Not getting enough sleep
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Sleep is basically your brain recharging itself. Not getting enough sleep every night can mess up your brain cells eventually and make you forget things, make bad decisions, and have trouble paying attention. There was this study in 2017 that showed how not being able to sleep can lead to serious brain problems like Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, and mood disorders when you're older. Crazy, right?
Thinking negatively
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Negative thinking is totally a bad habit that can seriously mess with your brain. When you're stressed and anxious, it naturally messes with your mental health, causing issues like feeling down, being stressed out, and even losing your memory. Actually, some research shows that people who focus on the negative stuff have more amyloid and tau deposits in their brain. These deposits are a big clue that someone might have Alzheimer's disease.
Consuming too much Aspartame
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Aspartame is like a fake sugar that they put in a bunch of stuff that's supposed to be sugar-free. People usually go for it when they wanna shed some pounds. This common sweetener has also been linked to behavioral and thinking issues, though some people disagree about the research. Being made up of Phenylalanine, it can totally cross the blood-brain barrier and might mess with the production of neurotransmitters. Also, aspartame is like a chemical stressor and might make the brain more vulnerable to oxidative stress.
Taking recreational drugs everyday
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Recreational drugs, like weed, coke, and heroin, can be pretty addictive and mess with your brain's serotonin and dopamine levels. Those are the chemicals that basically control your mood etc. A bunch of studies have shown that if you abuse these drugs for a long time, it messes with your brain and makes it harder to think straight. It can mess with your decision making, concentration, and overall brain power.
Spending too much time on your own
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We humans are naturally social creatures. If there's one thing we love to do, it's having good relationships and decent interactions. Not hanging out with people enough or being alone for a long time can make you dumber and make you more likely to feel sad and anxious. So think about that the next time you like to throw around that you're a homebody and enjoy your own company.
Smoking too much
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Smoking is another awful habit. It's, like, seriously one of the worst things you can do for your health, including your brain health. Smoking messes up your blood vessels and causes long-term inflammation, which can mess with your brain and make you lose your smarts. People who smoke are like twice as likely to get dementia. If you smoke, quitting is the ultimate move for your brain (and your body).
Not exercising enough
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You've probably heard it all before but exercising is super important for your body and mind. It's all about neuroplasticity, which means neurons can totally rewire themselves and adapt to different situations. There's been some studies that say getting active is actually pretty beneficial for your brain. It helps get that blood flowing up there and boosts brain function.
Having sugary drinks everyday
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Listen up, if you usually have a big glass of orange juice for breakfast, then even that's too sugary. There was a study in 2017 that found that drinking sugary drinks can mess with your memory and make your brain smaller. It can affect your ability to remember stuff and even shrink important parts of your brain. Sugary drinks like soda, fruit juices, and energy drinks were all connected to a decrease in brain power.
Consuming too much caffeine
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Coffee and tea obviously have caffeine, which can actually be good for your brain's productivity in small doses. But if you have too much of it, it can totally do the opposite. It can make your brain have more adenosine receptors, which makes you feel tired and lazy quicker than usual. Your brain gets used to caffeine over time and can totally become addicted. Two cups a day is optimal.
Listening to music too loud
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Listening to music is awesome for chilling out and de-stressing. But if you crank up your headphones, you might mess up your hearing. Just 30 minutes can mess up your hearing. Once you mess up your hearing, it's stuck that way. Hearing loss is a real issue, but people with hearing loss are also more likely to end up with Alzheimer's disease. Some scientists think that this happens because the brain is working super hard on hearing stuff, so it can't really remember what it's hearing at the same time.
Drinking too much alcohol
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Drinking too much alcohol is bad for your liver and brain, and you definitely shouldn't be drinking the stuff everyday. Alcohol gets broken down into acetaldehyde in the body. This stuff might mess with the chemicals in your brain, making it harder for your brain signals to work and causing you to feel slow, sad, and the likes. It's best to limit your alcohol consumption.
Not drinking enough water
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Water is super important, and you've probably heard people bang on about it before. But, literally, your brain is mostly water. So, drinking more water and staying hydrated can make your brain work better and keep you feeling fresh and energized for longer. Make sure you drink around 2 liters of water daily if you can, just try and push yourself harder.
