9 Habits That Damage Your Brain
A whopping third of American adults don’t get the recommended seven hours of sleep, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
But when you don’t log enough pillow time, it taxes your brain.
In fact, a September 2018 study in Sleep concluded that cognitive performance — including memory, reasoning, problem-solving and communications skills — is impaired in people who usually sleep fewer than seven or more than eight hours per night.From cancer to heart disease and lung-related illnesses, smoking ravages virtually every organ of the body. And you can add your brain to that list.
“Smoking damages the lining of blood vessels and can lead to narrowing, which can cause reduced blood flow to the brain,” Dr. Jandial says.
Again, the less oxygenated blood that bathes your brain, the fewer fundamental nutrients it receives.In addition to temporary effects like blurred vision, slurred speech and slowed reaction times, heavy drinking can increase your risk of developing more serious, permanent changes in the brain, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).
Indeed, long–term heavy alcohol use may shrink the brain and cause deficiencies in the brain’s white matter, the fibers that transport information between the gray matter, per the NIAAA.