Smoking 'rots' your Brain!

"Smoking "rots" the brain by damaging memory, learning and reasoning, according to researchers at King's College London."

But before we talk more about How smoking rots your brain, let's take a look of the definition of the brain and how nicotine affect your brain. 

Non Smoker Brain

The Brain

    The brain, the center for mood and conscious thoughts, makes thinking and feeling possible. It controls the voluntary movements and regulates digestion and breathing. So, the brain controls the conscious thoughts as well as the unconscious body processes.

Smoker Brain

Nicotine and the Brain    

 The brain is connected to the heart and the lungs through arteries. These arteries supply oxygen and other chemicals to the brain. So, when a person smokes cigarette, the chemicals inhaled are sent to the brain.

     The chemicals, particularly nicotine, reach the brain ten seconds after the smoke is inhaled and remains active for 20-40 minutes. After reaching, nicotine affects, changes and controls the specialized receptor cells (responsible for regulating the well-being, mood and memory) in the brain. This, in turn, changes the chemistry of the brain, which finally affects the smoker’s mood.

     Withdrawal of nicotine leads to mood changes, irritability, and anxiety. When the situation becomes severe, the smoker feels uncomfortable because of intense yearning for more nicotine.

     Eventually, with regular and long term use of nicotine, it becomes an addiction. The smokers then need nicotine to maintain their normal function.

Smoking effects on the Brain

    Smoking blocks the carotid artery. So, blood supply to the brain cells are cut off. This results in stroke, called cerebral thrombosis. Smokers’ risk of having a stroke is 1.5 times more than non-smokers. Smoking also leads to thickening and clotting of the blood. Smoking causes oxidative stress.

According to researchers at King's College London.

A study of 8,800 people over 50 showed high blood pressure and being overweight also seemed to affect the brain, but to a lesser extent.

Scientists involved said people needed to be aware that lifestyles could damage the mind as well as the body.

Researchers at King's were investigating links between the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke and the state of the brain.

Data about the health and lifestyle of a group of over-50s was collected and brain tests, such as making participants learn new words or name as many animals as they could in a minute, were also performed.

They were all tested again after four and then eight years.

Decline

These results underline the importance of looking after your cardiovascular health from mid-life”

Dr Simon Ridley Alzheimer's Research UK One of the researchers, Dr Alex Dregan, said: "Cognitive decline becomes more common with ageing and for an increasing number of people interferes with daily functioning and well-being.

"We have identified a number of risk factors which could be associated with accelerated cognitive decline, all of which, could be modifiable."

He added: "We need to make people aware of the need to do some lifestyle changes because of the risk of cognitive decline."

The researchers do not know how such a decline could affect people going about their daily life. They are also unsure whether the early drop in brain function could lead to conditions such as dementia.

So, if you think smoking helps to concentrate and makes a smoker alert. thats totally myth! In fact, the speed and accuracy of a smoker’s thinking ability becomes weak. Smoking also lowers down the smokers’ IQ!

Source: http://smoking.ygoy.com/effects-of-smoking-on-the-brain/
             http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20463363