To Your Health
March, 2016 (Vol. 10, Issue 03) |
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Healthy Body = Big Brain?
By Editorial Staff
Sitting on the couch all day or otherwise engaging in sedentary lifestyle behaviors, devoid of physical activity, could do more than increase your chances of being overweight or developing a chronic disease – it could also shrink your brain.
OK, not exactly, but the health ramifications are certainly frightening. Research suggests people who aren't fit during middle age might have smaller brains later in life compared to people who stay fit. The study, published online in the peer-reviewed research journal Neurology, evaluated more than 1,500 people (average age 40) without dementia or heart disease. They took a treadmill test at study entrance and again 20 years later, along with an MRI scan of the brain. According to findings, subjects who performed poorly on the initial treadmill test had small brains at 20-year follow-up.
Why is brain size significant? Because brains shrink with age, which can lead to cognitive decline and dementia. It stands to reason that preventing shrinkage could help protect you against age-related brain decline that can lead to health problems. Talk to your doctor for more information about brain health and natural ways to keep your brain healthy for a lifetime.