Ignoring any health issues
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If you're dealing with a health issue, it's crucial to go see a doctor and get some treatment. The longer you ignore your health issues, the more chance you could end up with some major problems later on. If you don't treat high blood pressure, you're more likely to end up with dementia. Not treating depression and diabetes can mess up your brain too.
Sitting still for too long
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Another thing that can mess up your brain is not moving around enough. If you're living a lazy lifestyle, it's time to switch things up. Sitting around too much can cause a bunch of health issues, like getting fat, having a bad heart, and getting diabetes. And all these health issues can mess up your brain and make it more likely for you to get dementia. If you wanna keep your brain healthy, make sure you're getting regular exercise. Just walking for 30 minutes, three times a week is totally enough.
Not eating breakfast
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Breakfast gives your brain and body the fuel they need to start your day off right. If you skip it often, you'll start feeling super sleepy and unable to focus because your blood sugar drops. Doing this all the time will totally mess up your brain by not giving it the stuff it needs to work right. This is super important for kids and teens since their brains are still growing.
Forcing your brain to work while stressed
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Stress can mess up your brain in a bunch of ways. It's a good idea to just chill, take it easy, or zen out when you're not feeling great or super stressed. Making your brain work during these times can mess with your thinking skills and mess up your brain cells in the long run. One of the most important things about our daily lives is how we deal and cope with high stress.
Eating too many refined carbs
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Refined carbs are basically sugars and super processed grains, like white flour. These carbs usually have a high glycemic index. So basically, when you eat these things, your body breaks them down super fast, which makes your blood sugar and insulin levels shoot up. They can have a high glycemic load and eating foods that are super high in these things can totally mess with your brain function.
Spending a lot of time in the dark
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If you hang out in the dark too much, your brain doesn't get enough sunlight. This can cause issues like seasonal affective disorder and depression. If you wanna keep your brain healthy, make sure you're getting lots of sunlight every day. Remember to open those shades once in a while and make sure to get outside every now and then. It'll be totally worth it in the end.
Eating excessive amounts
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Your diet totally impacts everything about your health, including your organs, growth, and even your mental health. If you're consistently overeating, then it's pretty obvious that the foods you're eating won't be great. Besides, everything is only good in moderation. It's super important to eat a diet that's packed with vitamins and nutrients and not loaded with sugary or fatty stuff.
Most of which is junk food!
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Sugary junk foods are something you're going to want to avoid. Eating too much sugar can mess with your body and make you more likely to get diabetes and ADHD. Also, fatty foods aren't much better for you. Your favorite burger joint isn't going to have much of an impact if you eat it once in a while, but eating it everyday is going to have its effect on the brain.
Failing to read
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We've heard it all before: "I hate reading" or "I haven't read since sixth grade" but none of them are acceptable excuses. A bunch of studies have shown that reading is actually a way to work out your brain and get it all pumped up. It helps you learn more stuff and understand others better. Plus, it makes your memory better and helps you think creatively, especially if you're a kid.
Not flossing your teeth
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Do you roll your eyes when your dentist is all "You gotta floss!" The thing is, if you don't take care of your teeth, you're gonna get a bunch of nasty bacteria in your mouth. That can make your gums all inflamed and stuff, which is called gingivitis. And if you don't do anything about it, it can turn into this long-term infection called periodontitis. A 2022 study found that if you have bad gums and lose your teeth, you're more likely to have problems with your memory and maybe even get dementia.
Consuming too much information
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All the emails and text books can be so overwhelming. Some folks love to brag about how many things they can juggle in just one day. Yet, multitasking isn't so good for the brain actually. A professor of psychology at Gresham College in London did some research and found out that when you're trying to focus on something important, having an unread email in your inbox can actually make you dumber by 10 points.
Not exercising the brain
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If you're pretty much sat doing nothing all day, that's gonna have an impact on your brain and mental capacity. Our brains are designed to be working (albeit not overworking) so a little of bit of brain training won't harm anyone. It's super important to get those cogs ticking to improve memory and cognitive ability. Just spend some time each day doing a Sudoku or Rubik's Cube and just see the change.
