Eating dry fruits is not sufficient for brain health. One has to add antioxidant-rich food like grapes, blueberries, sweet potatoes, green vegetables and fish in diet. Healthy fats like Omega 3 acid is also preferable
Brain surgery, brain tumour, stroke (paralysis) and sudden amnesia have always been an integral part of Indian cinema and TV serial’s dramatic masala content. It is unfortunate that often majority of public doesn’t even try to increase its knowledge in this regard; rather this very subject of brain health is ignored mostly, considering its complexity. According to a study the burden of stroke disease has increased nearly 100 per cent in our country. And in the time of Covid-19 pandemic, patients who are already suffering from neurological diseases are facing a tough time. Their treatment process has been deeply affected due to lack of access to their Doctors and availability of medications. The stress and depression generated from the lockdowns and the fear psychosis around COVID-19 has also increased the number of such patients.
This is alarming. A major awareness for brain health is the need of the hour. Our food habits and lifestyle has a major impact on our brain health. At the same time, it is also important to know about the initial symptoms of neurological problems so that early treatment can be initiated.
Brain health with brain food: There is a famous proverb “you are what you eat”. And it is more so in the case of the brain. Some people assume that increasing dry fruits intake is the only thing required, but it is not enough. There are other brain foods as well which play key role in brain’s development. Take antioxidants rich food like grapes, blue berries, sweet potatoes, green vegetables, fish. The fact is 60 per cent of brain is made of fat hence add healthy fats in your daily meals, and omega 3 fatty acid also plays a key role in developing brain cells, hence take omega 3 rich foods as well like flaxseed, fish, walnuts etc.
Be regular with exercises: Brain health is not different from physical health in any sense. Regular exercise helps in maintaining blood pressure and good circulation which is necessary for proper functioning of the brain also. Yoga and meditation also boost functioning of brain.
Physical health and brain: Although every disease or physical ailment affects our brain health, but suffering from one of the following majorly affects brain health: hypertension and Diabetes.
Basically in above diseases blood pressure play a key role, our blood travels through our blood vessels to the brain, and lower or high BP can result into stroke and brain haemorrhage. Take proper medication and keep checking your BP.
There are some neurological diseases people need to know more about:
Parkinson’s Disease: It is type of a degenerative disorder. Its symptoms appear gradually and progress over the years:-
Parkinson’s patient need continuous treatment and medication without fail or else it may result to rapid worsening. Never ignore such initial symptoms, immediately see a doctor and start treatment in order to slower the progression.
Alzheimer’s Disease: Repeatedly forgetting recent events in daily life is an initial symptom. It is one of a type of dementia which starts insidiously and progress slowly. Early detection can retard the pace of the disease.
Brain Tumour: It is basically an abnormal growth of brain cells which starts creating pressure on brain with the growth of its number and size, and presents like: headache with repeated episodes of vomiting, neurological deficits, seizures
Like any other Cancer, early identification of brain tumours is one of the key factors that determine the prognosis.
The writer is Dr Amit Shrivastava ,Senior Consultant, Neurology ,Dharamshila Narayana Superseciality Hospital