March 18, 2021

Is brain training really a good idea? Thinking exposes your brain to oxidative stress?

I’m sure you’ve heard the term “brain training.” It refers to brain power training, a way to improve brain functions such as memory and learning ability by playing games and quizzes to train your brain power. It is also said to be effective against dementia.

 

 

The brain ages.

In general, our body ages when it is not used. For example, if you spend a month or so in a hospital bed due to some kind of illness, your unused muscle strength will naturally deteriorate. It is said that it will take more than three times as long, that is, more than three months, to restore the muscles that have not been used to the level before the hospitalization.

Just like muscle strength, if you don’t use your brain, in other words, don’t think about it, it will age rapidly.

However, situations that require you to think about a great many things also put excessive stress on your brain. It has been shown that excessive stress raises oxidative stress in the brain. Excessive oxidative stress rusts the body and leads to aging.

The accumulation of oxidative stress substances in the brain can lead to chronic fatigue, and in severe cases, the metabolism of brain cells may not work properly, leading to the accumulation of amyloid beta, which is the source of Alzheimer’s disease.

Thinking about too many things is not good for your health because it leads to oxidative stress and aging, and not thinking at all is not good for your health because it leads to brain aging.

The important thing is moderation.

For example, when you move your muscles in exercise, the muscle cells release reactive oxygen species, a substance that causes oxidative stress. When you exercise, your heart rate increases and your breathing increases. This is because the body’s oxygen consumption increases

Moderate exercise, on the other hand, also increases the body’s ability to counteract oxidative stress.

In fact, if you compare the life expectancy of people who exercise regularly and those who do not exercise at all, the life expectancy of those who exercise is longer. On a positive and negative basis, moderate exercise is good for your health.

However, too much exercise is counterproductive because the amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are the causative agents of oxidative stress, exceeds the ability to counteract oxidative stress.

The same is true for brain training, and I think moderate brain training is very good for your health.

Finally.

Thinking about too many things is not healthy because it exposes you to oxidative stress from excessive stress, which leads to aging. However, if you don’t do any thinking at all, your brain will age rapidly. If you don’t use your body and brain, they will age.

Therefore, it is important to exercise both the brain and the body in moderation. Moderate brain training and exercise will help prevent oxidative stress and lead to disease prevention and a healthy life.

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