If you make good decisions about your physical and your emotional health, you literally can slow down or even reverse the brain’s aging process, according to award-winning psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Amen, author of “Use Your Brain to Change Your Age.”

Omega-3 fatty acids contribute greatly to brain health.

What does low brain volume mean?

Lower cerebral volume suggests less blood flow and potential vascular damage.

Your diet truly can help your cognition.

Try adding supplements to your diet and also including more fish like salmon and sardines to boost your stores of Omega-3.

People in the lowest one-quarter for omega-3 levels had significantly lower total cerebral brain volume than those in the highest one-quarter, even after adjusting for age, body mass index, smoking and other factors. They also performed significantly worse on tests of visual memory, executive function and abstract memory than those in the highest one-quarter. There was no significant association with white matter hyperintensity volume.

Some people may be born with brains which are hard wired to become addicted.

The new study shows it’s possible to identify people who have inherited a susceptibility to addiction. Further research will help researchers figure out how to help those who are susceptible and strengthen their self-control.

“We know that in people who are addicted to drugs like cocaine, that self-control is completely impaired,” she says. “These people use drugs and lose control on how much they use. They put everything at risk, even their lives.”

Being predisposed does not mean you are destined to be addicted.

Exercising self control can be perfected with practice.

Risk factors for stroke are strong predictors of future mental impairment.

Maintaining cognitive health is important for everyone as they age but for those who are already at risk for stroke the need is more urgent.

The volunteers were followed for an average of more than four years. After eliminating from consideration any who had had a stroke, the researchers found 1,907 who were cognitively impaired. After controlling for age, sex, race and education, researchers found that high blood pressure and left ventricular hypertrophy independently predicted cognitive impairment, and the more risk factors a person had, the greater the risk for mental problems.