John Cox

Blogs · @wyome

Tagged brain · everything

Fast Company

3 Simple Habits That Can Protect Your Brain From Cognitive Decline

This piece, written by neuroscientist Dr. Tara Swart, argues that while brain aging is partly inevitable, lifestyle choices can meaningfully slow cognitive decline by promoting neurogenesis, the birth of new neurons in the hippocampus. It offers a three-part plan built on aerobic exercise (ideally outdoors and socially engaging), intermittent fasting or calorie restriction after consulting a doctor, and consistent, high-quality sleep that supports the brain's glymphatic clearance of age-related toxins.

Permalink nutritionhealthagingbrain

Scientific American

How our sense of beauty takes shape in the brain | Scientific American

A neuroscience study using MRI scans and machine-learning algorithms found that the brain processes aesthetic experience through two separate neural systems: one identifies what an image depicts (landscape versus figure), while another evaluates its emotional reward value through the same pleasure circuits activated by food or money. The research suggests that art expertise resharpens how these systems interact, particularly in brain regions associated with meaning-making and self-reflection, implying that arts education and art therapy operate by physically rewiring how perception and emotion connect rather than merely providing exposure to beauty.

Permalink artsciencebrain

www.nytimes.com

Alcohol’s Effects on the Body: What Does Drinking Do to Your Health?

From the moment someone sips [[alcohol]], it alters neurotransmitters and suppresses activity in the [[brain]], producing relaxation, disinhibition and impaired motor skills, and over time can reduce brain volume. Alcohol and its metabolic byproduct [[acetaldehyde]] act directly on tissues they contact — the [[mouth]], [[throat]] and [[esophagus]] — increasing inflammation, DNA damage and cancer risk. Drinking also affects the [[heart]] and blood vessels, raising blood pressure and contributing to arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation, and it can modestly raise the risk of breast cancer in women. In the gut and the [[liver]] alcohol causes inflammation, fat accumulation, fibrosis and, with sustained heavy use, cirrhosis and liver failure; some early damage can reverse if consumption stops. Individual risk depends on amount consumed, genetics, preexisting conditions and overall health.

Permalink healthbrainwellresearch

www.gq.com

Lisa Feldman Barrett Says Your Brain Doesn't Work the Way You Think It Does

Lisa Feldman Barrett explains that the brain functions primarily as a prediction machine that constructs your reality rather than passively receiving it, drawing on past experiences to anticipate what will happen next—a process so rapid it enables feats like hitting a baseball but also shapes everything from how you perceive wetness to how you experience emotions. She argues that emotions aren't reactions to external events but are actively constructed by your brain based on learned concepts, and that understanding this gives you greater control over your future experiences and actions, since today's experiences become tomorrow's predictions. This framework has profound implications for how we understand responsibility, stress management, and the power of emotional granularity—having precise concepts for different feelings allows your brain to construct them more specifically and guide your actions more effectively.

Permalink psychologytagsbrain

www.brainready.com

The Top 5 Brain Health Foods | BrainReady | BrainReady.com

This piece identifies five foods claimed to support brain health—wild salmon, cacao beans, matcha green tea powder, acai berries and blueberries, and coffee—based on peer-reviewed research, consumer reports, safety profiles, and availability. The author emphasizes that the benefits come from consuming these foods in their minimally processed, high-quality forms (wild rather than farmed salmon, pure cocoa powder rather than processed chocolate, stone-ground matcha rather than tea bags, fresh berries, and freshly ground espresso rather than sweetened coffee drinks). The article cautions that no single food is a cure-all and that these foods work best as part of a consistent, overall healthy diet combined with exercise and other wellness practices.

Permalink foodnutritionhealthbrain