy affect your brain?  

Taking sugar in excessive amounts for a long period of time messes with the body’s ability  to absorb proteins and nutrients. This might consequently lead to malnutrition which deters  brain development. 

This happens because the body lacks enough nutrients in the bloodstream  and therefore is unable to deliver sufficient nutrients to the brain,  which then deters its growth and development. 

Eating too many sweets can damage your memory  and ability to think, so sticking to alternatives like anti-oxidant-rich sweets like dark chocolate  and raspberries would be a much better choice for both your brain and your waistline.

2. Not getting enough sleep

 Insufficient sleep is a huge  problem for many busy professionals. Depriving oneself of sleep can result in several issues  such as extreme daytime drowsiness, depression and impaired memory.

 Recent studies reveal that  not getting enough sleep can actually decrease the size of your brain. The hippocampus is  the part of the brain that suffers when you don’t get enough sleep. Even a single night  of inadequate sleep can interfere with the brain’s ability to recall new information. 

A number of studies have shown that the brain cleanses itself of toxics only during the sleep  cycle. Lack of sleep can also cause the:

• death of brain cells which slows down your thinking,  
• impairs your memory, 
• concentration,
•  judgement and decision making
• hinders learning.

3. Playing loud music with earphones or headphones

People naturally tend to crank up the volume. It  makes the music sound more fun and immersive. If you constantly listen to music at a very  high volume with your earphones or headphones you should stop doing it because it can damage  your hearing. 

But it’s not just your ears that are affected. Hearing loss in older  people is connected to brain problems such as loss of brain tissue and Alzheimer’s. 

When your brain has to make an extra effort to understand what someone’s saying it can’t store  what you’ve heard into memory. So protect your hearing by adjusting the volume of your earphones  for it’s a great way to preserve your hearing and permits your brain to function better. 

Headphonesty.com suggested one to test to ensure your volume is not too loud.  The digital headphone magazine recommends that one should take off their headphones, keeping them at  your preferred volume and then hold them out in front of you at arm’s length. If you can hear the  music clearly then you should try turning it down and repeating the process. 

They also said that  you should aim to take regular breaks throughout the day to give your ears enough time to relax.

4. Skipping breakfast

 Many people choose to skip  breakfast probably because they’re on a diet or to save time. Not many people know that missing  breakfast could damage your brain.

 The body needs enough nutrients after a good night’s  sleep and so skipping breakfast denies the brain of these essential nutrient. Frequent skipping of breakfast increased the chances  of having a stroke and high blood pressure. It lowers blood glucose levels thus affecting functioning of the brain.

5. Eating too much food

 Overindulging in food makes us gain weight,  feel boated and increases our chances of having life threatening diseases. But one fact that you  might be unaware of is that it can also do serious damage to your brain.  It hardens the brain arteries hence harming our mental capabilities.

 Studies have shown  that a prolonged high-calorie diet can in fact increase a person’s risk of developing memory loss  or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) later in life.

 A study published in the journal Neurology in 2012  examined 6,000 people who were 50 years old on average.  The same participants were examined a decade later, and the ones who were overweight had a 22%  higher deterioration of their cognitive functions as compared to their slimmer counterparts.

6. Sleeping with your head under the cover Oxygen is very essential for normal brain  functioning. The less air you inhale, the poorer your brain functions.  

A situation you create where you breathe in less than 20.95% of oxygen is when you sleep  with a blanket or comforter over your head. Is it all warm and cosy when you bury yourself  under the covers? Certainly. 

Does it help to decrease the annoying effects of too  much light or sound first thing in the morning? Of course it does. But it will result in an elevated  intake of carbon dioxide which means you’re increasing the risk of damaging your brain cells.

7. Multitasking

 You’ve probably heard  that multitasking has a negative effect on your productivity. It turns out that doing this also  scrambles your brain and makes you less effective. 

