Fixing a Broken Brain

How do you fix a broken brain?  For most of history, science has believed that the brain is stagnant and unchanging with fixed memory and potential.  We know the brain can lose function with trauma, drugs, alcohol, etc.  But nobody believed that the brain could repair or rebuild.

I’ve reported on this in the past, but another study released in Scientific American has shown that the previous beliefs about the brain’s limited potential are simply not true.  In reality, the brain has the potential to build and repair its cells and it is routinely laying down new ‘wiring’ to interconnect cells based on new experience for more efficiency.  In previous articles I’ve reported on ways to boost brain power.  But this recent study performed on animals shows that physical exercise is one of the strongest brain boosters and can double the number of cells found in the hippocampus.  This part of the brain has always been associated with converting short-term memory to long-term memory; explaining why exercise can improve memory.  Other literature suggests that the hippocampus is also involved with the stress response in the body.  This gives insight to how physical exercise is consistently the most effective stress reliever to decrease anxiety and depression.

I encounter many people that try to stay healthy with diet, rest, and positive thinking while neglecting any form of exercise.  While these are all critical factors, there is too much research like this study proving that you can never be as healthy as possible without including exercise as part of your lifestyle.