Brain Health & Posture
In a slight diversion from purely dietary recommendations, I am increasingly coming across literature about Brain health, Dementia risk and posture, so I thought I would write a post on this subject.
From a façade perspective, postural changes may be amongst the earliest signs of a degenerative Neurological condition such as Dementia (especially Lewy Body Dementia). For awareness, these postural changes may include loss of balance, reflex tongue hanging/protrusion, shuffling, stiffness, stooping, sway, and/or trembling.
Former formal studies on older adults in good cognisant health demonstrated that deficits in verbal episodic memory (memories connected to a particular time & place, often utilised in everyday tasks therefore facilitating independent living) are often associated with a less upright posture. However a more modern take on posture alignment and Neurological ill-health is an increasingly ‘new normal’ head posture adopted when using electronic devices. This typically manifests as a forward tilt from the base of the neck, i.e. spinal balance anteriorization or ‘tech neck’. Research suggests holding this posture for a prolonged timeframe may interfere with the Brain’s:
executive function
cognitive processing efficiency/speed
ability to memorise information
mood regulation
stress-related activity
... and may compress the jugular vein’s ability to clear waste fluid.
And then of course there’s sleep – our old friend when it comes to Brain health and Brain-waste clearance through our Glymphatic System. It transpires that the position in which we sleep may impact our cognitive function and risk of Neurodegenerative disease since research suggests that lying in the supine position (on our back) is less conducive to Glymphatic waste clearance more conducive to potential obstructive sleep apnoea (snoring); both potentially contributing to a decline in Brain health and accumulating risk factors for potentially developing cognitive decline. Instead, the studies report that side-sleeping is generally preferred and recommended as a risk-minimising factor for cognitive decline, if/when a person is physically able to action this position. (Of course this is not 100% deterministic, nor is it fully in our conscious control; if your sleep posture/position shifts overnight that is unavoidable, but drifting off to sleep in a side-lying position may be a useful starting strategy.)
An interesting angle taken in another (older) study focused on the correlation between supine posture and cognitive function via an ability to accurately perform cognitive tasks. The data suggests that adopting a supine position when completing a memory task is less effective than performing the tasks in a sitting or standing position. (Although the study emphasised that quality of sleep is an equally important and influential factor in cognitive function and task performance.)
In a slight subject matter digression (albeit a related digression), I want to briefly mention sitting as a standalone posture (ironic use of the standalone term … I don’t think sitalone is a word … yet?). Chronic and excessive sitting (where it is in the person’s ability and control to stand/move rather than sit) is being increasingly identified as a risk factor for Brain health and Brainspan. To introduce a different angle on this, a meta-analysis of cohort studies suggested that Dementia risk does not necessarily increase if sitting at a computer screen completing cognitively stimulating tasks, but rather that sitting ‘passively’ at a screen (television or mobile device) did correlate with an increased risk of developing cognitive decline. This points to the connection between Brain training and Neuroplasticity challenge & novelty as factors in risk-avoiding Dementia. Although I would advocate regular intervals of movement even when engaged in challenging/stimulating seated desk-or-screen-based activities, this is another angle on postural research and cognitive function and an interesting prompt not to Brain train or try to engage in learning when lying supine!
Although this Blog Post is a bit of a diversion from classic dietary analysis for Dementia risk-avoidance, as I have said and will continue to say; Dementia risk-avoidance must be multi-faceted, multi-therapeutic and risk-avoiding pro-Brain health pre-emptive strategies should be implemented many years prior to even thinking about developing cognitive decline symptoms – waiting until they manifest could be a missed opportunity. So as a reminder-in-a-nutshell, here are five simple postural-protecting Brain health Nutri’sms you could uphold & support your Brain health and Brainspan:
1. Not sitting statically over a prolonged period of time; arise and move every so often if you typically sit for long periods.
2. Ensure your back (particularly the lumbar region in your lower back) is supported in/on your sitting areas.
3. Where mobility permits, engage in Pilates, Qigong, or Tai Chi exercises.
4. Avoid normalising ‘tech neck’ and (passively) over-looking/scrolling on device screens.
5. Try to go to sleep on your side to maximise the efficiency of Glymphatic waste fluid clearance and minimise a risk of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea in adults.
NOTE: babies and children may be different – seek professional paediatric guidance on this matter.
REMEMBER: if you are taking any medications always consult a Registered Nutritional Therapist as well as your Doctor before making significant dietary or lifestyle changes. This blog post is written for educational purposes only and in reference to ‘food’. It is NOT advocating taking dietary supplements. It is very important to please always consult a Registered Nutritional Therapist and your Doctor before introducing any dietary supplements into your health regime as these qualified professionals will be able to offer personalised recommendations.
If Brain, cognitive and/or memory are issues which you are struggling with and you want to discover the inspiring & sustainable diet & lifestyle programmes offered by Nutritional Therapy, get in touch via the Contact Me page on this website, or directly on info@eatdrinkthinknutrition.co.uk for more information about 1:2:1 Consultations with Kate at Eat Drink Think Nutrition®
In the meantime, don’t forget Eat, Drink, Think Nutrition and spare a thought (no pun intended) for your Brain health. Losing your Brain power can be even more devastating to you, and those around you, than losing an aspect of your physical health, so why wouldn’t you start to look after your Brain ASAP since diet and lifestyle modifications actioned NOW could save a lot of distress and heartbreak later in life.
REMEMBER: if you are taking any medications always consult a Registered Nutritional Therapist as well as your Doctor before making significant dietary or lifestyle changes. This blog post is written for educational purposes only and in reference to ‘food’. It is NOT advocating taking dietary supplements. It is very important to please always consult a Registered Nutritional Therapist or your Doctor before introducing any dietary supplements into your health regime as these qualified professionals will be able to offer personalised recommendations.
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REFERENCES
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https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691821001037
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