How to grow a new brain

Demystifying the Female Brain by neuroscientist Sarah McKay – which was published by Orion in May 2018

– pulls together research into changes in the brain through every cycle of a woman’s life, from conception through adolescence and menopause, until death in old age. Her chapter on ‘The ageing brain’ makes reassuring reading for women everywhere. According to McKay, the idea that we lose thousands of brain cells daily is mistaken. On the contrary, a plant-based diet plus physical exercise plus mental stimulation can both prevent the loss of neural material and foster the growth of new brain cells. Mental activity – including writing – builds up ‘cognitive reserves’, which can delay, prevent and even reverse dementia. The combination of thinking, fasting and exercise is especially beneficial. Citing research by David Raichlen and Gene Alexander at the University of Arizona in Trends in Neurosciences (2017), McKay concludes this is because ‘our brains evolved to function most optimally when we’re hungry and looking for food’. The perfect justification, if you needed one, for a country walk…