Could Pandemic Stress CHANGE Your Brain?
By
Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Posted April 3, 2022
Dear Living Well Daily Reader,
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a lot of drastic changes.
It forced us to isolate ourselves for long periods of time… it caused many businesses to go under… and it stole millions of lives.
COVID-19 has also changed our bodies as well, in ways no one expected.
And that includes a new discovery about brain health.
According to a new study, COVID-19 stress could cause this strange change to happen to your brain.
But don’t worry—you can fight back against it.
A new study found that stress about the pandemic could cause cognitive dysfunction.
In a study of 1,517 Americans, scientists were able to ask people how worried they were about the pandemic and then test them to see how their brains performed.
And the results tell us a lot about the destructive nature of stress and what it can mean for long-term brain health.
The researchers found that people who were MORE worried about the pandemic had worsened brain functions, including a slower mental processing speed and even impaired decision making!
But the most harmful problem with lowered brain function was that it affected the more anxious folks’ ability to think, plan, and evaluate risks of all kinds.
I think we can all understand this study at a gut level: when we’re stressed, we have difficulty making good choices.
That means you have to do everything you can to lessen the impact of stress in your life.
How can you do that?
I’m glad you asked…
Dr. Scott’s Plan for Dealing with Stress
- Exercise. Almost every exercise you can do helps drop stress hormones. You may not feel like it when you have a lot on your plate, but getting out and simply walking will help you feel better throughout the whole day.
- Reduce stress however you can. This may sound like obvious advice, but I’ve found that most people KNOW what to do to help themselves… they just don’t do it. Only you know the best way to help reduce your stress. This may be talking to friends, meditating, confiding in your pastor, or seeing a psychologist. Whatever it is, just make sure you do it!
- Feed your brain. If you find you feel stressed often, your brain may be starving for certain nutrients. Make sure you’re getting fish oil (EPA/DHA) every day. I also like curcumin and bacopa because they both support brain health and reduce inflammation throughout the body.
P.S. Want more brain health tips? Click here to find out how you can BOOST your brain health in 1 easy step.
SOURCE:
TOI Staff. “Fear and worry over COVID can lead to impaired cognitive function, study finds.” 1/3/2022. https://www.timesofisrael.com/fear-and-worry-over-covid-can-lead-to-impaired-cognitive-function-study-finds/
Written By Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Nearly 25 years ago, failed mainstream medical treatments left Dr. Olson in constant pain – and his health in ruins. And that’s when he did something REVOLUTIONARY. He began his career in medicine – and dedicated his life to uncovering the true, underlying causes of disease.
Through his innovative medical practices in Tennessee and Colorado, Dr. Olson has helped cure countless seniors from across America of arthritis… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer. All without risky prescription drugs or painful surgeries.
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