The Surprising Thing That's Putting Your Brain Health At Risk, According To New Research 

But a study published in the latest issue of Neurology1—showing that there was less gray matter in the brains of young adults with elevated blood pressure—suggests that we need to rethink our relationship with blood pressure. As it turns out, it's something we should care about at every age.

Compromised blood delivery has effects on many organs. Importantly, and as demonstrated in this recent study, it may be correlated with a decrease in the gray matter of the brain. The gray matter contains the cell bodies of the brain cells, and the gray matter regions are important for cognition, emotional health, personality, sensation, and movement. This loss of gray matter may be associated with risk for stroke, headaches, dementia, and other neurodegenerative disease.

This study demonstrates how crucial it is to set yourself up for long-term health, starting now. So how do you mind your blood pressure? As part of my healthy brain program, these are some of the recommendations I offer patients:

If you want to protect your brain in the long-term, you have to get moving. Regular movement of blood through your body with exercise keeps organs—including the brain—pumped with oxygen and nutrients.

Polyphenols, flavonoids, and carotenoids, oh my! Fruits and veggies are filled with all these fabulous compounds for heart, vessel, and brain support.

You can do this at your doctors office and most pharmacies. If it's mildly elevated, check it weekly and keep track of the results while you try some of these blood-pressure-reducing strategies.

Regular meditation has been consistently shown to reduce blood pressure. If you're not. sure where to start, check out mbg's Essential Guide to Meditation class with Charlie Knoles.

Learn the 4-7-8 method of deep breathing as well as the alternate-nostril breathing technique. These techniques are powerful to reduce anxiety and stress.

Alcohol consumption and smoking tobacco are very inflammatory to vessel walls and can directly contribute to increased blood pressure as well as impaired cerebral blood flow.

Try to go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning. Get morning light and respect your circadian rhythms. If you have sleep apnea, please get treated by your doctor because it's an independent risk factor for hypertension and stroke.

At first this might seem like a very random group of foods, but research has shown that these foods contain compounds that are powerfully anti-hypertensive.

Being overweight may increase your risk of metabolic syndromes, hypertension, vascular disease, and coronary artery disease, so it's important to try to maintain a healthy weight at all ages.

Healthy blood flow requires good hydration practices, so make sure you're drinking plenty of water throughout the day.

This important mineral stabilizes the endothelium, or the lining of the blood vessel walls and contributes to a healthy vascular system. Try taking magnesium glycinate and indulge in an Epsom salt bath or two.

Yes, you read that correctly, I'm telling you to drink coffee! Studies have shown caffeine to help clear vessels of plaques and debris, an important contributing factor to elevated blood pressure.

Your blood pressure is important no matter what your age, and if you make these changes now, they could change the course of your health for the rest of your life. These changes will help to reduce risk for not only hypertension, stroke, and cognitive decline but can help improve the health of all organs and your overall wellness for years to come. Here's to a healthy brain!