• Over 60% of women in Canada say their brain health has worsened since the pandemic.

• Poor brain health can exacerbate progressive memory loss, schizophrenia, dementia, bipolar disorder, Alzheimer’s, and chronic brain diseases.

• Fortunately, mental exercises, sleep habits, diet, and several other interventions can improve brain health in women.

Brain health for women is about more than simply the absence of serious mental illnesses or brain diseases. It’s a term that includes positive mental health and that focuses on overall cognitive functioning, resilience, and the state of mental well-being. Better brain health can help women with working productively, coping with normal stresses, improving overall capabilities, contributing to society, and more. Improved brain health also plays a pivotal role in maintaining good physical health. It reduces digestive disorders, insomnia, lack of energy, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic health conditions. Here are some important things to know when it comes to brain health for women.

Why Is Brain Health Important?

Our brain is a complex organ that controls all of our daily functions. From interpreting the senses to controlling movements and maintaining cognitive or emotional processes; our brain health directly affects our quality of life. It underlies our ability to interact, find solutions, make decisions, work efficiently and live a productive life. In fact, brain health could easily be considered the most important factor in overall health and well-being.

Poor brain health can cause neurological disorders and can result in brain dysfunction or cerebrovascular disorders. This affects not just mental health but can also foster the development of chronic physical health conditions, and may even impact our ability to withstand or recover from diseases. Poor brain health can significantly increase the risk of physically weakness, and poor physical health can, in turn, exacerbate mental health conditions.

Here are some ways in which poor brain health affects the lives of women:

1. Decreases Coordination and Motor Function

Body balance, muscle coordination, and difficulty with mobility are common challenges for older women and can result in falls and injuries that cause severe musculoskeletal disorders.

2. Subdues the Ability to Cope with Problems

Poor brain health can reduce your ability to cope with challenges. If you’re struggling with poor brain health, you may find yourself easily overwhelmed under stress and unable to bounce back quickly. This could lead to unhealthy coping practices such as overeating, increased alcohol consumption, and smoking.

3. Results in Memory Loss

Poor brain health causes memory loss and can lead to other diseases such as Alzheimer, Vascular Dementia, Lewy Body Dementia, Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus, and more. In most cases, memory loss is considered an early symptom of an underlying neurodegenerative condition.

Tips For Women to Improve Brain Health

1. Take Part in Physiotherapy:

Physiotherapy, or physical therapy, is not just for the body. It’s for the mind as well. Performing physical activities directed by a professional physiotherapist can enhance your mental well-being, reduce stress or other forms of anxiety, and reduce mood swings by releasing endorphins. Physiotherapy can also slow cognitive decline and significantly enhance sleep quality. It’s highly recommended for women between the ages of 25 and 45 because physiotherapy boosts the chemicals in the brain that support memory and learning. Physiotherapy treatment also includes cardiovascular exercises that are essential in:

• Developing new brain cells
• Increasing the levels of a brain-derived protein (BDNF)
• Improving memory, and overall brain function

Physiotherapy is also often recommended to patients who have experienced a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Such injuries are the result of a severe trauma to the head, and lead to a reduction in brain health. TBI symptoms can vary from mild headaches and general confusion to partial paralysis and loss of sensation. Depending on the cause of the brain trauma, your physiotherapist can create a custom treatment plan that might consists of:

• Motor function and muscle strengthening exercises
• Neuro-developmental training
• Joint mobilization
• Neurological physical therapy
• Functional training
• Stretching exercises

2. Maintain a Healthy Diet:

A low-fat diet can be beneficial for women looking to improve their overall brain health. Nutritionists emphasize a plant-based diet, which can help reduce inflammation, a major contributor to memory loss and other diseases. It includes fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains in your diet, and calls for protein from fish and healthy fats, such as olive oil or canola, rather than saturated fats.

Some of the best brain foods for women to include in their diet are:

• Green, leafy vegetables
• Fatty fish
• Berries
• Tea and coffee
• Walnuts

3. Exercise Regularly:

Physical activity helps keep the body fit and reduces stress levels, which can help prevent cognitive decline later in life. Women who don’t exercise regularly may be at risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease or other memory problems later in life because they lack the benefits of regular exercise. Physical activity can also help you sleep better at night, lose weight, and reduce the risk of chronic health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, and can add years to your life.

Physical exercise options for improving brain health include:

• Aerobic exercise
• Yoga
• Tai Chi
• Breathing exercises
• Weight training
• Dancing

4. Drink Plenty of Water:

Water makes up to 60 percent of our body weight. Drinking enough water each day helps keep maintain healthy blood pressure and keeps brain cells alive by flushing out toxins and other waste products from the body. The brain also depends on proper hydration for optimal performance. In other words, our brain cells require a balanced amount of water and other elements to function properly.

Some other benefits of drinking water include:

• Delivering nutrients to your brain
• Keeping nerve signals going
• Flushing out toxins from your brain
• Decreasing the risk of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s dieases

5. Get Enough Sleep Each Night:

Getting enough good quality sleep each night is essential for maintaining cognitive function, mental acuity, and the ability to concentrate and learn new things. During sleep, the brain consolidates memories and clears plaque-forming amyloids and tau proteins associated with poor brain health. It increases the surrounding brain cells—called the interstitial space, hence enabling the brain to flush out toxins that build up during waking hours. Various studies have shown that proteins linked to neurodegenerative diseases and poor brain health, including beta-amyloid, build up in these interstitial spaces.

6. Focus on Your Cardiovascular Health

Every part of your body requires the proper amount of blood circulation and flow in order to work efficiently. Your brain is no different. If blood is not properly circulated to your brain it can lead to the death of brain cells and brain injury. By improving overall cardiovascular health, you can enhance your brain health by ensuring it’s getting all of the oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood it needs for proper functioning.

 

Most Frequently Asked Questions Related To Brain Health in Women

Q1: What vitamins and minerals help improve brain health?

Answer: Vitamins and mineral supplements are recommended by health professionals to improve cognitive function, prevent memory loss, improve blood pressure and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Some of the best supplements to improve brain health should contain:

• Vitamin D
• Magnesium
• Vitamin C
• B complex
• Vitamin B12
• Vitamin E
• L-theanine
• Omega-3s

Q2: How do you keep your brain healthy as you age?

Answer: There’s no single remedy to keep your brain healthy. Most people try different interventions such as:

• Improving the diet
• Improving blood pressure
• Getting regular exercises
• Maintaining regular sleep cycles
• Staying mentally active
• Improving cholesterol & blood sugar levels
• Avoiding tobacco and alcohol

Q3: What can damage your brain?

Answer: There are several everyday habits that contribute to poor brain health. Such as:

• Sedentary lifestyle
• Lack of socializing
• Inadequate sleep
• Chronic stress
• Avoiding breakfast
• High sugar consumption
• Listening to loud music
• Overusing salt in the diet

Improve Your Brain Health with Physiomed

Whether you’re looking for general guidance on improving your brain health or if you’ve had a traumatic brain injury and need help with restoring movement and function, contact us today and let our team of highly skilled Physiotherapists, Naturopaths, and Nutritionists show you why, at Physiomed, Healthier Starts Here.