Brain tumors kill more children and adults under 40 than any other type of cancer in the UK.
More than 12,000 Britons receive the devastating news that they have this cancer each year, with only one in 10 expected to survive into the next decade.
But experts say just a few lifestyle changes can help reduce your chances of getting the disease.
Watching what you eat, how you sleep, and managing stress are just some of the things that brain cancer specialists themselves follow in an effort to keep their gray matter in top shape.
Here, Dr Sarah Mead, consultant clinical neuro-oncologist at The Harborne Hospital in Birmingham, part of HCA Healthcare, tells MailOnline what healthy habits she prioritizes to keep her brain healthy.
Getting out in the fresh air and exercising
Providing a walk with the family or a refreshing swim is always a top priority for Dr. Mead.
She believes that doing enjoyable activities that also keep you fit and healthy is vital to your brain health.
“Every day I make it a goal to do something I enjoy for my own physical and mental health,” she told this website.
“This could be going for a swim, which is my favorite hobby for fitness and well-being, a walk with my family, dog or friend, or even something as simple as stepping out of the clinical area for 20 minutes to have a coffee with a colleague.
“Participating in activities that bring joy helps reduce stress and promotes a positive outlook on life.” In turn, this helps to maintain good physical and mental health.”
Being active and a healthy weight can give your immune system a boost, she says.
Keeping your immune system in top shape can help it work better, it’s function of spotting and dealing with cells that could turn into cancer, according to Cancer Research UK (CRUK).
The charity also stresses that activity reduces inflammation, which, if left unchecked, can cause our cells to divide more often, increasing the risk of cancer.
“While there is no specific risk of brain cancer from being inactive, it is applicable to reducing the risk of all cancers in general,” emphasizes Dr. Mead.
Enjoying a balanced and healthy diet
Eating lots of healthy foods not only keeps your body fit and healthy, but also your mind.
“Healthy eating is a cornerstone of maintaining good health,” said Dr. Mead.
“I believe in moderation and making good food choices most of the time to maintain a healthy balance,” she added.
“A balanced diet helps provide us with the nutrients we need for optimal body and brain function and supports overall well-being.
“This habit guarantees me the energy and concentration needed in everyday life.”
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Oily fish is an important source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for brain health.
Also, eating more fruits and vegetables and less fatty and sugary foods will help you maintain a healthy weight overall.
However, although a healthy and balanced diet can help reduce the risk of cancer, Dr Mead said it is unlikely that there is a single food that will definitely reduce the risk.
“There is no solid evidence base that you have to eat anything in particular to avoid brain cancer, it’s all about eating right and maintaining a normal weight for overall health,” Dr Mead said.
Being overweight or obese increases the risk of 13 types of cancer, including meningioma (a type of brain tumour), according to CRUK.
One of the reasons for this is that too much weight causes the level of growth hormones in the body to rise, which then causes cells to divide more often.
Each of these additional divisions represents another potential opportunity for cancer cells to appear, increasing the risk of getting the disease.
Another factor increasing the risk is that immune cells are attracted to areas of the body where there are many fat cells.
This can then cause a spike in inflammation in these areas, which, as highlighted earlier, causes cells to divide faster, increasing the risk of cancer.
Closing eyes every night
A quality dose of shut-eye can do wonders for our brain health.
“We all function better with healthy sleep patterns,” Dr. Mead said.
“Although everyone’s sleep needs are slightly different when it comes to sleep duration, good quality sleep is critical to a healthy mind and maintaining cognitive function.
“I prioritize getting enough sleep every night to make sure I’m well rested and able to perform at my best both professionally and personally.”
A healthy adult should get around 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night, but age and health can change how much sleep we need, according to the NHS.
Long stretches of poor sleep can have a negative impact on anyone’s mental well-being and also affect the choices they make.
In the short term, it can also make us feel depressed, be more irritable with others, eat more and have difficulty concentrating.
But in the long term, not getting enough sleep is also linked to more “wear and tear” on our cells.
This type of cell destruction is thought to increase the risk of cancerous tumors.
A 2019 study found that people who worked night shifts had 30% more DNA damage than those who worked normal hours.
In this study, researchers from the University of Hong Kong observed about 50 doctors from two local hospitals, half of whom worked at night and got only two to four hours of sleep. The rest got seven or more.
Another study suggests that fragmented sleep may trigger types of inflammation that promote tumor growth and progression. But this 2014 study from the University of Chicago was done on mice, not humans.
But a 2021 study of people over the age of 50 found that there was a higher risk of cancer in those who rated their sleep quality as “average” or “poor.”
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However, Dr Mead said more research is needed to confirm whether a lack of quality sleep can directly increase cancer risk.
But she added that getting enough quality sleep can’t hurt, and that those who don’t get enough shut-eye may have other lifestyle factors, such as a poor diet, that can increase their risk of cancer.
She said: “People with poor sleep hygiene can often be overweight, have a poor diet, have a poor work schedule, so often it all goes hand in hand.
“This can lead to poor judgment, impaired decision-making. After a bad night’s sleep, you may rely on things you wouldn’t normally like, poor diet choices.
Maintaining the balance of stress
Staying organized and maintaining a good work-life balance is key to maintaining a healthy mind, according to Dr. Mead.
“Daily planning and prioritization are essential to maintaining a healthy work-life balance,” she said.
“I plan ahead every day to manage my duties effectively. This habit helps me stay organized, reduce stress, and maintain a balance that supports my overall well-being.”
“Everyone will have different daily habits and routines that work for them, but these are the habits that I find help improve my mental well-being.”
There is also some evidence that increasing your mental well-being and reducing stress can also reduce your risk of cancer.
A 2022 paper suggests there may be a link between the body’s exposure to cortisol, the stress hormone, and cancer.
And another study from February this year suggests that stress causes cancers to grow and spread.
Although stress is not directly linked to the disease, long periods of stress have been linked to high blood pressure and depression, according to the NHS.
It can also be more difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle, such as giving up smoking and drinking, during stressful situations. These habits can lead to an increased risk of cancer, CRUK warns.
However, the charity says there is not enough evidence to show that “those who are more stressed are more likely to get cancer”.
Although there is no direct link, Dr. Mead claims that managing your stress levels will generally help you have a better “quality of life.”
“It’s all about giving ourselves the best chance. Many of us cannot control whether or not we will get brain cancer in our lifetime,” she said.
“For the vast majority of people there is nothing they have done wrong in their life to cause it, brain cancer is very often very random and sporadic. But it is to give yourself the best chance for longevity and quality of life.
