The Hidden Threat Causing Your Brain to Shrink
Bigger isn’t always better. But lots of times… it is.
And that’s certainly the case when it comes to the size of your brain.
You see, your brain naturally shrinks as you age. But as your brain atrophies, you’ll also notice a decline in memory, learning, and focus.
In fact, brain shrinkage increases your dementia risk.
However, one of the BEST ways to maintain a BIGGER BRAIN as you age is to avoid a condition that impacts nearly a third of older adults…
A recent study spanning multiple decades found that people who had more significant losses in their white matter had an 86 percent greater risk of mild cognitive impairment.
But one group of participants lost significantly more gray matter than anyone else…
And that was those with type 2 diabetes.
Along with smaller brains, the folks with diabetes had a 41 percent higher risk of mild cognitive impairment.
And while all volunteers with beta-amyloid plaques had about a 50 percent increased risk of dementia, those with these toxic plaques and diabetes had an even higher risk.
In other words, having type 2 diabetes increases your risk of brain shrinkage and dementia.
These findings confirm previous research showing the link between metabolic issues like diabetes and an increased risk of cognitive decline.
However, if you don’t have diabetes, it’s not time to relax because you’re still at risk of brain atrophy even if you don’t have the disease.
In fact, your brain shrinks by about five percent per decade after age 40. After 70, it shrinks even faster.
That’s why everyone should take steps to slow down brain shrinkage, whether or not they are diabetic.
These include things like…
- eating a healthy, whole-food diet,
- getting plenty of activity,
- controlling your blood pressure,
- and managing your stress levels.
When you do, you can slow brain shrinkage to a crawl and dial down your risk for dementia.
P.S. Brain-friendly vitamin lowers dementia risk.
View Sources
Uchida Y, Nishimaki K, Soldan A, Moghekar A, Albert M, Oishi K. Acceleration of Brain Atrophy and Progression From Normal Cognition to Mild Cognitive Impairment. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(10):e2441505.
