10 human brain facts: Your health is in your head

Human brain is the most exciting organ of our body. There are lots of interesting facts about this incredible organ that governs our lives. An average brain uses about 20% energy of the body and comprises about 2% of the total body weight. The human brain is still an enigma as new surprising human brain facts are being discovered by the increasing number of researches.

Following are 10 surprising human brain facts:

1. It contains billions of neurons

According to recent estimates, an average adult human brain contains approximately 100 billion neurons. Neurons carry information from our brain and communicate with our muscles, sensory organs, as well as each other. It happens also through the spinal column, which helps connect the brain with the specific organs. That is why when you have a displacement of discs in the spine, the organs connected to it through this specific part of the back bone will suffer. Read more about it in our thorough article

Stress and spine

2. Over 100,000 chemical reactions take place every second in your brain

As mentioned above, there are billions of neurons in your brain that send information by chemical and electrical signaling. Because of these neurons, your brain sends and receives trillions of information every day, so over 100,000 chemical reactions per second are necessary to handle this amount of information.

3. Your brain has the capacity to store the entire internet content

According to research, an average adult human brain can store about 4.7 bits of information. So it has the capacity of a petabyte, which would be more than sufficient to store the entire internet content.

amazing facts about human brain

4. It stays active when you are asleep

Your brain keeps operating even when you are asleep. In fact, it is more active as compared to when you are awake. During a sleep, neural connections are established more quickly so you need more sugar and oxygen.

5. The brain doesn’t feel any pain

Although you need your brain to detect the pain of your body, your brain itself doesn’t have any pain receptors. Because of this, many brain surgeries are performed even when the patient is awake.

6. Memories and ideas change your brain

Synapses – the connections between neurons, carry information via nerve impulses from one neuron to another. Each new synapse changes your brain by creating new connections in areas such as hippocampus and cerebral cortex that are associated with the learning of new information.

7. You only need one hemisphere to live

You don’t need both hemispheres (left and right) of your brain to live. One hemisphere is sufficient for a human to live without any memory or personality changes.

8. A physical injury can “turn off” the brain

A physical impact can damage the walls of the brain which results in the destabilization of the normal neurotransmitter flow. This destabilization triggers a sudden demand for chemical energy that the brain cannot provide. As a result, the brain runs out of energy, triggering unconsciousness.

9. The brain shrinks

Human brain shrinks throughout the course of the day and ends up being relatively smaller in the afternoon. It returns to full size the next morning.

10. The brain stays active for a few minutes after death

According to research, the brain stays active for 5 to 7 minutes after the death of an individual. It dies after that period because it doesn’t get oxygen.

The best brain foods

the best foods for brain

Knowing how important and delicate your brain is, how to feed it correctly to help it stay healthy and alert? Acording to the research and study, the brain feel optimal and can repair itself, if we give it foods like berries, walnuts, leafy greens (spinach, collards, kale, broccoli), tea or coffee, fatty fish. Why are the berries so important?

The researchers at Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital conducted a study which shows that you can delay your memory decline by even two-and-a-half year if you eat two or more servings of berries a week. It is fascinating.  The walnuts, what is fascinating that they look like a human brain 🙂 Let’s add them to your healthy diet starting today.

Walnuts, the tasty nuts you can add to so many dishes and cakes, are rich in omega-3-fatty acids (ALA: alpha-linolenic acid). Including it in your diet you can help yourself have cleaner arteries and lower blood pressure. (study at UCLA)

Do you… love your brain?

Reference list

Know your brain

Diet for a healthy brain