Dental Health, One Woman Only, Women, 20-29 Years
Keeping the brain in a healthy state is vital for one’s overall well-being. However, certain habits can weaken our cognitive abilities and gradually lead to mental health issues. Habits such as excessive sitting, insufficient social interaction, and inadequate sleep may affect our minds negatively. However, the encouraging news is that these habits are also the easiest to modify, as stated by Rudolph Tanzi, who is the director of the Genetics and Aging Research Unit and co-director of the McCance Center for Brain Health at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital. In the following discussion, we will highlight the habits that can negatively affect your mind and memory.
Extended periods of sitting can have detrimental effects on the brain, as indicated by a study published in PLOS One in 2018. On average, adults spend about six-and-a-half hours per day seated, and this sedentary behaviour has been linked to alterations in a crucial memory-related section of the brain. The research involved MRI scans of the medial temporal lobe (MTL), responsible for forming new memories, in individuals aged 45 to 75. Comparing the scans with the participants’ daily sitting duration, it was observed that those who spent more time sitting had thinner MTL regions. The study suggests that thinning of the MTL may serve as an early indication of cognitive decline and the onset of dementia.
