Keeping your brain healthy starts earlier than you’d think. Way earlier. It’s a lifelong mission, beginning in utero and the crucial first 1,000 days after birth, extending all the way to later life.
And there’s no magic elixir, no brain-boosting vegetable or memory-protecting daily puzzle to ensure you stay sharp. But experts say there are broader tools—physical, social and environmental—to maintain or improve brain health as you age.
“Brain health is not just about avoiding disease. It’s about promoting healthy brains for a better world where people can thrive and enjoy life,” says Dr. Vladimir Hachinski, a world-renowned neuroscientist and Distinguished University Professor at Western’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry.
In 2023, he developed a new definition of brain health—“When thinking, feeling and connecting with others is at its best in a safe, healthy and supportive environment”—and an index to quantify it.
Developing healthy brains begins early in life, before a person is born, Hachinski says. Research shows factors like prenatal care and genetics can shape how well our brains function later in life. Though there’s no way to go back in time and adjust those early-life circumstances, Hachinski and his multidisciplinary team are studying the factors that can affect brain health many decades later. The ‘ABCDS of brain health’—activity, blood pressure, connection, diet and sleep—are where we should direct our attention, they say.
Researchers are investigating “what’s the least that gives the most,” to reflect the simplest, most accessible changes that drive the biggest brain health results. For instance, even walking 3,000 steps daily—well short of the popular ‘10,000 steps per day’ advice—reduces the risk of early death, Hachinski says.
Simple habits can pay big dividends. But Hachinski, who was instrumental in launching World Brain Day (now recognized annually on July 22), also wants to elevate brain health beyond personal decisions, to become a unifying priority for G7 countries because of its role in health, wealth and well-being. “We need better brains for a better world,” he says.
It’s also why Hachinski advocates for a more holistic view of brain health. “When people think of brain health, they typically think about it in a physical sense. But mental health also involves behaviours that may not seem directly related to the brain,” he says. “We know they are connected—and isolation and solitude are connected to both. But nobody’s put them under one umbrella. We’re the first ones to bring it all together.”
Clinical psychologist Marnin Heisel, a professor in the departments of psychiatry and epidemiology and biostatistics at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry, sees those connections and their ripple effects in the men’s groups he leads.
His work helps middle-aged and older people find meaning in life and promote mental health and psychological well-being in order to prevent despair and reduce their risk for suicide.
Finding meaning can help build resilience to adversity, Heisel says. “Resiliency is a positive characteristic we take into the world with us. It can help change our experience of life,” he says. “Somebody who’s got a more positive outlook, who’s more optimistic, can find meaning despite challenges and more easily overcome them. It’s a sense of that elasticity or bouncing back.”
But it’s not always easy to stretch that resilience muscle, especially when mental health is poor and the challenges of aging are mounting.
Depression can negatively impact brain health and increase the risk of death from any cause. Heisel’s groups focus on helping those facing losses and life transitions to find meaning in life, even in the face of adversity, and in doing so, they tap into stores of psychological resiliency. “We need to focus farther upstream, and work to promote mental health and well-being so people don’t get to the point of having an illness or disorder or disability,” Heisel says.
Both Hachinski and Heisel emphasize that daily choices—including how we interact with others, respond to change and derive meaning in life—can have profound effects on overall health. “Really thinking about health more holistically is important. It’s not just about the absence of illness or the absence of pain. Being healthy has such an impact,” Heisel says.
“The more proactive we are in focusing on psychological health and well-being, the healthier we’ll be and the more enjoyable our lives will be.”
Activity:
Walking 3,000 steps daily lowers early mortality risk. Walking with a buddy doubles your chances of sticking with it, while walking in nature can lower anxiety and blood pressure.
Blood pressure control:
8/10 people will have hypertension. Decreasing systolic blood pressure, the top number in the reading, can help lower stroke and dementia risks. Avoiding high-sodium foods and staying active are key.
Connection:
Studies show loneliness raises the risk of early death by 25%, heart disease by 29%, stroke by 32% and dementia by 50%. Socialize with friends and family or join activities to meet new people.
Diet:
Even eating healthy two or three days a week can lower cognitive decline risk. Prepare meals in advance to make healthier choices throughout the week.
Sleep:
Quality sleep matters. Consistent sleep patterns, deep breathing and aligning bedtime with the day-night cycle can help.
