How do food, alcohol, exercise, intellectual activity affect the brain? Numerous studies make it possible not only to answer this question, but also to understand how to activate the activity of the brain of an ordinary person.
15:19 15.02.2013
Scientists still have not solved all the mysteries of the human brain. Unfortunately, diseases like Alzheimer's disease remain one of these mysteries. Still, researchers can help those who want to keep their thinking organ in shape. This is quite within your power - the doctors' advice is very simple. The main thing is to remember that the result will be tangible if you do yourself regularly.
Test yourself!
This simple test will help you understand if your brain needs help to take action in time.
1. Do you forget names, dates, phone numbers, keys?
2. Do you often doubt that you closed the door, turned off the iron?
3. Do you remember the events of long ago better than what happened yesterday?
4. Can't concentrate, concentrate?
5. Do you have increased workload, stress at work?
6. Are you worried about frequent headaches, dizziness, tinnitus?
7. Are there rises in blood pressure?
8. Have you had any history of atherosclerosis with memory impairments in your family?
If you answered “NO” to all the questions, you have nothing to worry about - your brain is functioning perfectly!
If you answered “YES” to questions 1 through 5: you need to help your brain. Correct diet and 2-3 weeks of healthy lifestyle will bring results.
If you answered YES to 6-8, your brain urgently needs help. Don't put off decisive action. Follow your diet, more active movement in the fresh air. To prevent problems, go to a consultation with a neurologist.
We clean the blood vessels
There are many reasons for contamination of the body: air containing harmful substances, food and water, tobacco, alcohol, medicines. To restore brain function, it is necessary to cleanse the blood vessels and blood.
The passage of blood through the capillaries and their walls is possible only with good permeability of cell membranes and blood flow. There are four main dangers in store for us. The first is the contamination of cells and cell membranes. The second is the blockage of blood vessels and capillaries with atherolecrotic plaques (80% of people over 30 have them!). The third is the compression of blood vessels, arteries and veins by fatty deposits, which leads to a decrease in their diameter and, as a result, to impaired cerebral circulation. The fourth is a slowdown in the rate of blood flow, including due to insufficient fluid intake.
Please note: during the day, you should drink at least 2.5 liters of liquid: it can be water, juices, tea, compote.
Drinking a glass of apple, cabbage, or carrot juice is helpful before lunch.
During lunch and dinner, try to be sure to eat onions, a clove of garlic, carrots, cabbage salad with horseradish and parsley, or a portion of buckwheat porridge. These products play the role of a kind of "broom".
Onions, garlic and preparations from them are very useful. They destroy atherosclerotic plaques that impede the movement of blood through the vessels of the brain.
And here is a great anti-sclerotic recipe: in the morning on an empty stomach, drink a glass of water with soda and lemon juice to dissolve cholesterol deposits. The next day - a glass of herbal decoction of linden blossom, clover leaves, oregano, St. John's wort, strawberries, currants, taken in equal parts, with a spoonful of jam from viburnum and mountain ash.
We cleanse the blood
- Pour a tablespoon of horseradish gruel with a glass of sour cream. Take 1 tbsp. spoon 3 times a day before meals.
- Mix a glass of onion juice with a glass of honey. Take 1 tbsp. spoon 3 times a day one hour before meals for at least a month.
- 50 g of dry elecampane root pour 0.5 liters of vodka, leave for 2 weeks, strain, take 1 teaspoon 3 times a day before meals for at least three months.
- Pour lemon balm leaves with boiling water, insist in a thermos, drink 40-50 g 3 times a day.
- To cleanse blood and blood vessels, try a special collection. It includes: mulberry - 5 parts, chicory, field horsetail, hawthorn flowers - 4 parts each, walnut leaves, sundew, stinging nettle - 3 parts each, motherwort and flax seeds - 2 parts each, immortelle - 5 parts. One tablespoon of the collection is poured with 200 ml of water and boiled for several minutes. Take 1/3 cup 3 times a day 30 minutes before meals. The course is designed for 30 days.
The brain needs oxygen!
Exercise that oxygenates your blood and brain cells is essential! Let's learn some simple tricks!
Research by scientists has confirmed that training for holding your breath creates the most favorable conditions for the absorption of oxygen in the blood and adequate nutrition for the brain. Practice holding the breath as you exhale, trying to gradually increase the time. Each acquired second prolongs life: the alveoli in the lungs open more fully, the blood is saturated with oxygen and, enriched, enters the brain. It is advisable to do this exercise daily.
