20 ways to futureproof your brain

What to eat and when Why intermittent fasting builds a better brain

Banish all thoughts of a Lough Derg-type starvation diet. Intermittent fasting is no more drastic than delaying or skipping breakfast altogether. “One form of intermittent fasting is ‘time-restricted eating’, which essentially involves eating within a relatively contained window each day,” explains Dr John Briffa. “So if you were to eat breakfast at 8am, you’d be finished by eight in the evening. The rest of the time all that is being consumed is water and perhaps some black coffee or tea. Some people then gradually extend the fast to 14 or 16 hours, usually by delaying breakfast or skipping it altogether.”

For those packing children off to school or rushing to get out themselves in the morning, it has other benefits. “On a practical point, skipping breakfast is often not socially disruptive as many individuals eat breakfast on their own, certainly during the week.”

Why is intermittent fasting helpful? “It ultimately stimulates the body to break down fat which forms a fuel source called ketones,” says Briffa. “This is the origin of the word ‘ketosis’. Ketones provide ready fuel for the body and brain. But the level of ketones in so-called ‘nutritional ketosis’ is much lower than those seen in what is known as ‘ketoacidosis’, which occurs in uncontrolled Type 1 diabetes.

It appears to bring body-wide advantages. “Intermittent fasting has other benefits too like improving insulin function and increasing ‘autophagy’ which is like an internal clean-up process, including in the brain.

“Clinically it tends to works like a charm,” says Dr Briffa. “Not everyone can do it but the majority can, and when they do they usually feel energised, stable and ‘with it’. The reality is while it’s usually said that ‘breakfast is the most important meal of the day’, this is actually nonsense for many people. There is nothing wrong with someone subsisting off their own fat stores through the morning. In fact, it’s a good state to be in. People generally do much better this way than with a traditional breakfast of cereal or toast which can destabilise blood sugar levels and tends to be inflammatory in nature.” DO A CLEAR-OUT

2 Get sweaty The joy of saunas

Research from Finland (no surprise there) points up the relationship between saunas and brain function. One 2017 study found that men who had four to seven saunas a week were 66pc less likely to suffer from dementia than those who had one a week. In fact, saunas seem to have a hugely positive impact on every aspect of health from depression to lowering blood sugar. The theory goes that saunas help your body to detox via the largest organ, your skin, flushing out accumulated toxins that can cause cognitive problems. According to Dr Daniel Amen, “The concentration of most toxins — including arsenic, lead and mercury — is two to 10 time higher in sweat than in blood, which indicates that sweating is an effective detoxification process.” Working up a good sweat by exercising is one way to achieve this, but a spell in a sauna can be even more effective. Aim for 20 to 30 minutes, as often as you can.

2 Boost your blood flow

“Low blood flow is the number one brain imaging predictor of Alzheimer’s disease,” says Dr Amen, who has taken more than 130,000 SPECT scans — a test that creates a 3D image and provides information about the function of your brain. “Anything that negatively impacts blood flow damages your brain — hypertension, heart disease, stroke, erectile dysfunction. If you have blood flow problems anywhere, they are everywhere. There is a Harvard study that showed 40pc of 40-year-olds experienced erectile dysfunction, which likely means 40pc of 40-year-olds have brain dysfunction; 70pc of 70-year-olds have erectile dysfunction, which means 70pc of 70-year-olds probably have brain dysfunction.” How to improve blood flow? The key is lifestyle. Exercise, he says, is crucial. “Sitting is the new smoking. If you’re not active, then you have some serious problems.” Next, clean up your diet, lose weight if your BMI is over 25, quit smoking, tackle stress and address your cholesterol or blood pressure issues with your doctor, if needed.