Water is good for the brain

Researchers have found that failing to drink enough water can make grey matter shrink, making it harder to think - so, dehydration not only affects the size of the brain but also how it works, the “Daily Mail” reported.

According to them, just 90 minutes of steady sweating can shrink the brain as much as a year of ageing. Starved of water, the grey matter is also forced to work harder to process the same information. Over days and weeks, lack of fluid could impact  performance at work and school, and on exam results.

For their study, the researchers scanned the brains of teenagers after an hour and a half of cycling. Some exercised in three layers of sweat-inducing clothing - a binliner worn next to the skin, a hooded chemical warfare suit and a track suit. Others were more lightly clad in shorts and t-shirts.

Those who were wrapped up lost around two pounds in sweat - and their brain tissue had shrunk away from their skulls, the study found. Researcher Matthew Kempton said: “We saw a general shrinking of the brain tissue. Fluid filled cavities in the middle of the brain expanded and there was a corresponding shrinking of the brain tissue. The people who lost the most weight had the most shrinkage of the brain.”The amount of shrinkage of the brain is equated to 14 months of wear and tear, or the withering away associated with two and a half months of Alzheimer’s disease.