The second important technique is rhythmic breathing. It is performed for an average of 10 minutes: inhalation for 8 beats of the pulse, holding the breath for 8 beats, exhalation is also stretched for 8 beats, followed by a new delay of 8 beats of the pulse.
These two exercises are enough to improve cerebral circulation if practiced regularly for several months. It is very useful to do this outdoors, for example, in the country or on a walk in the park.
After finishing breathing exercises, calmly breathe in the aromas of plants that stimulate and normalize the work of the heart and brain. Peppers, cloves, bay leaves, dill, coriander, fresh parsley or basil are suitable for this.
Healing aroma
Breathe more often the air filled with the aroma of rose, wild rose, bird cherry, lily of the valley, linden, oregano, mint and hops. Whenever possible, drop a drop of rose oil or tea tree oil near your nose and keep going. Make it a rule to put a bouquet of flowers on your desktop. In the spring - bird cherry, lily of the valley or flowering linden, in the summer - roses. And in winter, the bouquet can replace a few drops of rose oil dissolved in a cup of water.
5 most common misconceptions
The human brain - one of the greatest creations of evolution, still remains a great mystery to scientists. Scientists who study the brain claim that it is less knowable than space. And unsurprisingly, there are many misconceptions about how the brain works.
1. The opinion that the larger the brain, the smarter the person, still exists among the people. This is not true. By the way, the largest brain weight is in the mentally ill. By the way, the studies of the German scientist T. Bischof, who studied 120 years ago the mass of gray matter in two thousand representatives of various social strata, showed that the heaviest brains were not scientists or nobles, but ... workers!
2. It is also not true that the developed peoples have heavier brains. For example, the English have an average brain weight of 1,346 grams, the Buryats have 1,481 g, and the Kenyans have 1,296 g, more than the French have 1,280 g.
3. The popular opinion that a person's mind depends on the number of convolutions of the brain and their depth does not correspond to reality. As in the case of the weight of the brain, it turned out that the most convolutions are in idiots.
4. Neurophysiologists have completely refuted the previously prevailing opinion that the human brain is a hopeless lazy person and only 10% of nerve cells are simultaneously working in it. Although individual neurons take a day off from time to time, in general, almost all of them work diligently, even when we are sleeping.
5. And one more delusion related to the work of our brain. It is generally accepted that brains differ only in mass, but are similar to each other, like enlarged or reduced photocopies of the same device. This is also a mistake - the brain of each of us is unique not only in content, but also in form.
Physical activity - yes!
Have you noticed that after active movements you think better? Blood begins to circulate actively in the body, which significantly improves brain function. At rest, the blood vessels of the brain are filled with blood only by 10-20%.
Avicenna also noted that the brain is best supplied with blood, and the vessels of the brain are best trained when performing bends. They not only increase blood flow and improve the elasticity of blood vessels, but also contribute to the formation of new neural connections necessary for productive mental activity.
At first, do the exercises carefully - our blood vessels are so weak that even simple inclinations can cause dizziness and flashing "flies" in front of your eyes. Very soon you will get used to it, and nothing will bother you. By the way, doctors noticed that those who do headstands usually do not have strokes and other diseases associated with cerebrovascular accident and cerebrovascular spasms.
Head tilts and rotations. Stretching your neck, throw your head back, then sharply lower it forward, trying to touch your chin to your chest. Tilt your head to your left and right shoulder alternately, trying to touch them with your ear. Perform full head rotations, first clockwise, then counterclockwise, gradually increasing their number from 1-2 to 10 times.
Asynchronous rotations. It is better to do this exercise while standing, but it can also be done while sitting, since only the hands are included in the work: the right hand is rotated towards oneself, and the left hand is turned away from oneself. Such asynchronous movements train both hemispheres of the brain, one of which is “responsible” for logical thinking, and the other for imaginative thinking.
Nutrition for the brain
Of the 20 known amino acids that are the building blocks of proteins, 8 are considered essential. This means that the body cannot synthesize them, but receives them from the outside, with food. Therefore, for the normal functioning of the whole organism, and the brain in particular, these amino acids must be supplied in sufficient quantities.
