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Brain Health
LATEST STORIES
5 Surprising Factors to Reduce the Risk of Dementia
Eating well, prioritizing sleep, and exercising help to protect against dementia, but there are other several other factors that play an important role as well. Learn more.
What Is Inflammation?
With Gregory Plotnikoff, MD
Inflammation is a natural bodily response that is essential in acute circumstances — we need it to happen we get a paper cut or if we’re fighting a head cold. Its harmful effects occur, however, when it becomes chronic and systemic. Functional-medicine practitioner Gregory Plotnikoff, MD, shares what to know about inflammation, including what causes it, how it impacts our health, ways we can test for it, and proactive steps we can take in our daily lives to tame it.
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Got the Blues? Ultraprocessed Food May Be to Blame
Highly processed foods, which are typically high on the glycemic index, can reduce levels of serotonin and dopamine — and potentially contribute to depression and anxiety.
How Chronic Inflammation Affects Your Health
Our bodies need inflammation to fight off infection, but too much of it for too long can spur a wide range of illnesses. Learning to manage it effectively is key.
PUMPING IRONY: Don’t Just Sit There, Do Something!
Sitting may be the new smoking, but recent research suggests that what you happen to be doing while parked in a chair — or on the couch — may mitigate its effect on your aging brain.
What Are the Risk Factors and Triggers for Functional Neurological Disorders?
It turns out there are a variety of different triggers, say experts.
PUMPING IRONY: A Parley With Parkinson’s
While I only occasionally wonder whether Parkinson’s awaits me somewhere down the road, recent research provides some calming evidence that lifestyle changes may help keep the disease at bay.
What Is a Functional Neurological Disorder?
Hybrid disorders of the brain, mind, and body once confounded physicians and researchers. Today experts are beginning to uncover the conditions’ complexities — and how to treat them.
PUMPING IRONY: This Is Your Brain on Junk Food
As Big Pharma’s latest Alzheimer’s drug faces renewed skepticism, a new study suggests that avoiding ultraprocessed food may be a more promising approach to maintaining healthy cognitive function as we age.
What Are Seniors’ Most Common Mental Health Issues?
Depression and physical decline are just two issues many seniors face.
What Happens to Your Brain When You Fall in Love
Stephanie Cacioppo, PhD, shares what happens to your brain when you fall head-over-heels for someone.
PUMPING IRONY: Movement and Memory
Physical activity has long been shown to improve cognitive function, but a new study suggests we may be able to modify our workouts to boost specific types of memory.
Game On!
Card and dice games have come to Life Time — and an ARORA co-founder shares three reasons getting dealt in is good for your health and well-being.
PUMPING IRONY: Zapped!
Can we cure dementia by zapping our brains with electrical currents? Some enterprising researchers would certainly like us to think so.
The Cognitive Benefits of Cataract Surgery
Untreated cataracts could contribute to dementia and depression, according to recent research.
Want Smarter Children? Teach Them Music
Music can shape stronger neural networks, according to a recent study.
PUMPING IRONY: Class and Cognition
A new study suggests that people mired in low-wage jobs for long periods of time may suffer cognitive decline earlier in life than those favored with a more affluent life. My checkered career leaves me wondering where I stand.
NATURAL MENTAL HEALTH: Can Lithium Orotate Be Used for Everyday Mood Support?
Lithium carbonate is a popular medical treatment for bipolar disorder, but a milder, over-the-counter form of this mineral can be used as a mood stabilizer.
How to Treat Postconcussion Syndrome
About 20 percent of people who sustain a traumatic brain injury have postconcussion syndrome — symptoms that last for months or even years. Here are three therapies that may help.
Is Doing Housework Good for Your Brain?
Vacuuming and cleaning windows may help our cognition and attention spans, according to a recent study.
Can Exercise Build Brain “Muscle”?
Yes, according to recent research — and it might also help reduce the neuroinflammation connected with Alzheimer's.