Our Amazingly Plastic Brains

Commentary: Want to improve your brain and stay healthy? A recent article in the WSJ confirmed an old adage: “Use it, or lose it”. A growing body of research recently discovered that mental and physical exercise can decrease the risk of getting dementia, and help neurological diseases like Parkinson’s. They specifically found five factors to be important in maintaining our physical and mental health: “eating a healthy diet (at least three to four servings of fruits and vegetables a day); maintaining a normal weight; limiting alcohol to about a glass of wine a day; not smoking, and walking at least 2 miles a day, biking 10 miles a day or engaging in some other regular, vigorous physical exercise”. This article is an excellent reminder that dementia in some form is affecting approximately 15% of the American population over 70, and gives us practical suggestions to improve our chances of staying healthy. We should all try and follow this advice. The article however does not discuss the effects of infections like Lyme disease and environmental toxins on brain health, which have both been shown to have adverse effects on the central nervous system. Similarly, many abnormalities on the MSIDS map, such as food allergies and sensitivities, GI dysfunction with dysbiosis, mineral and vitamin deficiencies, hormone and mitochondrial dysfunction, sleep disorders, autonomic nervous system dysfunction, as well functional medicine abnormalities (with inadequate detoxification) can adversely impact neurological functioning. Perhaps if we were to use the 16 point MSIDS model as a way of screening for underlying imbalances in our health, combined with our present health care screening practices (while incorporating the 5 point health plan discussed above), we would further improve our chances of living longer, healthier lives

Our Amazingly Plastic Brains, by Norman Doidge, The Wall Street Journal