The essential amino acid phenylalanine is required for the synthesis of the hormones adrenaline and norepinephrine, which are responsible for the speed of reaction. The main suppliers of phenylalanine are animal products: meat, fish, poultry, milk, sour cream, cottage cheese and eggs. In the course of research, scientists found that people who ate only lean food for a month had a reduced reaction rate. There is very little phenylalanine in vegetables, so vegetarians need to take special measures to replenish it.
The essential amino acid tryptophan is essential for optimal brain function and mental health, especially in old age. Some scientists believe that tryptophan prevents aging - a sufficient amount of it in food allows you to stop the aging process of cells. A lot of tryptophan is found in chicken and turkey meat, fish, cottage cheese, nuts, dates, figs, dried apricots, bananas, and grapes.
Lysine is an essential amino acid for the brain. This essential amino acid in the body should be enough if a person wants to think quickly and clearly before old age. Thinking can be enhanced by consuming lysine-rich foods such as bitter chocolate, cocoa, corn, legumes, nuts, seeds, wheat germ, and oats. Oatmeal broth is especially useful. There is a lot of this substance in animal products: meat, chicken, turkey.
The irreplaceable amino acid leucine helps to enhance mental performance and strengthen memory. You need to eat more low-fat cottage cheese, sprouted rye seeds, as well as drink milk (preferably goat), eat yogurt and kefir. There is a lot of leucine in lean meats and liver.
For proper cholesterol metabolism, the body requires the amino acid methionine. Sources of methionine include egg yolks, fish, legumes, buckwheat, cabbage, carrots, green peas, oranges, watermelons, and melons.
It is not for nothing that the people have a saying: "Keep your feet warm, your head in the cold." Training the cerebral vessels with cold (washing with cold water, dousing) is also an excellent gymnastics for the cerebral vessels.
The head should work!
To keep the brain from aging, it is necessary to give it work. With intense mental activity, oxygen-enriched blood actively enters the brain cells.
For those who constantly use their intellectual potential, some deterioration in brain function occurs only in old age. Everyone knows that to strengthen muscles, they need to be loaded and trained. The same thing happens with the brain: its normal functioning is possible only with daily intellectual exertion. The brain of a person who reads, thinks, reflects a lot is in a steadily trained state.
But as soon as you stop loading your brain, the cells responsible for thinking functions begin to die off as unnecessary. The French philosopher B. Pascal did not forget any of his magnificent aphorisms, and he has more than two thousand of them. Being fluent in many languages, he claimed that he never forgot a word once learned. Seneca could repeat two thousand words, having heard them only once, in the same order in which they were pronounced.
Guinea, the ambassador of King Pyrrhus in Rome, remembered the names of those gathered so well during the day that he could greet the senators and the people, calling each by name. There is nothing incredible in this. Anyone can develop these abilities by exercising regularly. You need to start with the easiest exercises, for example, solving crosswords. This perfectly trains memory, increases erudition, makes you strain the gyrus, increasing their mobility.
Try to develop figurative memory. In the evening, in a relaxed atmosphere, close your eyes and remember in every detail what gave you a special pleasure during the day, for example, a delicious dish. You need to feel its aroma, taste, remember how the table was set, mentally examine the plates, forks, napkins, their color, shape ... Gradually, you will fix those phenomena or objects that you didn’t pay attention to before. For example, a dew drop playing in the sun, a rose petal in full bloom, a rainbow after a rain. It is desirable to record the most vivid impressions.
5 of your principles
Why do these simple tips work? Serious medical research is behind them!
1. Eat Brain-Healthy Foods
We are what we eat, at least for the brain this is true. A diet of unhealthy foods high in trans fats can have a negative effect on the functioning of your brain synapses. Synapses create connections between neurons and are extremely important in learning and remembering. On the other hand, a balanced diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids (sea fish (salmon, mackerel, salmon), walnuts, and kiwi) can improve performance.
2. Go in for sports
Doctors say that by training the body, we make the brain work better. Physical activity is stress for the body. As a result, more energy is used to work the muscles, forcing the brain to use less energy. At the same time, special substances are released that make neurons stronger and healthier. Enough half an hour of training in the gym every two days.
3. Puzzles
It is not only the muscles of the body that have to work, the brain also has to strain sometimes. For this, puzzles, crosswords, jigsaw puzzles, memory games or intellectual games like "brain-ring" are quite suitable. Even close observation of political debate activates systems that control attention and learning that are deeply embedded in the brain.
