Dr. Sanjay Gupta's book, "Keep Sharp" debunks myths about cognitive decline, explores whether there's a “best” diet or exercise regimen for the brain and explains the importance of trying new activities and forming strong social ties. It's a question on a lot of peoples' minds: what's the prescription for fighting off dementia?
We summarize here five points Gupta touches on in his interview with CBS News about how we can keep our brains healthy:
Exercise
"When you move, it's almost like you're signaling to the body and to the brain, 'I wanna be here. I'm not ready to go!' What the brain specifically releases [are] these things called neurotrophins; these good chemicals are sort of nourishing the brain."
Diet
We've all heard statements like, eat less red meat, less processed food, more vegetables and fruit. Dr. Gupta says one kind of fruit he would eat the most of: berries. "Berries, in terms of what they can do for the brain and some of these certain chemicals that they release, are probably gonna be one of your best foods."
Fun Fact !
In 2017 I met Sanjay during his family vacation in Jackson Hole, WY (where Serine10 has its headquarters!) and introduced him to the local amino acid research surrounding neurdegeneration at Brain Chemistry Labs. He returned to visit the lab and he writes about his visit and the advances surrounding our understanding of L-Serine in his book.
Change
Dr. Gupta said, "I have nothing against crossword puzzles and even video games and brain-training games and things like that. I think they can be great. But it's change that builds resiliency. You need the change.
Sleep
There are so-called "garbage collecting cells" that help remove toxins from the brain. And while you're asleep, memories from the day are processed.
Social
"We are social creatures. We know that there are certain neurochemicals that are released when we actually have touch and look someone directly in the eye.
You can read more and purchase Dr. Gupta's book here.