A neurologist at MIT and one the world’s experts  when it comes to divided attention, Earl Miller said that our brains are not wired to multitask  well. When people think they’re multitasking they’re actually switching from one activity  to the other real quick. And every time they do there’s a cognitive cost. The habit of  multitasking also increases the stress hormone cortisol as well as the fight or flight hormone  adrenaline which can overstimulate your brain and can cause mental fog or scrambled thinking. 

Researchers at Stanford University have discovered that people who are bombarded  with multiple streams of digital information regularly have more pronounced problems recalling  information and paying attention when compared to people who complete one activity at a time.

8. Inadequate water intake

 The body is made up of approximately 70% of water,  so it’s vital to every bodily function including brain function. When your brain  is functioning on a full reserve of water, you will be able to think faster, be more focused,  and experience greater clarity and creativity. 

Water is also essential for delivering nutrients  to the brain and for eliminating toxins. When the brain is fully hydrated, the exchange of nutrients  and toxins will be more efficient—thus ensuring better concentration and mental alertness. 

The effect dehydration has on the brain is almost immediate with researchers saying  that even two hours of intense exercise without water can cause a cognitive decline. Studies also  show that dehydration had the most impact on functions like complex problem-solving,  coordination and attention.

 The brain needs sufficient water  to think faster and focus better. So it’s very important that you stay hydrated all the time.  Drinking water benefits both your body and brain enabling them to function better.

9. Smoking

 This is most likely the  most harmful habit that indulging in it has on your brain. Smoking not only causes lung  diseases or even heart disease, but it also has a lot of negative effects on your brain.

 Smoking  damages cell membranes and neural viability in certain areas of the brain that manage balance,  coordination and both fine and gross motor skills. Not only that, but it also thins the cortex where  processes such as language, memory and perception occur. It can also lead to problems like dementia,  Alzheimer’s and maybe even death. 

Smoking excessively causes neuroinflammation indirectly,  which can cause an autoimmune disorder known as Multiple Sclerosis or MS.

10. Consuming alcohol

Alcohol begins affecting a person’s brain the moment it enters the bloodstream. For someone  who is healthy, the liver quickly filters the alcohol, helping the body get rid of it. 

However,  when someone drinks excessively, the liver cannot filter the alcohol fast enough,  and this triggers immediate changes in the brain; often known as getting drunk. 

Alcohol causes chemical imbalances when consumed for longer periods of time and larger quantities.  

Brain volume also decreases due to chronic alcohol intake.  

There are some subtle differences in how brain damage occurs in men and women,  but regardless of gender, loss of brain matter increases with age and amount of alcohol consumed.  

More than two units a day for men and one unit a day for ladies is considered excess alcohol.

11. Working when sick

 If ever need an excuse  to get out of work, well here's one. We often fall sick when we’re overworked.  

If you continue working during an illness, it’s bound to take a toll on the brain’s  efficiency and this only adds to the stress.

 A certain study showed that participants who  had developed a cold reported less alertness, more negative moods and sluggish thinking. A  second round of tests also revealed that they reacted slowly and were slower at learning  new information and completing tasks dealing with verbal reasoning and semantic processing. 

When we’re sick the body and the brain are already working overtime to cope with the infection.  Working while sick only adds to the burden so take a break, relax and get better.

12. Not exercising 

• Exercise affects the brain immensely.  It increases your heart rate, which pumps more oxygen to the brain.
•  It also helps in the bodily  release of a number of hormones, all of which participate in aiding and providing a conducive  environment for the growth of brain cells.
•  Exercising is also known to decrease stress levels  in the body and 
• Also increases mobility and makes you more flexible. If you don’t exercise enough,  your mobility and motor skills begin to decline in one way or another.  
• helps to keep us younger by releasing endorphins which are  happy hormones. All in all, exercise strengthens your heart and your lungs, not just the brain.  

If you’re concerned with the well-being of your brain and the quality of your  thinking either now or in the future you need to learn to take care of your brain.  

A few changes to the way you’re living your life could go a long way in boosting your memory,  learning, mental resilience and the health of your brain overall.

Thank you guys so much for your time, if you liked or found value in the article do  give it a thumbs up and don't forget to comment.With that said, have a great day you guy’s   .

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