4. Focuses of memory
Memorizing and retrieving memories as you age can also be a matter of practice. For example, self-confidence can actually affect memory performance, especially in older people. With the onset of old age, the temptation arises more and more to write off everything as age, without even trying to really remember something. You can also improve your memory if you prepare in advance. If you have a rough idea of what you may need to remember after a while, the probability of successfully recalling everything is higher.
5. Get some rest
Sleep gives the brain time to process memories and transfer them from short-term memory to long-term memory. One study suggests that these processes are much faster during sleep than during wakefulness. Sleeping 90 minutes at lunchtime can help build long-term memory, including the skills you're trying to learn.
Original post by Irceis Thanks a lot!What is the percentage of the human brain working?
Today, no one will give an exact answer to this question. Although this question has been of interest to many for a long time. We can only say that each person uses a different percentage of their brain.
The options and assumptions are becoming more and more every year, the maximum assumption: the human brain works at 18%, and the minimum - 3%.
It is said that in an ordinary person, the total number of activated clusters in the brain is approximately 2-4% of its total mass. The only thing that is reliably known is that no one 100% uses the abilities of the brain. The human brain consists of two hemispheres, one of which is dominant, i.e. leading, and the other is not. Thus, the hemisphere that is not dominant is simply underdeveloped, because we hardly ever use it. Until mankind learned to use the full potential of the brain.Human brain volume and mental capacity are not directly related. If desired, mental faculties can be developed by giving the brain work.
An exercise to activate the brain and intellectual faculties that has been known in India for centuries. This simple technique, popularized in the world by Master Choa Kok Sui, quickly increases intellectual potential, sharpens memory and concentration.
Two minutes of exercise will change your life!
Yoga Exercise to Boost Your Brain
More "advanced" yogis are recommended the ancient yoga exercise, which allows to increase the flow of blood to the brain and enhance the development of centers responsible for supernormal abilities: o).
In addition, this ancient exercise, taken from Kriya Yoga, is the highest secret of the eternal youth of yogis. The fact is that inverted yoga poses activate the pineal gland, which is responsible for all the hormonal activity of the body. This is precisely what enhances the secretion of the youth hormone melatonin, which in people who do not engage in such practices ceases to be secreted by the age of 24 ...Technique of execution:
There are two main variations of this exercise. It can be done at the wall and without it.
Place a blanket or rug against the wall.
Lie on the mat in such a way that your feet could be put on the wall, lie so with your legs raised until you feel a slight rush of blood to your head.
Then lift your body up so that you have a 45-degree angle from the floor.
Place your hands under your lower back, with your palms facing away from your body with your fingers.
Do it for the first time within 30 seconds, the next day within one minute. So you can increase the time spent in this position by 30 seconds daily.
To time the time, you can use an electronic alarm clock in your mobile phone.After 30 days, you can easily be in this mudra for 15 minutes. And this, in turn, will significantly increase the activity of the brain.
Your memory, logical thinking, intuition will improve. Creativity will increase, new talents will be discovered.
Your face skin will rejuvenate every day, you no longer need expensive creams and plastic surgeries. Indeed, one can endlessly continue to describe the merits of this exercise ...Attention!
At the end of this asana, it is not recommended to stand up abruptly in order to avoid pressure drop and adverse consequences. You need to lower your feet to the floor, relax and lie on your side for a few minutes. Only after that you can sit down, and only then - gradually get up.
Contraindications:
Brain activation
It is common knowledge that the left hemisphere of the brain is responsible for logic and rational thinking. The right hemisphere is responsible for imaginative thinking and intuition.
How to develop lateral thinking by activating parts of the brain that were not used before? Exercising your brain does not take much time from you, it is enough to spend only 15 minutes during the day.
There is an easy way to take a different look at the capabilities of your brain. Take 4 white sheets of paper. On the first, write something in your usual hand from left to right. On the second - also with the usual hand, but in the opposite direction.
On sheets 3 and 4, do the same with the other hand.The first sheet is the pattern you should aim for. Repeat your attempts day by day and you will see that you start to think differently.
This simple exercise works the areas of the brain that are not active in daily life.
As a result, such training will allow you to make non-standard decisions and find an easy way out of even the most difficult situations, which will be required many times at work and at home.Activating and balancing both hemispheres of the brain
A psychoactive audio program is the use of sound to awaken the limitless developmental potential of the human brain.
