Message from the Head of Primary: Brain Health

In today’s world we know more about looking after our bodies than at any point in history. We are more aware of the need for eating well and exercising. We understand the implications of things like too much sugar, too little exercise and try to make considered choices to enable better habits. The UAE is proactive in helping its residents to be healthy. It promotes many opportunities for us to take part in regular exercise and have access to great facilities. As I cycle the Yas track each week I am always amazed that it is free, floodlit, well supervised and provides good quality bikes for anyone who wishes to ride. In schools we build healthy living into elements of our curriculum. We all try to look after our bodies. However, do we do the same for the one organ that runs the show? How much do we know about what makes our brains healthy and can we look to take more advantage of this?

This week I came across an interesting article that made me explore this a little further. Unsurprisingly there are some very simple things we can all do to help us think better and have better brain health. For instance, many of us are aware of the phrase, ‘His glass is always half full’ meaning that there is an optimism about the way this person thinks. This is actually a really good thing for our brains to do. The opposite is also true. If we accentuate the negative, hold onto grudges or look at the bad side it won’t just keep you in a pessimistic mood but can actually lead to a decline in cognition and memory recall. So, thinking positively actually prevents poor brain performance and can help reduce memory loss. 

Another interesting point is that some beverages have a negative effect. We are all aware of the impact of sugar on our diet but a study in 2017 showed that drinking sugary drinks can lead to lower brain function and reduced memory recall. Increased sugar can lead to spikes in blood sugar and an exaggerated insulin response which can trigger inflammation in the brain. 

We all love a good night’s sleep. This is something that has a very positive impact on our brain function particularly if we get good regular sleep as this provides consistent predictable levels of oxygen which help nerve cells to function. Conversely, a lack of sleep can affect the levels of oxygen on the nerve cells and this can translate to poor memory function. Trying to create a good routine for quality sleep is key.   

Poor hearing is also a factor in how well our brains function particularly as we get older (beyond our 30’s). Preventing hearing damage in our youngsters can help. As a rule of thumb, if someone can hear sound from your earbuds, then they’re too loud. Also protecting your ears by using foam earplugs at concerts and sporting events can prevent hearing damage. When in a noisy environment the guidance is that if you can’t hear what someone is saying and they are less than 3feet from you, then it is too loud. 

Finally, having a sense of purpose has been shown to increase brain function. Making it feel important to get up and do our best each day has positive effects on the brain. We can all help each other with this last aspect. As a community we can encourage one another and make each other feel valued as part of our community. Noticing the contribution, we all make helps us all feel better and have better mental health. 

Alan Cocker