Women's Brain Health Initiative

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Women's Brain Health Initiative

Raising funds for research and education to combat women's brain aging diseases. Because our grey matter, matters.
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Women’s Brain Health Initiative (WBHI) helps protect women’s brain health by focusing its resources on research to combat brain-aging disorders that disproportionately affect women, and by creating compelling preventative health education programs, grounded in science, so there is a greater understanding by the public of the best ways to prolong their cognitive vitality. Our Six Pillars of Brain Health are the most important lifestyle choices that protect your brain health as you age.

02/07/2026

Migraine affects women up to four times more often than men. For many, it begins around puberty and shifts with hormones, stress, sleep, and life stages.

✨ Good news: there are ways to ease symptoms.
Small, consistent habits can make a real difference: • Protect your sleep routine • Eat regularly and stay well hydrated • Notice personal triggers like stress, screens, or hormonal changes • Build in stress-relief you actually enjoy • Seek early diagnosis and evidence-based care

Migraine is not “just a headache.” It’s a neurological condition, and with the right knowledge and support, it is often manageable.

At Women’s Brain Health Initiative, we’re committed to advancing understanding of women-specific migraine biology and translating research into practical, prevention-focused guidance.

02/05/2026

Dementia doesn’t just affect memory.
 It can change emotions, personality, and behaviour, often in ways that are deeply distressing for families and caregivers.

Nearly everyone living with dementia will experience behavioural or psychological symptoms at some point. These changes are not intentional. They are a result of changes in the brain.

When behaviours become challenging, medication can feel like the fastest solution. But research shows antipsychotics are often not very effective for these symptoms and can carry serious risks.

There is another way.
The DICE Approach helps caregivers and health professionals better understand what’s happening, identify triggers, and try non-drug strategies first, with the goal of reducing distress for everyone involved.

Understanding the “why” behind behaviour can shift frustration into empathy and help caregivers feel less alone.

If you are caring for someone living with dementia, your experience matters. Support, education, and safer approaches matter too.

Want to read this full article or receive your free copy of Mind Matters?

Comment *care* below and we’ll send you the link.

02/03/2026

New Year’s resolutions are easy to make, and notoriously hard to keep.

The truth is, building healthy habits takes longer than we expect. But tracking them makes it far easier to stay consistent and turn good intentions into lasting change.

Small, enjoyable daily habits can make a meaningful difference to your brain health and overall well-being. That’s where BrainFit comes in.

BrainFit is a free, easy-to-use tool that helps you choose and track habits across all Six Pillars of Brain Health.

Together, these pillars form a powerful defence against cognitive decline and support lifelong brain health.

Comment *brain* and we’ll send you the download link.

01/31/2026

Protecting your brain can start with simple, everyday choices.
Adding fresh herbs to your meals is one small way to support long-term brain health, especially for women.

These popular herbs provide many health benefits,
In addition to freshening your breath, parsley aids digestion, helps relieve mental bloating, and is a therapeutic aid for the optic nerve, brain, and sympathetic nervous system.

Sage has antioxidant properties that help relieve menopausal symptoms, such as night sweats and hot flashes, and may also improve your memory, elevate your mood, and increase calmness and alertness.

Rosemary contains anti-inflammatory agents that protect your cells from free radical damage and can help boost your concentration, accuracy, and processing speed.

Thyme is an excellent source of iron and manganese and helps increase the levels of essential fats in your cells, including your brain cells.

Turmeric’s active compound (curcumin) is linked to anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, which matter because chronic inflammation is a risk factor for cognitive decline.
Adding a pinch of black pepper helps the body better absorb it.

Prevention starts on your plate!

01/29/2026

Magnesium supports hundreds of functions in the body, from muscle and heart health to blood sugar regulation, vitamin D metabolism, and the production of neurotransmitters. Modern soil depletion, processed foods, stress, alcohol, caffeine, and many common medications can lower magnesium levels, making deficiency more common than many realize.

