We use it every day - even when we’re asleep it’s working.

We take it for granted and assume it’s always going to work well.

When it doesn’t work well, we look for quick fixes to force it to do what we desire – coffee for focus and concentration in the day and alcohol to wind down at the end of a long day.

It’s our most sensitive and sophisticated – and greedy – organ and yet we pay little attention (if any) to what it needs to stay healthy.

Ponder these astonishing facts and then take time to appreciate and focus on looking after your wonderful brain to keep it healthy across your lifetime:

The human brain comprises 2% of our body weight - that is approximately 1.3 - 1.4kg (3 pounds) - whereas a sperm whale has an 18-pound brain (8 kg), a dog’s brain weighs approximately 1.13kg (2.5 pounds), a cat has a 0.03kg brain (1.1-ounce), and a goldfish a 0.009kg (0.32 ounce brain). However, the weight of the brain is not necessarily correlated with intellect.
The human brain contains approximately 86 billion neurons - compared to 500 million that the octopus has, with 2/3 of them located in its many arms.
A cubic millimeter of cerebral cortex contains roughly 50,000 neurons. Each of these neurons can establish approximately 6,000 synapses with neighboring neurons.
Each neuron can make up to 15,000 connections/synapses with other neurons.
Of the 6 liters (13 pints) of blood circulating in the body, 1 liter (2 pints) moves through our brain per minute.
At least a third of our approximately 20,000 genes are active (expressed) primarily in the brain, which is the highest proportion of genes expressed in any body part.
25% of the oxygen we breathe is in service to the brain - so, every 4th breath, if you’d like to think of this in terms of a ratio.
A 1/5th of the hearts output serves the brain, which is 25 times more blood than what serves the equivalent weight of resting tissue.
We will lose consciousness in approximately 8 - 10 seconds if our brain’s blood supply is cut off.
The total length of capillaries in the brain is 400 miles (644 km), which are made up of a dense network of interconnecting vessels. Compare this to the length of the Grand Canyon, which is 277 miles (446 km).
Each unit of brain tissue needs 18 times the amount of metabolic energy compared to what’s required by a similar sized piece of muscle tissue.
Each neuron is supported by approximately three glial cells, which don’t carry nerve impulses, but have important roles to play in keeping the brain healthy.
Information can travel between neurons as slowly as 1 meter (3.3 feet) per second or as fast as 120 meters (390 feet) per second, which is 430 km (268 miles) per hour, although the type of neuron, and our age, does impact speed of processing.
The brain uses approximately 20% of the glucose the body produces from the carbohydrates we eat for its energy requirements, but when the owner of the brain is stressed, the brain demands more energy.
Every experience we encounter from birth to death shapes our brain via a process called neuroplasticity, so everyone’s brain is as unique as their fingerprint.
The human brain doesn’t fully mature until the age of 23/24 in females and 26/27 in males, although the brain will continue to grow new connections in response to what we encounter if we stay engaged with the world into old age.
The hippocampus and the amygdala are the only two parts of the brain that can grow new neurons, called neurogenesis, although connections/synapses between neurons can grow between any neurons regardless of where the neurons are situated.
About 78% of our brain is composed of water.
About 60% of the dry weight of the brain is made up of fat, and of that fat, between 20 and 25% is a type of fat that the body can’t make, and which we must consume in our diet. These fats are called ‘essential’ fatty acids due to the fact we can’t make them. Note: 95% of people are deficient in this type of fat – click here to read more.
About 25% of the cholesterol found in the human body resides in the brain, where it ensures myelin (insulation around axons) works optimally. Cholesterol is therefore critical for brain function and medications that reduce it need to be monitored in relation to your overall lipid profile.
The energy output of the human brain is equal to the power of a 100 W light bulb.
While we sleep at night our neurons shrink to allow cerebrospinal fluid to wash through the spaces between them so the metabolic waste that accumulates during a day of thinking can be washed away.

Thinking occurs across this vast network of coordinated, sophisticated and specialized cells, chemicals, membranes, and molecules ALL of which rely on our lifestyle choices to function optimally.

Sleep, movement, and nutrition all impact how well this awe-inspiring organ functions.

References

Hitze B, Hubold C, van Dyken R, Schlichting K, Lehnert H, Entringer S, Peters A. How the selfish brain organizes its supply and demand. Front Neuroenergetics. 2010 Jun 9;2:7.

Laughlin SB, Sejnowski TJ. Communication in neuronal networks. Science. 2003 Sep 26;301(5641):1870-4.

McCabe, D. (2016) Feed Your Brain. 7 Steps to a Lighter, Brighter You! Sydney, Australia: Exisle, pp. 286.

Schurr, A. (2002). Neuronal Energy Requirements. In: Walz, W. (eds) The Neuronal Environment. Contemporary Neuroscience. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ.

https://www.medicaldaily.com/human-brain-numbers-neurons-spinal-fluid-391974 Cited 9 December 2022.

https://www.rc.fas.harvard.edu/case-studies/connections-in-the-brain/ Cited 9 December 2022.

https://med.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Anatomy_and_Physiology/Book%3A_Anatomy_and_Physiology_(Boundless)/18%3A_Cardiovascular_System%3A_Blood_Vessels/18.7%3A_Blood_Flow_Through_the_Body/18.7D%3A_Blood_Flow_in_the_Brain Cited 9 December 2022.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27789785/ Cited 9 December 2022.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK28209/ Cited 9 December 2022.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-does-the-brain-need-s/ Cited 10 December 2022.

https://www.nature.com/scitable/blog/brain-metrics/are_there_really_as_many/ Cited 10 December 2022.

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnana.2017.00118/full Cited 10 December 2022.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2816633/ Cited 10 December 2022.