Engorging in fatty foods
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It's a misconception that all fats are bad for you. Like, omega-3 fatty acids actually help your brain work better. But, if you eat too much fatty food, it can mess with your brain too. It can totally mess up your arteries over time and make your brain not get enough blood, which obviously isn't ideal and will probably lead to some long-term conditions.
Spending too much time on your phone
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Today, interactions are getting replaced digitally. People are spending way more time online. If we're spending most of our time staring at screens then it can't have a good impact on our brains. Having a good old chat in person is super good for you. a study from the University of Michigan discovered that even a measly 10 minutes of chit-chat with someone can boost your memory and brain power.
Skipping your vaccines
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Apparently, over half of Americans skipped getting the flu shot in 2021. Lots of folk were also kinda unsure about getting those COVID-19 booster shots. But not getting vaccinated might be a missed chance in the battle against dementia. People who get at least one flu shot are 40% less likely to get Alzheimer's disease. Think twice before saying no!
Not having a sense of purpose
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When we're younger, it feels like everyone's counting on us - bosses, kids, spouses, you name it. But when we get older, being free from those responsibilities can suck sometimes. Researchers at the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center found something interesting. They discovered that people who scored high on a purpose-in-life assessment were way more likely to stay Alzheimer's-free compared to those with low scores.
Just eating highly processed foods
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Processed foods are usually loaded with sugar, extra fats, and salt. Basically, all the good stuff, like chips, instant noodles, store-bought sauces, and ready-made meals. These foods are usually super high in calories and really low in other nutrients. Those foods are the ones that make you gain weight, which can mess with your brain health. Having extra fat around your organs, visceral fat, can actually mess with your brain tissue.
Making the changes will better your brain
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The list above are just a handful of habits that can mess with your brain. If you want to keep your brain healthy, make sure you know about these habits and try to avoid them as much as you can. If you're struggling, turn to friends, family or you doctor for support. Friendly reminder: your brain is pretty sensitive, so make sure you take good care of it! Your brain will totally thank you for it in the end.
Not airing the room when painting
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It's always important to keep rooms ventilated when you're using chemical paint, so if you happen to do this on a daily basis (if it's your job, or if you have a hobby that uses paint) and you're working in a very small, unventilated room, you could be risking paint fumes being absorbed into your lungs and bloodstream when breathing in. If strong enough, it could cause damage to brain cells!
Being way too stressed
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If you're seeing super, duper amounts of stress on a daily basis to the extreme, where you're stressed 24/7, this can result in a huge onslaught of cortisol sent to your brain. Far too much of this stuff can result in killing off a brain cell or two! It's very true that too much stress can do damage to the body, but you might not have known it can affect brain cells in this way, too!
Shaking your head too much
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Okay so most people aren't doing this as a hobby on a daily basis, but if you're shaking your head rather violently - are you trying to shake out wet hair like a dog, or head bang to your favorite tunes at home? - it could result in axons tearing, which can be bad news for brain cells. Axon damage in this way is also why it's so dangerous to shake a baby.
Sensory deprivation
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If you're in a huge amount of sensory deprivation day in and day out, did you know this can actually compromise your brain cells? This is because there isn't a lot happening to stimulate your brain cells and when this happens for a long period of time, your brain can start to lose the cells which are being used. You may also have auditory hallucinations with lack of sensory stimulation.
Drinking way too much water
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We know what you're thinking - you always get told to drink more water, and now this? You just can't win! But the reality is there is a perfect amount of water to drink every day to stay hydrated, and yes you can actually drink way too much of the stuff! If you're drinking a huge amount of water in a very short period of time, you actually risk killing off brain cells by flooding your nervous system.
Suffering from PTSD
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If you've been through a traumatic event in your past and you're suffering from PTSD, it's also possible this could be causing brain cell loss if you have extreme PTSD you suffer with every day. This has something to do with the stress factor/cortisol hormone we mentioned, and that if you have too much of it, it can put brain cells at risk. Because PTSD is very much based on stress and anxiety, it can be a risk.
Having too much testosterone
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If your testosterone levels are way too high, it can actually have a negative impact on your brain health - and risk killing off a brain cell or two! Some people have naturally high testosterone levels, while others actively take testosterone supplements, so it's important to know how much is too much and the negative side effects it could have on your brain power!
