9 unexpected things we learned about mental health and our brains in 2024
"Brain rot" is the Oxford word of the year for 2024, and it's pretty much what it sounds like: a perceived mental decline from consuming too much online media. If just reading that definition has you worried about your gray matter, never fear! Researchers are finding promising — and surprising — ways to boost our brain health and de-stress our minds. Here are nine stories on the topic that engaged our readers this year.
1. Writing by hand beats typing for learning and memory
Yes, typing is usually much faster than writing by hand. But increasingly studies are finding deep brain benefits when we write out letters and words by hand. For kids, it can improve letter recognition and learning; and when adults take notes by hand it can lead to better conceptual understanding of material.
Brain imaging studies suggest it has to do with the fine-tuned coordination required between motor and visual systems, which deeply engages the brain. Some artists even say writing by hand stokes their creativity. So if you're feeling stuck — try jotting down your idea with pen and paper.
2. Your gut microbes can affect your mood
Can what you eat make you more resilient to stress? Maybe! A recent analysis found that the guts of people who handled stress better shared two patterns: Their microbiomes had more anti-inflammatory microbes and they had a strong "gut barrier," which keeps toxins and pathogens out of the bloodstream.
Scientists already know that our gut and brain talk to each other. (In fact the gut produces about 90% of serotonin and about 50% of dopamine.) So will eating fermented foods like kimchi or yogurt or taking probiotic supplements help you stay chill?
It's not that simple, scientists say, because the gut microbiome is a complex ecosystem. Still, researchers are working on identifying biomarkers in gut bacteria that someday could help tailor decisions on how to use existing therapies — or develop new treatments. Learn more about microbes and mental health.
3. Working late in young adulthood may lead to depression and poor health in middle age
Your body already knows this: When you sacrifice sleep for work, it can take a toll on your mental health. Now research is finding that specifically working nights and rotating shift schedules can leave people susceptible to depression and poor health.
Work is supposed to bring in income to support us, says researcher Wen-Jui Han, but many people are working themselves sick, and becoming "more and more miserable over time."
About 16% of American workers worked outside daytime hours in 2019; Black men and women with limited education disproportionately carry the burden of these shifts. Han says she hopes the study prompts more conversations about how to better support people to live happy and healthy lives. Here's more on the link between shift work and depression.
4. About 40% of dementia cases could be prevented or delayed by improving daily habits
When it comes to a healthy lifestyles, little changes can go a long way. Research is increasingly finding we may be able to reduce our risk for dementia. Tweaks to our sleep, diet, social lives and exercise habits all add up. Even people who have genetic risk factors can benefit.
Now scientists have created an online tool — the Brain Care Score — to help people gauge and track risks to their brain health. (You can check your score here.)
One recent study found that each 5-point increase in a brain care score was associated with a 27% lower composite risk of dementia, stroke and depression.
"What was surprising to us was just how powerful it was," says Dr. Kevin Sheth, director of Yale University's Center for Brain and Mind Health and a co-author of the study. Sheth says the findings have led him to tweak some of his own habits — he's swapped sugary desserts for fruit at some meals, and added more leafy greens to his diet. Get started boosting your brain health.
5. Talking to your "parts" can help you deal with stress, and maybe change your life
Ever felt paralyzed by stress? Worn down by that inner voice critiquing your choices? A therapeutic approach called Internal Family Systems, or IFS, is growing in popularity. It's based on the idea that each of us has multiple parts or perspectives inside us — for example, people may have an inner critic, a worrier, a protector. The method involves learning to embrace all your parts, treat them with compassion and figure out what they may be telling you.
Some patients have called it "life-changing." While some therapists say the evidence isn't there yet, some small studies show IFS can benefit people with specific issues including PTSD, stress and depression. And more research is underway.
An increasing number of therapists are trained in IFS, but you can try getting to know your "internal family" on your own. Start here.
6. Weight training can help with anxiety and depression (among other things)
Strength training is good for your bones, your joints, your heart — and now it turns out, it benefits your mood, too. An analysis of more than 30 clinical trials found people who did strength training at least two to three times a week had a reduction of symptoms of depression. And other research found it can reduce anxiety, too.
And a little goes a long way. While it's increasingly common to see female weightlifters on social media, women don't have to become bodybuilders to see the benefits. A recent study finds women need to do less exercise than men to change their baseline of both aerobic and muscular strength. If lifting weights at the gym isn't your thing, try exercises using resistance bands or using your own body weight, such as squats or push-ups.
Find out more about the many benefits of resistance training.
7. Ultra-processed foods are linked to poor mental health, too
Americans consume more than half their daily calories from ultra-processed foods — think fast food, sugary drinks, packaged snacks. Researchers say there's consistent evidence that eating more of these foods is correlated with sickness, including mental health struggles.
In fact an extensive new analysis found roughly a 20-to-50% increased risk of depressive symptoms in people who eat diets high in ultra-processed foods.
It's not yet clear how much is too much. Researchers say it may vary based on people's lifestyles. The FDA is considering a label that would flag foods that contain high amounts of sodium, sugar and saturated fat. But in the meantime, if a food contains many ingredients you wouldn't find in your own kitchen, that's a telltale sign it's ultra-processed.
Here's the skinny on the effects of ultra-processed foods on our brains and bodies.
8. Scientists are learning how the brain removes waste and what that means for Alzheimer's, headaches, depression and more
Experts have identified another miracle of sleep. To stay healthy, our brains need to wash away the debris created by the billions of cells that keep them running. New research is finding that during deep sleep, slow electrical waves serve to synchronize our neurons, effectively turning them into tiny pumps that push fluid from deep in the brain to its surface. From there the waste is transported to the liver and kidneys to be removed from the body.
Problems with brain waste removal might be a factor in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, headache and even depression. So finding ways to help an impaired brain clean itself could help develop treatments for a wide array of disorders.
9. A high-fat, low-carb diet could help some people with mental illness
A few years ago, some patients started experimenting with the ketogenic diet, which is high fat and very low carb, to manage mental health symptoms. Researchers took note and now, around a dozen clinical trials are in the works, testing the diet's effect on mental illness, including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and depression.
There are a few working theories as to why it might help. For one, the diet brings blood sugar and insulin sensitivity under control, both of which are linked with mental health problems. It also may provide a workaround for dysfunction in mitochondria, the powerhouses of our cells, which could lead to a healthier brain.
Early results from studies are promising. The only downside? Some clinicians worry the diet — which involves giving up common comfort foods like bread and sweets — may be too hard for some patients to follow.
Learn more about the wave of research into keto diets for mental health.