It is believed that each person has his own capacity for processing the amount of information by the right hemisphere of the brain. The main part of human society is dominated by the left hemisphere, which is very energy-intensive and consumes large amounts of vital energy.
The right hemisphere provides and regulates the energy-informational processes of the whole organism, because by its nature it is associated with the visceral (internal) systems.
Using the sound method of activating the right hemisphere, it is possible to increase the energy carrying capacity of the brain several times.
It is preferable to listen before going to bed and through headphones!
Some numbers about the brain
The volume of the human brain is 91-95% of the capacity of the skull.
The thickness of the cerebral cortex is 1-2.5 mm.
The brain of men weighs 100-150 grams more than the brain of women.
The transmission rate of a signal from one neuron to another is 200 times per second.
Each neuron can store 1 kilobyte of information, and there are 100 billion neurons in the brain.
So what percentage of the brain is used by humans? To satisfy his natural needs: thirst, hunger, for reproduction, a person uses 3-4 percent. Communication skills will require another 5 percent, training another five. If you like to solve puzzles, logic puzzles, write and learn poetry, read books, solve in your head, and not on a calculator and make your brain work, then you have passed the 14% mark.
25.12.2009
BRAIN ACTIVATORS
You do not need any opinion polls and statistical data to assert that the majority of the adult population of large cities (and not only large ones) are engaged in mental labor. Add to this a whole army of schoolchildren and students who are supposed to do this by themselves. In other words, both at work and in the course of study, the main burden falls on the brain. Are we able to help him cope with it? The interview with the candidate of medical sciences Sergey Aleshin began with this question.
- Sergei Valentinovich, it is known that the strength of the mind determines success in studies, work and in life in general. It is no coincidence that, making up only 2% of the total body weight, the brain consumes 25% of all energy! Does this mean that he needs food that is appropriate?
- The brain is extremely sensitive to dietary habits. The brain needs activators and vitamins, or more precisely, special biologically active substances. Before talking about them, a small digression. Simplistically, the mental activity of the brain can be divided into two areas:
1. Intelligence - memory, attention, thinking, etc.
2. Emotions - feelings, will, courage, mood, level of anxiety, etc.
The course of both intellectual and emotional processes depends on special chemicals in the brain - neurotransmitters. Nerve cells (neurons) exchange signals with each other. Along the processes of neurons, like wires, these signals are transmitted in the form of electrical excitation. The junctions between nerve cells are overcome with the help of those very neurotransmitters. So the health of the brain and its performance depends on the balance of various neuromeditals. When it is disturbed, there are disturbances in the intellect and emotions. To get rid of the deficiency of neurotransmitters in the structures of the brain, you can use the products from which they are formed.
- What are these products? Apparently, we are talking about the usual bread, milk or meat?
- You're right. When it comes to the mental powers of the brain and the power of the intellect, then we primarily mean lecithin and arginine. The importance of the first of them is determined by its role in the construction of membranes of nerve cells and the production of acetylcholine - the most important neurotransmitter, through which signals are transmitted between nerve cells. It is worth emphasizing that lecithin is not one substance, but a mixture, which includes: choline, inositol, phospholipids, phosphatidylinositol, polyunsaturated fatty acids, etc. For example, students of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology took 3 g of choline per day. They showed a significant improvement in the results of the test on memorization and reproduction of the vocabulary list.
Arginine is better known for its sexual properties. The joy of sex is really greater, since this product is a source of nitric oxide or nitric oxide (NO). It, in turn, dilates blood vessels, which promotes blood circulation in the male and female genital organs. But nitric oxide is also an important neurotransmitter for the course of intellectual processes in the structures of the brain. It is especially important for long-term memory, the foundation of intelligence. This was proved in 1991 by four independent groups of researchers: T. O'Dell and O. Orancio from Columbia University, E. Schuman and D. Madison from Stanford University, P. Chapman and employees of the University of Minnesota, G. Boehme with colleagues from France.
- But why do problems still arise: exhaustion, lethargy, fatigue and lethargy of the brain? Visible reasons on the surface: great mental and emotional stress during work and study. And what is the very mechanism of the processes occurring in the body?
