You are not stuck with the brain you have

你的大脑有无限潜能

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(阅读时间⼤约为3分钟。Approximate reading time 3 minutes)

你的智力和健康在很大程度上取决于你的基因吗？老年人⼀定会反应迟钝吗？如果你的上辈有老年痴呆，你几乎可以肯定也会有同样的命运吗？⻓久的不良⽣活习惯和饮⻝对⼤脑造成的伤害是⽆法逆转的吗？

Are your intelligence and health largely determined by your genes? Are you going to inevitably lose your mental sharpness when you get older? Are you almost certain to get dementia if it runs in your family? Is it really impossible to reverse the damages you did to your brain with years of bad lifestyle and diet choices?

所有这些问题的答案都⼀样：不！

The answer to all of the above questions is an astounding NO！

我们曾经以为，你天生的那个大脑就是陪伴你⼀辈子的大脑。医学院的课本告诉学生们：你⼤脑中的神经元是⼀定的，失去了之后就无法弥补。主流医学界认为⽼年痴呆无法治疗，也无误法预防，这只能看你的基因和运气。我们都认为智力的衰退是正常的衰老表现。

We used to believe the brains we were given upon birth are the brains we’ll have for the rest of our lives. Medical doctors were taught in school you have certain numbers of neurons in your brain and once you lose some, you can never get them back. Main stream medical belief was that Alzheimer’s cannot be treated or prevented. It’s up to your genes and your luck. We all thought that slowing down of the mental ability is just part of aging.

过去三⼗多年⾥现代科学对于我们⼤脑如何运作有了更深的了解。有些新的发现完全推翻了我们的旧观念。事实上，你的⼤脑存在着巨大潜⼒，你完全可以让你的⼤脑更加强有力，这个能力你⼀生都具有，直到你离世的那天。你完全可以依靠后天努力而升级你大脑的版本。

Modern science has helped us gain much deeper understanding of how our brain really works in the last 3 decades. What it has revealed to us are sometimes quite contrary to the old beliefs we held. In fact, you are not stuck with the brain you have, you can make it much better, you can make it better up to the day you leave. It is up to you to be the best version of yourself.

要理解大脑的巨大潜力，我们需要知道和最新神经科学相关的三个词：表观遗传学，神经发生和神经可塑性。

To understand the immense potential your brain has, we need to understand three concepts that are related to the latest neuroscience discovery: epigenetics, neurogenesis, and neuroplasticity.

表观遗传学

Epigenetics‍

表观遗传学的英⽂epigenetics起源于希腊语，其中“epi”的意思是“超越”。 Epigenetics⼀词表⾯的意思是“超越遗传”。我们看下美国国家基因组研究给予的定义：

The letters “epi” in the word “epigenetics”, which is of Greek origin, means “over and above”. First let’s see the definition given by the National Genome Research Institute:

“表观遗传学是⼀门新兴的科学领域。它研究基因在其DNA序列没有任何变化的情况下通过被激活或者失活而造成的遗传变化“

“Epigenetics is an emerging field of science that studies heritable changes caused by the activation and deactivation of genes without any change in the underlying DNA sequence of the organism.”

⽤我们外行人可以理解的解释，DNA之外的其它因素可以改变我们基因的表达，可以将基因关闭或者打开。下⾯这个类比也许更形象⼀些：你的基因可以让枪装上子弹，但扣不扣扳机则在于很多其它你可以掌控的因素。

In more layman’s terms, it means Epigenetics studies how factors other than our DNA can change our gene expressions, turning them on or off. Here is an analogy that may help us understand: your genes may load the gun, but many other factors that you are in your control determine whether the trigger will be pulled or not.

现在科学家们开始告诉我们，遗传基因并不像我们所想象的那样完全决定我们的命运，我们的⽣活⽅式和习惯对于我们是否可以有健康和充满活力的⼀生起着至关重要的作⽤。这当然也包括和脑部基因。

Now the scientists start to tell us that our inherited genes don’t determine our fate nearly as much as we thought, instead, our lifestyle choices play an essential role in whether we’ll live a healthy and vibrant life. That principle applies to the genes that are related to our brain health as well.

和阿尔茨海默病最想关的基因叫做APOE4。有这种基因会增⾼你患上这种病的⻛险。但是，不是每⼀个有⼀个甚⾄两个这种基因的⼈会患上阿尔茨海默，而很多患有这种病的人并没有这个基因。

The gene that is most directly linked to Alzheimer’s disease is APOE4. Having at least one APOE4 gene increases your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. However, not everyone who has one or even two APOE4 genes will get Alzheimer’s, and many people who got this disease do not have this gene at all.

事实上，那些影响你健康和⻓寿的基因有超过70%的都受表观遗传的控制。

In fact, more than 70% of genes that influence health and longevity are under epigenetic control.

神经发⽣

Neurogenesis‍

神经发⽣是指脑部形成新神经元的过程。很⻓时间以来⼈们⼀直认为这只是婴儿在子宫内生长的时候才会发⽣的事情。成人的大脑可以产⽣新的神经元这⼀理论主流科学界⼀直拒绝认可。所以医学院学生关于大脑的教育⼀直基于的假设是，⼀旦胚胎发育完全，新的神经元就不可能再生了。直到90年代，当我们有了更为精密的仪器之后，科学界才开始承认神经发生是确实存在的。

Neurogenesis is the process that new neurons are formed in the brain. It was long thought that formation of new neurons were only active when a baby grows in the womb. The concept of adult humans having the same ability was rejected by mainstream science for a long time. Students in medical school were educated on the assumption that humans cannot grow new neurons in the brain beyond embryonic development. It was not until 1990s when more advanced technologies were availabe did the science community finally accept neurogenesis as hard science.

