3 Surprising Things That Can Affect Your Brain Health, From A Neurologist

It's exciting to see more and more experts embracing lifestyle as a powerful tool to prevent cognitive decline. After all, when it comes to brain health, it's important to mitigate potential issues before they manifest with symptoms. Translation: With cognitive decline, it's best to intervene as early as you can.

Enter neurologist Dale Bredesen, M.D., author of the New York Times bestselling book The End of Alzheimer's. He has made it his mission to provide actionable advice on cognitive decline and help people truly optimize their brain health—regardless of their age or cognitive status.

You might be familiar with how the gut microbiome affects basically every function in your body (including brain health), but did you know your oral microbiome is just as critical? It's true: Your mouth, after all, is the gateway to your body and the beginning of your gastrointestinal tract. "So I recommend everyone check out your oral microbiome," advises Bredesen. (He suggests using a service like MyPerioPath.) "Do you have P. gingivalis, T. denticola, prevotella intermedia, F. nucleatum? These organisms are being found in the brain' they're being found in the plaques of coronary arteries… These things are impacting us systemically1." 

For example, one study found that the aforementioned bacteria P. gingivalis, the key pathogen in periodontitis, was identified in the brain of Alzheimer's disease patients2.

Vitamin D is one impressive micronutrient: The sunshine vitamin influences not only brain development4 but also everyday brain function5; it even works to protect your brain as you age5. In fact, one meta-analysis6 conducted in 2019 that reviewed 11 studies on a total of 21,784 participants found significant associations between vitamin D deficiency and both dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Consider Bredesen a huge sauna fan. Sauna use has been associated with some impressive benefits, including better sleep quality, improved energy, and even longevity.