- There are two amino acids that can have a profound effect on the state of the brain "lethargy-vigor". These are tyrosine and phenylalanine. It is from tyrosine (or L-tyrosine) that the well-known adrenaline and norepinephrine are formed. These are neurotransmitters that, in particular, have a tonic effect on the brain. It is with a lack of adrenaline and norepinephrine that sensations of mental fatigue, lethargy, lethargy, etc. arise. In particular, during stress, norepinephrine is used faster than it is formed in the body. In the end, a person experiences complete exhaustion, not only physically, but also intellectually and emotionally. Phenylalanine (in the form of DL-phenylalanine) causes a feeling of cheerfulness, a surge of strength, and emotional uplift. At the same time, unlike drugs, it is not addictive. If coffee depletes the supply of norepinephrine and after 5-10 cups a day leaves a person in a state of emptiness and irritation, then the amino acid phenylalanine helps to be at the peak of opportunities and successfully cope with stress, danger and excitement. At the same time, emotional uplift is important not only in itself, but also because emotions are the engine of intelligence.
- Is it also possible to influence directly opposite states - sadness and melancholy, which sometimes seize so much that it seems that there is no way out - the efficiency is close to zero. Why is this happening?
- It's just that there is no serotonin in the structures of the brain. More precisely, we are talking about 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) - an amino acid that comes from tryptophan, a precursor to serotonin. Serotonin is the very neurotransmitter of happiness, satisfaction and tranquility. This is why serotonin-promoting 5-hydroxytryptophan is the best natural remedy for depression and anxiety. In terms of strength, it is not inferior to synthetic antidepressants. Moreover, melatonin is also formed from 5-HTP. This hormone regulates the sleep-wake cycle, ensures natural falling asleep and is the best natural sleeping pill.
In a word, there is an opportunity to help the brain, to activate it (you can learn more about the products containing the above substances on the website of Sergei Aleshin www.ortho.ru). You just need to use it wisely.
"PROducts for the brain"
Arginine rich in nuts, gelatinous desserts, chocolate, brown rice, oatmeal, raisins, sunflower and sesame seeds, wholemeal bread and all foods rich in protein.
Lecithin found in many foods, such as soybeans, cereals, brewer's yeast, fish, egg yolk, etc. Lecithin is present in human milk, which ensures the normal development of the nervous system of babies, but it is not in cow's milk.
Tryptophan is found in brown rice, meat, cottage cheese, milk, fish, turkey, bananas, dates, cheese, peanuts, and soy products.
Phenylalanine enters the body with foods such as soy and bakery products, cottage cheese, almonds, peanuts, pumpkin and sesame seeds.
Name: Brain Activators
Views count: 1255
Instructions
Train your memory whenever you can. For example, lotto, chess, checkers, cards not only optimize memory, but also develop ingenuity and ingenuity. Solving puzzles, math problems and solving crosswords are no less useful for training memory. Learning foreign languages is one of the difficult but effective ways to "wake up" your brain. It influences, develops associative thinking well, improves communication skills. However, memorization training can be started small - for example, memorize phone numbers, but not only those that you need in everyday life, but also those that you rarely call. If you tend to think imaginatively, you can try to learn a long fable or poem. The more you “load” into your cranial “computer”, the higher its performance and output will be.
Several years ago, the French psychologist Francis Rocher did, which got the "Mozart effect". Listening to music by the great composer Mozart can improve mathematical thinking. The experiments were carried out on rats, the results and scientific works were published in many languages of the world. So, rats overcame obstacles and labyrinths much faster after listening to Mozart than after noisy music, for example, by the composer Philip Glass. The scientist is convinced that music is not only the most harmonious way to improve one's mental abilities, but also to improve health in general.
For it is important not only intellectual and musical food, but also good nutrition from the inside. By eating natural foods, you are helping your brain to renew cells by constantly delivering nutrients to the brain by the circulatory system. Building materials include vegetable fatty acids (for example, vegetable oil, nuts) and minerals, namely: phosphorus, copper, sulfur, zinc, calcium, magnesium, iron. Phosphorus, which promotes the formation of new brain cells, is found in excess in legumes, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, radishes, and soybeans. Sulfur, which provides oxygen saturation of brain cells, is found in cabbage, garlic, carrots, figs, onions and potatoes. Zinc, which enhances mental performance and improves blood composition, can be supplied to the body by germinated wheat and wheat bran. And calcium and iron, which are responsible for hematopoiesis, a sufficient level of hemoglobin and blood composition, are found in apples, apricots, beets, cabbage, green vegetables, tomatoes, legumes, rice. Finally, magnesium, which is responsible for the normal functioning of the entire nervous system, enters the body along with almonds, mint, chicory, olives, peanuts and whole wheat grains.
