From drinking coffee and alcohol, to not flossing your teeth and eating too much red meat, these are Dr Daniel Amen's seven 'risk factors'
Dr Daniel Amen warned people could be damaging their brain without even realising
Dr Daniel Amen warned people could be damaging their brain without even realising
A doctor has revealed the certain things people should stop doing if they don't want to 'ruin' or 'age' their brain. Speaking on a recent episode of Diary Of A CEO podcast, psychiatrist and brain disorder specialist Dr Daniel Amen warned people could be damaging their brain without even realising.
The New York Times bestselling author and director of the Amen clinics says there are a number of things everyone should avoid to help keep their brain healthy. While sharing his knowledge with podcast host Steven Bartlett, Dr Amen explains the seven 'risk factors' that "steal your mind" - and it's particularly bad news for coffee drinkers and red meat lovers.
In the episode, the health expert kicks off his list by revealing that low blood flow - which can be caused by caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, being overweight and having a sedentary lifestyle - is the "number one brain-imaging predictor of Alzheimer's Disease."
Going into more detail about how 'damaging caffeine is', he tells Steven: "It's the most common drug, it's addictive. I mean a little bit is fine, but more than a little bit is not fine."
He added how, according to studies, it restricts blood flow by 30 per cent and went on to reveal it also increases cortisol, which puts fat around your belly, and "fakes you out to think you have energy." He said: "It blocks adenosine, the chemical that tells you to go to sleep, and so many of my patients stop [drinking coffee] and uniformly tell me they feel better."
Second in his list is not learning new things. "You want to prematurely age your brain? Drop out of school and do not engage in new learning," he said.
"When you learn something new, your brain makes a new connection. When you stop learning or you start doing the same thing over and over again, your brain starts to disconnect itself. Being in a job that does not require new learning is a risk factor for dementia."
The third risk factor Dr Amen says is "being lonely." He explained: "So being an a**, is more likely to hurt your brain," adding: "Loneliness is terrible for brain function."
Fourth is "eating a lot of red meat." If your iron and ferritin levels are high, this can prematurely age your brain, he claims. The fifth risk factor is all to do with inflammation and looking after your teeth.
"If you want to increase inflammation, which is a root cause of so many medical and mental health issues, never floss and don't really care about your teeth," the doctor said.
"So, if you want to love your brain, you have to love your mouth. It is absolutely critical for you not to have gum disease. Because if you have gingivitis, odds are you're at increased risk of heart disease, depression and dementia."
The sixth 'risk factor' is not eating enough fish. "People who eat grilled or baked fish once a week have more grey matter in their brain," he told Steven. "People who have low levels of omega-3 fatty acids have smaller brains."
Seventh in the list is consuming a Western diet. Dr Amen said: "If you want to damage your brain, eat the standard American diet. So, processed food, and get most of your calories from the gas station and from the fast food restaurants."
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From drinking coffee and alcohol, to not flossing your teeth and eating too much red meat, these are Dr Daniel Amen's seven 'risk factors'
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