神经元再生发生在脑部两个部位，其中⼀个是海马体，⼀对海马状的脑部组织结构，对我们的记忆⾄关重要。我们以前认为这部分的神经元⼀旦受损，就不能恢复。但现在我们知道海马体产⽣新神经元的能⼒我们⼀⽣都具有。

Neurogenesis happens in two areas of the brain, one of which is hippocampus. Hippocampus is the pair of seahorse-shaped structures in our brain, playing a critical role in our memory. We used to think we have a definitive numbers of neurons and once we lose some we can never get them back. Now we know human hippocampus retains its ability to generate neurons throughout one’s life.

神经可塑性

Neuroplasticity‍

神经可塑性是指我们的大脑通过建⽴新的神经连接而进行改变和重组的能力，有时候是因为受伤或者疾病，有时候是另外⼀些外部的刺激，⽐如学习⼀项新的技能。这个能⼒我们同样一生都拥有。

Neuorplasticity refers to brain’s ability to change and reorganize itself by making new neural connections, whether as a result of injury and sickness, or other types of external stimulation such as learning a new skill. This ability is available to all of us throughout our life times.

过去科学家们认为脑部不同的区域主导不同的功能。⼤脑的某⼀部分⼀旦被损，你就永远失去了那部分所主导的功能。神经可塑性将这种观念完全推翻了。你的⼤脑其实没有那么⼀成不变，它有着极强的可塑性。这就是为什么有些⼈在中风之后可以部分或者完全恢复说话⾛路这些曾经丧失的功能，即使主导这些功能的⼤脑区域并没有恢复。这些⼈的⼤脑学会了如何创造新的神经链接，找到了实现这些功能的新途径。

The old belief was that different areas of the brain are connected with different functions. Once that part of the brain is damaged, you forever lose your ability that is enabled by that part. Neuroplasticity overthrew that old belief. Turns out our brain has the potential to rewire and adapt. That is why some people will partially or completely regain their ability to talk and walk and other functions that were lost for some time right after the stroke, although those parts of the brain never recover. In those cases the brain learned to make new connections between neurons, finding alternative ways to achieve the same tasks.

当你学习⼀门新的语⾔，⼀个乐器或者⼀个新舞步的时候，你的大脑在做着同样的事情：创建新的神经元链接。如果你持之以恒地进⾏练习，那这些链接就会更加牢固，更加永久。

The same applies when you are learning a new language, a new musical instrument or a new dance move. The neurons are firing up to form new connections. When you do it often and consistently, the connections are reinforced and become more permanent.

这些我们⼈类掌握的新知识对于如何看待衰⽼和健康意义深远。我们总以为脑能力的下降是衰老的⼀部分。现在我们意识到，我们的大脑远没有我们所理解地那么僵硬。我们的⼀⽣⾥有很多机会和⼯具可以让我们提高⼤脑潜力，有的甚⾄会带来巨大改变。

This relatively new human knowledge has profound implications on how we view health and aging. So much decline, especially that of the brain, was considered just part of normal aging. Now we know our brain is not nearly as fixed and hard-wired as we thought. Throughout our life times, we have plenty of opportunities and tools to enhance our mental performance, in quite big ways.

即便不了解这些科学知识，我只凭经验就知道确实如此。女儿出生之后，很⻓的⼀段时间我每天只能睡两三个小时。我的身体和大脑因此而遭受的损害非常明显。我极其容易患病，想表达自己的时候，会经常感觉到⼤脑在费力地寻找词语拼凑在⼀起。多年之后的现在，无论是身体素质还是头脑的灵活，都是我这一生至今感觉最好的时候。看来我的身体和⼤脑找到了弥补我当年失去的神经元和链接的方法。

I know this to be all true without even understanding the science. After giving birth to my daughter, I was sustaining on 2 to 3 hours of sleep a day for a prolonged period of time. The damage to my overall health and brain was obvious. I got sick often and easily. Sometimes when I wanted to say something I could feel my brain working hard to put words together. Now, years later, I am the healthiest and sharpest I have ever been in my whole life. Somehow my body and brain have found ways to compensate for all those neurons and connections I lost.

我们以后会分享各种⽅法和技巧帮你提⾼脑能力，让你成为最优秀的你。今天给出几个大的原则：

We will delve deep into details on what you can do to improve your brain health and be the best version you can be. For now, here are some general principles:

• 健康饮食。大量减少糖和简单碳水化合物的摄⼊量（白面，白米，土豆）

• Have a healthy diet. Dramatically reduce your sugar and simple carbohydrates intake (white flour, white rice, white potato)

• 运动，运动，运动！

• Exercise, exercise, exercise!

• 创建⼀套解压方法

• Have a stress management system to reduce stress

• 经常给你的⼤脑做做操，学样新东⻄，或者时不时改变⼀下惯例

• Give your brain a work-out from time to time through new learning, routine changes ,etc.

• 尽量减少毒素的摄入量，包括空气，⻝物，个人护理品等。

• Try to avoid toxins as much as possible, including toxins from the air, food and personal care products

• 控制好血糖的稳定

• Maintain stable blood sugar