Dr. Majid Fotuhi

Your brain is an organ made up of cells.

They need oxygen, they need nutrients, they need vitamins, and they have operations.

Just like your heart has cells, and the individual cells need oxygen, they need energy, they need glucose, they need vitamins.

And so if you have a high stress life and the cortisol levels are high, adrenaline is high, your blood pressure is high, those cells cannot function.

Those cells in your heart, in your skin, in your brain cannot function optimally.

What I find interesting is that the same things that are good for your brain are also good for your heart.

And those same things with some minor variations are also good for your liver,

and for your kidney.

One of the things most people don't appreciate is that all your body organs are in a dynamic network of interconnections.

Like if you have liver disease, ammonia level goes up, affects your brain.

If you have kidney problems, nitrogen, urea levels go up, affects your brain.

If your heart is not functioning, forget it.

If you don't have enough blood, your brain can't work.

If your lungs are not functioning,

then not enough oxygen, your brain won't work.

Your muscles produce something called myokines, which are these hormones that are protective for the brain.

And so in order for us to have a healthy brain above our neck, we need to keep our body strong below our neck.

As you said, it's common sense.

But I think the problem is, I give a lot of lectures around the world.

I've been to 40 countries.