THOSE BRAIN-DAMAGING HABITS

REGARDING HENRY

By Henrylito D. Tacio

THOSE BRAIN-DAMAGING HABITS

If there is a human organ that is more complicated than any other parts of the body, it is the 1.3 kilogram wrinkled lump of grey matter called brain (Greek for "in the skull"). It is the boss of our body and runs the whole show.

Brains can be extremely complex. For example, the human brain contains more than 100 billion neurons, each linked to as many as 10,000 other neurons (those electrically active brain cells that process information).

The brain's functions are both mysterious and remarkable. As the second edition of 'The Merck Manual of Medical Information' puts it: "From the brain come all thoughts, beliefs, memories, behaviors, and moods. The brain is the site of thinking and the control center for the rest of the body. The brain coordinates the abilities to move, touch, smell, taste, hear, and see. It enables people to form words, understand and manipulate numbers, compose and appreciate music, recognize and understand geometric shapes, communicate with others, plan ahead, and even fantasize."

According to medical experts, the brain reviews all stimuli – from the internal organs, surface of the body, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. It then reacts to these stimuli by correcting the position of the body, the movement of limbs, and the rate at which the internal organs function. The brain can also adjust mood and levels of consciousness and alertness.

Until now, no computer has come close to matching the capabilities of the human brain. "However, this sophistication comes with a price," the Merck manual notes. "The brain needs constant nourishment; it demands an extremely high and continuous flow of blood and oxygen – about 20 percent of the blood flow from the heart."

If you will ask doctors who are assigned in the emergency room, they will tell you this: A loss of blood flow to the brain for more than about 10 seconds can cause loss of consciousness. Experts estimate that once the heart stops, there is a window of four to six minutes to restore circulation before brain cells begin to die.

Yes, we have to protect our brain. But without knowing it, some of us are destroying them. Recently, I received an e-mail from a physician friend enumerating ten brain-damaging habits. I am not sure if there are studies conducted to most of them but there are more truths to them than fiction.

1. Not eating breakfast. Most people who are in a hurry miss eating this most important meal of the day and instead eat a big lunch. But studies have shown that people who do not take breakfast are going to have a lower blood sugar level. "Abnormally low sugar level in the blood," the Merck manual states, "can cause the brain to malfunction within minutes." This leads to an insufficient supply of nutrients to the brain causing brain degeneration.

2. Eating too much. Experts call this gluttony – and it's a deadly sin! More often than not, gluttony leads to obesity. Overeating causes hardening of the brain arteries, leading to a decrease in mental power.

3. Smoking. On the average, Filipinos consume about 4.2 sticks of cigarette per day. Official data show that 20,000 die each year from tobacco-related diseases, mostly from lung cancer. What most people don't know that smoking also causes multiple brain shrinkage and may lead to brain-snatching Alzheimer's disease.

4. Consuming too much sugar. Our body needs sugar but too much of it, experts claim, interrupts the absorption of proteins and nutrients causing malnutrition, which may interfere with brain development.

5. Breathing polluted air. Air pollution is now a common reality, even in developing countries like the Philippines. The most common forms of air pollutants – most of them come from vehicles, industry and power plants – are suspended particulate matter, carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, ozone, and lead. The brain is the largest oxygen consumer in our body. Inhaling polluted air decreases the supply of oxygen to the brain, bringing about a decrease in brain efficiency.


6. Not sleeping well. According to studies from Wrigth State University in Dayton, Ohio, at least one third of adults have significant sleep loss (six hours or less of sleep a night). Sleep allows our brain to rest. Long term deprivation from sleep accelerates the death of brain cells.

7. Covering your head while sleeping. If you're doing this habit, take note. Health experts claim that sleeping with the head covered increases the concentration of carbon dioxide and decrease concentration of oxygen that may lead to brain damaging effects.

8. Working your brain during illness. Generally, doctors recommend to those who are sick to take a rest. In the stressful world we are living now, some sick people who are beating deadlines or facing final examinations, rest is far from their vocabulary. Unfortunately, working hard or studying with sickness may lead to a decrease in effectiveness of the brain as well as damage the brain.

9. Lacking in stimulating thoughts. You are what you think, so goes a popular saying. Thinking is the best way to train our brain and lacking in brain stimulation thoughts, some experts believe, may cause brain shrinkage. Use your brain by doing challenging activities, such as puzzles, reading, playing music, making art, or anything else that gives your brain a workout!

10. Talking rarely. If you are the type of person who is shy or does not contribute to the discussion during a meeting, you better watch out. Intellectual conversations promote brain efficiency while not using your mind just waste your brain away.

Yes, these ten brain-damaging habits are no-brainer. – ###