Low magnesium can affect mood, sleep, migraines, and cognitive performance. Because the brain uses over 20% of the body’s energy, magnesium plays a key role in nerve transmission and regulating stress hormones that influence clarity and focus. It also helps the brain form and store memories by supporting neuroplasticity and filtering incoming information to prevent cognitive overload.

When levels are low, people may experience forgetfulness, word recall issues, or feeling mentally slower, especially under stress. These symptoms are often mistaken for aging or distraction but can reflect nutrient depletion. Early research suggests higher dietary magnesium intake may support healthier brain volume and cognitive aging, particularly for women, potentially due to its anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects.

Since deficiency can stem from diet, stress, gastrointestinal conditions, diabetes, medications, and agricultural practices, it can be difficult to identify and is sometimes called the invisible deficiency. Anyone concerned about cognition or memory may benefit from speaking with a healthcare professional and asking about magnesium levels.

01/27/2026

What really happens when women’s health research is ignored?

Too many women wait longer for answers, treatment, and support.

Momentum is building around women’s health in Canada, but research equity must be part of the conversation, especially when it comes to brain health.

When women are under-represented in studies, it affects how conditions are diagnosed, treated, and prevented across the lifespan.

That is why Women’s Brain Health Initiative is so focused on prevention, education, and advancing research that reflects women’s real lives and real risks, and on making sure that knowledge reaches the people who need it most.

You can hear more from Dr. Liisa Galea and other leading experts at the recent Women’s Brain Health Summit, where these critical gaps and solutions were front and centre.

Because women’s brains matter. And so does getting the science right.

🧠Comment *REPLAY* and we’ll send you the link for access to recorded sessions, event highlights, and key takeaways.

01/24/2026

Inflammaging is the chronic, low-grade inflammation that increases with age and is linked to cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s.

It may harm brain health by interfering with cell clean-up, allowing inflammatory molecules into the brain, increasing oxidative stress, and contributing to brain changes such as hippocampal shrinkage. It is also connected to conditions like diabetes and heart disease, which raise dementia risk.

Inflammation alone does not cause dementia. Everyone develops some inflammaging, but not everyone develops neurodegenerative disease, showing that multiple factors interact. Research on centenarians suggests healthy aging depends on balancing inflammation with strong anti-inflammatory processes, not eliminating inflammation entirely.

Lifestyle choices can help reduce the impact of inflammaging and closely align with WBHI’s Six Pillars of Brain Health:
* Exercise: Regular movement, both aerobic and strength, lowers inflammation and long periods of sitting increase it. 
* Nutrition: A Mediterranean-style diet and limiting ultra-processed foods reduce inflammation. 
* Stress management: Chronic stress increases inflammatory responses; relaxation and social activities help counter this. 
* Sleep: Poor sleep increases inflammation; good sleep supports immune balance. 
* Social connection: Loneliness is linked to higher inflammation and poorer health. 
* Supplements (with medical advice): Omega-3s, vitamins C and D, magnesium, probiotics, resveratrol, and curcumin may help. 
Hormonal changes affect inflammation across the lifespan. Women tend to have stronger immune protection before menopause, but increased inflammation afterward may contribute to poorer health in later life despite longer longevity. 
Bottom line: Inflammaging affects brain health, but lifestyle actions can meaningfully reduce its impact and support healthier aging.

01/22/2026

Recent studies suggest that osteoporosis may be linked to a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease, particularly among women.

Large, long-term population studies have found that people with low bone density are significantly more likely to develop dementia. In addition, machine-learning analyses indicate that osteoporosis predicts future Alzheimer’s in women, but not in men.

Researchers now believe this connection is biological rather than simply related to aging. Bone cells release hormones and proteins, including sclerostin, that may affect brain health and contribute to Alzheimer’s-related changes such as beta-amyloid buildup.

Because some osteoporosis treatments block sclerostin, scientists are exploring whether these medications might one day help reduce or delay Alzheimer’s risk. Taken together, the findings suggest that bone health could serve as an early warning sign of Alzheimer’s vulnerability, especially for women.

