Dr. Randy D'Amico, director of the Brain and Spine Tumor Metastasis Program in the Neurosurgery Department at Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital, warned about several daily habits that directly affect long-term cognitive health. He told the Post that genes do not tell the whole story, because everyday lifestyle plays the most prominent role in protecting or undermining mental abilities. In this context D'Amico identified seven daily habits that quietly damage the brain and outlined ways to address them.
Sitting and inactivity
Lack of physical activity negatively affects the blood vessels that feed the brain. The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week to maintain blood flow and brain cell health.
Ignoring sleep
Inadequate or irregular sleep patterns disrupt attention, memory, mood, and metabolic health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that adults sleep at least 7 hours per night, because the brain consolidates information and memories and performs neural repairs during sleep.
Ultra-processed foods
A diet high in refined and ultra-processed foods and low in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, healthy fats, and proteins is associated with worsening brain vascular health, because these foods affect blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose. D'Amico's golden rule for nutrition is: “What is good for your arteries and heart is good for your brain.”
Ignoring health indicators
Conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes damage the blood vessels responsible for delivering oxygen and nutrients to the brain. Experts warn against ignoring them simply because of a lack of immediate symptoms, since these conditions develop silently over years and leave serious cognitive consequences.
Scatterbrained state
Constant consumption of attention with social media notifications and passive news scrolling causes distraction and harms memory and concentration. D'Amico recommends “bringing boredom back into life” and training the brain for order and focus; for example, reading a book away from screens.
Real-life connection
Social isolation is a risk factor that can be a precursor to cognitive decline and dementia. D'Amico emphasizes that watching thousands of people on a screen is no substitute for face-to-face social interaction with others; an interaction that engages the brain and activates language, memory, and emotional processing.
Emotion regulation
Relying on nicotine to focus or alcohol to relax harms neurological and vascular health and creates a dangerous behavioral and psychological dependence for coping with stress and fatigue. Physicians recommend finding healthy alternative mechanisms to regulate these mental states without external substances.
These seven habits may seem simple and harmless at first glance, but their cumulative effect over the years can lead to reduced cognitive abilities, weakened memory, and increased risk of dementia. According to D'Amico, awareness of these behaviors and gradually correcting them is the most effective way to protect the brain from silent and gradual damage.