I’m a brain expert – here’s the three ways you can maintain ‘peak’ health
IT'S normal to feel a bit fuzzy-headed for a few days after catching Covid.
But, several recent studies have revealed the virus can cause serious and potentially deadly brain disease.
One particularly concerning example of this is that people who catch the virus are more than twice as likely to suffer a stroke, than someone who hasn't.
While experts don't know why this is the case, it's worth trying to keep your brain as healthy as possible to avoid getting sick.
In a new study, published in , experts explained how best to keep your brain in tip-top shape and prevent cognitive decline.
1. Physical exercise
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It's widely accepted that being active is good for the body.
But it’s also true that any form of regular physical activity is just as beneficial for the brain.
"An active lifestyle helps to develop the central nervous system and to counteract the aging of the brain,” according to Norwegian authors.
The researchers explained that being consistent with your exercise is essential.
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Do your best to get in at least a little movement each and every day, they said.
One study at the University of British Columbia found that boosts the size of the hippocampus - a brain region involved in verbal memory and learning.
Aerobic exercise is the kind that gets your heart pumping and sweaty, as opposed to muscle or weight training.
Similarly, high intensity workouts keep blood flowing to the brain, Researchers at the University of Queensland have found.
2. Social activity
Keeping connected with friends and family members or finding a way to interact with other people regularly is essential for keeping our brain's healthy.
“Relations with other people, and interacting with them, contribute to a number of complex biological factors that can prevent the brain from slowing down,” said the authors.
Feeling lonely has long been linked with cognitive decline and the development of Alzheimer’s.
One , which looked at the brains of healthy adults, found those who reported feelings of loneliness had higher cortical amyloid levels - a marker used to help diagnose dementia and Alzheimer’s.
3. Strong, passionate interests and hobbies
Having interests and being willing to learn can help slow down brain decline, the researchers explained.
“Passion, or having a strong interest in something, can be the decisive, driving factor that leads us to learn new things.
"Over time, this impacts the development and maintenance of our neural networks,” authors said.
Studies have shown that older adults with hobbies or who try and engage in social activities may age slower.
says: “Research suggests that having close ties to friends and family, and participating in meaningful social activities, may help people maintain their thinking skills better in later life and slow down cognitive decline.
“People who are socially engaged seem to have a lower risk of dementia, but the evidence is not yet strong enough to draw firm conclusions.”
Previous research, has found that Covid could knock ten points off your IQ and age your brain by 20 years.
People admitted to hospital with the bug can suffer brain damage that lasts for longer than six months.
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Meanwhile, other researchers found that people who catch Covid are at increased risk of serious brain injuries up to year after infection - even those who don't get that ill.
US experts said seizures, memory problems and movement disorders are among the issues suffered by patients after catching the virus.