Want to learn more? Comment *MOM* and we’ll send you the link to read the full article.

01/20/2026

Microplastics are everywhere: food, water, air, packaging, clothing, and household products. They’re now being found inside the human body — including the brain.

Research links microplastics to inflammation, oxidative stress, immune disruption, and possibly cognitive decline.

🟣 Animal studies show:

▪️Mice given microplastic-contaminated water showed behaviour and memory changes within 3 weeks, including patterns linked to dementia.

▪️Microplastics accumulated in all organs, including the brain.

▪️Mice with the APOE4 Alzheimer’s risk gene showed sex-specific impacts:

* Males: apathy and cognitive aging

* Females: memory issues and loss of protective brain proteins

▪️Raises concern but isn’t proof in humans yet.
 
🟣 Human studies show:

▪️Microplastics detected in surgical brain tissue and autopsies.

▪️Average 7 grams found per human brain (~one plastic spoon).

▪️Brain samples from 2024 had 50% more microplastics than in 2016.

▪️People with dementia had up to 10x more microplastics in brain tissue — unclear if cause or effect.

🟣 Evidence-based ways to reduce exposure:

1️⃣ Stop drinking bottled water
* Bottled water can contain up to 240,000 particles per litre.

2️⃣ Don’t heat or store food in plastic
* Microwaving plastic releases millions of particles in minutes.

3️⃣ Choose fewer ultra-processed foods
* Processed items often carry more microplastics from manufacturing/packaging.

4️⃣ Improve air filtration
* HEPA filters help reduce airborne microplastics at home.

🟣 Other easy swaps:

▪️Glass or stainless steel containers
▪️Loose tea or paper tea bags (avoid “silken” plastic bags)
▪️Natural fibre clothing
▪️Avoid detergent pods

Microplastics are unavoidable, but reducing high-exposure sources can help. Research is ongoing, yet early evidence is strong enough for experts to recommend action now.

We can’t eliminate microplastics, but we can lower the load.

01/17/2026

Emma Heming Willis is not only caring for Bruce, but she’s also using her voice to lift millions of families navigating dementia.

At the recent Women’s Brain Health Summit, Emma shared her journey, her advocacy, and the power of speaking up for those who can’t.

Dementia does not just affect individuals. It affects entire families, including children who often have big questions and tender hearts.

Helping kids understand what is happening empowers them to stay connected, compassionate, and confident in supporting a loved one.

Emma shared this simple explanation to help families start an important conversation.

Comment *REPLAY* and we’ll send you the link to access recorded sessions, event highlights and key takeaways.

01/15/2026

Medical gaslighting occurs when healthcare providers downplay or dismiss symptoms, making women feel disbelieved and delaying diagnosis or treatment. It can sound like: “It’s stress,” “Your tests are fine,” “You’re overreacting.”

Women experience this more often because medicine was historically designed around male biology. Research, diagnostic criteria, and treatment guidelines were based on men, leading to blind spots that harm women’s care.

Women are twice as likely as men to have their symptoms dismissed as emotional by medical professionals instead of being treated.

Biology plays a role too. One-third of protein-coding genes exhibit sex-specific behaviour, influencing the development of diseases and the efficacy of medications. Women are also under-represented in clinical trials, even for conditions that disproportionately affect them.

How to Advocate for Yourself:
* Bring notes or record the appointment
* Ask for a second opinion without apology
* Take someone with you for support
* Request copies of your records
* Change providers if needed

The good news: Sex-specific research is advancing, awareness is growing, and more medical
professionals are being trained to recognize the differences. Advocacy and education are shifting care for the better.

If you have ever felt dismissed, unheard, or misunderstood in the healthcare system, please know this: you are not alone.

Sharing your experience can help another woman recognize her symptoms, trust her instincts, and feel less afraid to seek answers. Your story could be the reason someone else finally gets the care she needs.

Address

30 St. Clair Avenue W, Suite 900
Toronto, ON
M4V3A1

Website

http://wbhi.org/, http://twitter.com/womensbrains

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