There are several factors that can kill brain cells, including:

• Physical damage to the brain: Damage to the brain caused by shaking or hitting the head, or because of a stroke, can kill neurons immediately or slowly, starving them of the oxygen and nutrients they need to survive.

• Diseases of the brain: Some diseases of the brain, such as Alzheimers disease, can cause the unnatural deaths of neurons. In Alzheimers disease, unusual proteins build up in and around neurons in the neocortex and hippocampus, the parts of the brain that control memory. When these neurons die, people lose their abilities to remember and do everyday tasks.

• Drugs and alcohol: Many illegal drugs, such as cocaine, amphetamines, and ecstasy, can cause the loss of large amounts of brain cells. Alcohol is also a neurotoxin that can disrupt communications of the brain and affect the functions of brain cells, leading to intellectual impairment, headaches, memory loss, slowed thinking, slurred speech, and trouble with balance and coordination.

• Chronic stress: Chronic stress can kill brain cells and shrink the prefrontal cortex, the area responsible for memory and learning.

• Certain foods: Certain foods, such as sugary drinks, refined carbohydrates, foods high in trans fats, highly processed foods, and fish high in mercury, can kill brain cells.

Its important to note that while some factors can cause the loss of brain cells, the brain has the ability to generate new cells and reorganize itself throughout life, a process known as neuroplasticity.