10 Daily Habits That Damage The Brain

Medically Reviewed By: David Mgbeobu

The brain is an extremely complex and delicate organ which takes direct or indirect action in all bodily processes. In its capacity, it regulates homeostatic functions like heartbeats, fluid balance, blood pressure, hormonal balance and body temperature. The brain is responsible for movement, cognition, learning, memory, human emotions, and overall health in the body.

According to several scientific studies, the way one lives his or her life could damage brain cells over short or long term periods, leading to the development of degenerative diseases and several other abnormalities. Contrarily, performing positive activities, like eating a balanced diet and physical exercise, activate the brain and make it healthy once again.

10 DAILY HABITS THAT DAMAGE THE BRAIN 

1. Not taking breakfast 

Breakfast is the most crucial meal of the day because it noticeably influences your daily performance, endurance, and emotional situation. During the first few hours of the day, the brain allots nutrients to continue "managing" the physiological processes after the long fast it has been subjected to. If you don't supply it with energy, it will need to use reserves and it will have to make an extra effort to maintain correct functioning. Not taking breakfast could lead to general lack of energy, loss of concentration and memory, bad moods, poor physical and intellectual performances. So you are seriously advised to always eat a substantial and healthy breakfast.

2. Smoking

The terrible habit of smoking considerably reduces brain matter as well as oxygen supply to the brain. It has been proven to promote the appearance of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease. Also, heterocyclic amines that are released during cigarette combustion interfere with correct DNA reproduction, leading to mutations that cause cancerous cells.

3. Elevated sugar consumption 

The predominance of refined sugar, white flour, fried food, and packaged food in the diet while also lacking amounts of vegetables, fruits and fiber, promote an accumulation of harmful substances in the body. This increases the development of tumors, it warps immune system functioning, causes malnutrition and interferes with neurological development.

4. Constant exposure to contaminated environments

The brain needs a constant supply of oxygen, but different toxic substances could obstruct the exchange of gasses, the transportation and processing of oxygen to the cells, leading to reduced brain efficiency.

5. Not sleeping enough 

For brain efficiency, you need at least 8 hours of sleep a night in order for your brain to rest, for metabolic processes to properly take place with the resulting energy produced, as well as for cellular renovation. Depriving oneself of sleep increases the death of brain cells over short term, and will keep you exhausted and in a bad mood all day.

6. Overeating 

Here, eating foods which the body does not need causes an accumulation of residual substances in the form of fats and hardening of the cerebral arteries, which impact its correct functioning.

7. Alcohol 

Alcohol could ruin all the organs inside the body, primarily the nervous system, the liver, and the heart. It impacts the chemical reactions that take place in the brain. Alcoholism also kills neurons and reduces the speed with which nerve impulses are transmitted.

8. Violent reactions or stress 

Stress causes several reactions to the nervous system, some of which reduce mental capacity and also increase the risk of suffering from a stroke and heart attacks.

9. Covering your head while sleeping

Sleeping with your head covered increases the concentration of carbon dioxide and reduces the amount of oxygen, which could cause harmful effects on the brain.


10. Forcing the brain during an illness

Working or studying a lot while you are ill is detrimental because the body's energy is being re-routed from the healing. Forcing the brain during this period could reduce the body's efficacy, as well as weakens the immune system even more. This accelerates the emergence of even more types of sicknesses.