Thanks to the brain, the entire human body functions. Therefore, you have to take care of your health. A healthy lifestyle that includes regular rest, exercise, balanced nutrition, and quality sleep can help you avoid many problems, including the death of nerve cells.

When it comes to caring for general and mental health, physical exercise plays an equally important role. But what habits should you avoid to protect your neurons? In this article, we’ll cover seven of them.

Habits That Lead To Nerve Cell Death

Taking care of your brain also involves taking care of your mental health, which has a positive effect on your overall physical health. Certain habits kill neurons and thus damage the nervous system. What are these habits? Let’s find out.

Taking Stress

This is one of the main causes of nerve cell death. Stress is a feeling of physical and emotional exhaustion. In other words, stress occurs when you are overwhelmed. This mechanism begins to kill neurons only if it is active for a long time (chronic stress).

The body begins to produce an excessive amount of cortisol (stress hormone), and it, in turn, blocks the biological processes necessary to deal with critical situations. When a person does not deal with stress for a longer period, the immune system weakens. Thus, indulge yourself in activities that can help you stay calm and relaxed.

Drinking Alcohol

According to research, there is a clear relationship between mental health problems and alcohol addiction. Research proves that excessive alcohol consumption can decrease neurons, causing cell death. However, one can prevent such a thing from happening by timely controlling himself/herself from consuming alcohol.

You can also consult help from rehab centers to get addiction treatment. As compared to other States, it is comparatively easier to get addiction treatment in Texas because it has more than 500 rehabs. Thus, do not waste further time; if you are living in Texas, visit a rehab today.

Sugar Abuse

Eating large amounts of sugar is also directly linked to nerve cell death (and other health problems). This is because excess sugar slows down the absorption of beneficial nutrients and undermines normal brain function. Always remember to consume sugar responsibly. Contrary to popular belief, sugar is harmful only in excessive amounts.

Lack Of Mental Stimulation

Monotony (cognitive, sensory, or physical) kills nerve cells. In this regard, thinking is the best way to stimulate the brain. We are now talking about mental exercise, study, writing, books, etc. These activities keep the brain working and prevent the development of serious diseases.

Dehydration

Refusing to drink plenty of water also kills your neurons. It is very important to quench your thirst in time. Otherwise, the body will suck water from other cells in the body, which will only increase the chance of death of some of them (including nerve cells).

Tobacco 

Smoking is not only harmful to health but also kills brain cells. Tobacco is highly addictive. In addition, it can cause irreversible damage to the brain by killing your neurons. The same goes for many other drugs, so get rid of them as soon as possible.

City Pollution

Living in poor conditions harms not only your lungs but also damages your nerve cells. The fact is that the brain is one of the most oxygen-dependent organs. When you breathe, a huge amount of harmful particles enter your lungs. They reach the brain through the bloodstream, even though the blood protects you from some of them. Therefore, it is so useful sometimes to get out of the big city and enjoy nature.

Lack Of Sleep

Lack of sleep is very damaging to your nerve cells. Studies show a relationship between insomnia, neuronal death, and a decrease in the volume of certain areas of the brain (for example, the hippocampus). In the future, this leads to memory impairments and difficulties with concentration.

In our daily life, we often experience stress, which can lead to insomnia. Some people sacrifice sleep for work or other daily responsibilities. But it is worth realizing that lack of sleep leads to serious consequences for the body that we do not even realize at first.

In the short term, lack of sleep can lead to the following consequences:

• Concentration problems
• Failure to function normally during the day
• Memory problems
• Impaired cognitive processes
• Relationship problems
• Poor quality of life

Overeating

The energy that comes into our body with food is necessary for the normal development and functioning of muscles, organs, tissues, and cells. The number of calories a person needs per day may differ depending on the person’s age, height, gender, weight, and physical activity during the day.

The unspent calories get stored by the body for the future in the form of fat. This can lead to obesity, high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, heart disease, and neuron cell damage. Thus, avoid overeating and eat only healthy yet filling foods.

Skipping Breakfast

This habit is directly related to many health problems. In particular, it leads to weight gain. It is possible that refusing to eat in the morning leads to the fact that our body experiences stress from fasting, and this, in turn, negatively affects the metabolic process and brain’s health. Not many realize, but this seemingly harmless habit can damage your brain cells. Thus, no matter what the situation is, never skip breakfast.

Summing Up

Those who want to have a healthy brain should give up the above-mentioned brain-damaging habits. If you continue to have such a lifestyle, it may lead to the death of nerve cells. Thus, do not take our advice lightly and take necessary actions from today. Keep a diary and note down the changes you make in your lifestyle every day. You will notice how your health will improve within a few weeks.