Just one huge stressful event during your day!
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While it's true that you're at most risk if you have huge amounts of stress every single day, if your life is just one big stress-fest, it's also a bad thing if you just have one very stressful thing happen in an otherwise perfect day. All it takes is that huge surge in stress hormones to reach your brain and risk that negative impact on your brain cells just trying to go about their business!
Taking any steroids
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Some people decide to take steroids as part of their gym and body goals, and to support their athletic workouts. There are many reasons you might be advised not to take steroids, but another negative factor of taking a whole lot of steroids can be on your brain as well as your body. Steroids work to elevate both testosterone and stress levels in the body.
Having too much anxiety/panic attacks
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If you're someone who lives with extreme anxiety on a daily basis - and even might suffer with regular panic attacks - then you also might be at risk of losing a brain cell or two! Extreme anxiety naturally causes feelings of stress, which as we mentioned can result in that hormone you definitely don't want! If you're only suffering from very light stages of anxiety, it shouldn't affect your brain cells!
Certain food additives
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Most people will agree that they never read the back of food packets if they're not on a strict diet or have any requirements. But you might want to avoid food additives that contain a compound named 'exotoxins', because these won't do any good to your brain cells. Exotoxins are found in pretty much all processed foods, so a healthy brain = healthy food!
Having extreme electricity exposure!
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Of course, we don't mean just having a lamp on next to you all day - you don't need to fear all your electronics! But if you have long-term exposure to high levels of electricity - if you're working with high levels every day - this will have a detrimental effect on your brain cells, and you risk losing millions of cells if the electricity exposure is strong enough over time!
Carbon monoxide poisoning
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Definitely don't ignore carbon monoxide threats in your home - if you don't already have a detector, be sure to get one, because exposure to carbon monoxide not only risks many health issues (and even death if exposed long enough) but it will also risk losing brain cells, too. If you end up suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning, it will result in not enough oxygen getting to the brain.
Being exposed to any pesticides
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If your job sees you working with gardening every day, or maybe your hobby sees you doing this every day, you might be at risk in terms of brain cells when it comes to pesticides, too. You should always take precautions when working with pesticides anyway, or even cautious when around areas that could use pesticides, and they can have a negative impact on brain cells at a rapid rate.
Reacting badly to certain cosmetics
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The general things to watch out for with cosmetics is expiry dates and dirty brushes, but did you know they could impact brain cells, too? Certain cosmetics may actually have ingredients that might put your brain cells at risk. This could most likely be things like shampoos or hair products, which might have ingredients in capable of killing brain cells.
Using strong cleaning products
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You don't have to worry if you're just trying to go about your daily chores and you can smell strong products from a distance as you use them. The problem starts if, for some reason, you're taking a big whiff of a cleaning product (maybe you've bought a new scent and you were curious) as this is what can cause damage to brain cells due to the solvents.
Using paint remover
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Paint remover has to be pretty darn strong in order to start removing paint that quickly after application, so you can imagine the potential it has to damage your brain cells if you're exposed to it at high levels and inhaling it in a room that isn't ventilated well. Paint remover can be something many people choose to 'sniff' which is a dangerous thing!
Waiting in front of your microwave
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We know that feeling when you're hungry and you're watching your lunch go round and round. But if you're standing too close to a microwave while it's cooking, you could also be risking your brain cells! It's recommended to stand away from a microwave, like in the other room, while it's on. If your microwave is broken and has microwave leakage, this can increase the risk of exposure when stood too close, too.
If you suffer from narcolepsy
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This isn't exactly fair because it's not your fault if you have this condition where you fall asleep all the time, but it's also a risk that narcolepsy as a condition can increase the risk of killing brain cells. This has been looked into during studies where people without narcolepsy have more brain cells than people with the condition. Luckily, treatment research for narcolepsy is on the rise!
Get into good habits!
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Most of the things on this list can be avoided, and especially if you're just trying to live a healthy lifestyle and have a healthy diet anyway. Most of the things in your daily routine that are good for you are great all rounders for physical health, mental health and brain power, such as avoiding processed food, exercising more and decreasing stress. You got this!