The brain produces toxins and abnormal proteins like beta-amyloid and tau protein during its activity. If these proteins are not cleared, they can create plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain that lead to neurodegenerative diseases like dementia. An NIH study showed one night of sleep deprivation increases the β amyloid burden in the right…
A study from the Royal Society of Open Science aimed to find out if a western-style diet has an effect on the brain. One hundred and ten healthy human adults were recruited for the study. All participants were screened before enrolment to ensure they were lean, fit, and currently consuming a nutritious diet. Then…
Four in 10 adults do not get enough sleep according to a 2014 Gallup poll. I suspect it is a lot more. Sleep deprivation can occur in three different ways. First is sleep fragmentation, where a continuous sleep is broken up. The second is ‘selective sleep restriction’ that occurs in obstructive sleep apnea. This results…
To control stress, it is vital to understand it. AnStress is not all bad. Stress is needed for survival. In daily life, fear makes us alert, meet deadlines, prepares us for a meeting, presentation, or a date, make us focus, and achieve our goals. In extreme situations, stress is needed for “fight or flight.” The…
Chewing preserves learning ability and spatial memory to maintain brain health and prevent dementia There is a special relationship between chewing and brain functions. As people grow older, memory loss can happen. This is not only due to the passage of time but is related to the loss of teeth and subsequent chewing dysfunction. To…
Plasticity is the ability of a solid material to deform secondary to external stress and retain its functionality. Just like when you throw a plastic ball. It may deform as it hits the floor, but as it regains its shape in a microsecond, it bounces back in its original form. Before 1950, there was no…