Oxygen is the best way to activate the brain. It is enough to breathe deeply several times, preferably fresh air (on the street, not in a closed room) at the moment when you need to "brainwash". It is better to breathe through the nose, to sit upright. Experiment: try to solve a simple math problem in your head while sitting in a stooped position with your mouth open, and then solve another problem, but straighten up and close your mouth. The difference will be obvious. By the way, light charging will be enough for blood to flow to the brain more actively. Just ten squats, jumps and bends will "wake up" the brain. You've probably noticed that the flow of thoughts is more active during brisk walking or jogging.
The ability to think logically, notice and remember facts, build chains of inferences - that's what distinguishes humans from animals. The work of the brain is a subtle biochemical and electrochemical process. Mindfulness, memory, freshness of perception primarily depend on the state of nerve cells - neurons and their nutrition. It is generally accepted that drugs for improvement are necessary only for the elderly, but this is not the case. Memory and thinking impairments are possible at any age and are due to a number of reasons.
Causes of brain disorders
Doctors do not recommend treating even minor weakening of brain function on their own, primarily because this may be a sign of a serious illness. Memory, attention, learning may deteriorate for the following reasons.
- Violation of blood circulation in the brain - prolonged uncomfortable posture, atherosclerosis, osteochondrosis, hypertension, vascular thrombosis, ischemia, stroke.
- Improving brain function is problematic when smoking and drinking alcohol, since nicotine and alcohol are the strongest vascular poisons. When they enter the body, the brain first of all suffers - after all, it needs a sufficient blood supply more than all other organs.
- Traumatic brain injury, general intoxication of the body, previous infectious diseases.
- Stress, lack of sleep, lack of rest.
- General depletion of the body, malnutrition, restriction on nutrition. In this case, the body develops a chronic deficiency of vitamins and minerals necessary for the brain to function.
In order for the brain to improve, it is necessary to normalize the regime of vigorous activity and rest, eat right and do gymnastics to normalize blood circulation in the cervical spine and head. It is useful to do exercises that stimulate mental activity: master new activities, solve crosswords and puzzles, and more. In case of severe memory impairment, you should consult a doctor. Currently, there are various drugs to improve the functioning of the brain, but they must be prescribed by a specialist. The doctor will conduct an examination, select the optimal medicine, dose and determine the course of application.
Memory pills
All drugs to improve brain function can be roughly divided into several categories.
- Nootropic drugs are agents that regulate the metabolism in the brain and increase its resistance to a lack of oxygen.
- Means that improve blood flow to the brain.
- Vitamins required for biochemical processes in the brain.
- Amino acids involved in the transmission of nerve impulses and the production of biologically active substances.
- Herbal remedies that have a stimulating effect on the body in general and higher nervous activity in particular.
It should be borne in mind that of all of the above, only vitamins and amino acids are relatively harmless. All other drugs have contraindications and can only be used as directed by a doctor. Many of them are used for serious mental disorders, organic brain damage and have side effects.
All drugs, with the exception of stimulants, must be taken in long courses. It is wrong to think that memory and attention will improve immediately after taking the Piracetam pill. The duration of treatment is from several weeks to six months. Sometimes it is necessary to conduct several courses, taking a break between them.
Nootropic drugs
These are drugs for improving brain function, belonging to the group of psychotropic drugs. The mechanism of action of nootropics is not well understood. It was found that they have the ability to facilitate the transmission of nerve impulses, stimulate blood supply to the brain, improve energy processes and increase the body's resistance to oxygen deficiency. As a result, memory improves, learning ability increases, mental activity is stimulated and the brain is resistant to aggressive influences.
Unlike other psychotropic drugs, nootropic drugs are characterized by low toxicity, they do not cause circulatory disorders.
The most famous representatives of this group are drugs:
- "Piracetam" ("Nootropil"),
- "Picamilon",
- "Phenibut",
- "Aminalon" ("Gammalon"),
- "Pantogam",
- "Acefen".
For the treatment of chronic conditions, tablets to improve brain function are prescribed 1 tablet 3 times a day for 2-3 weeks to 2-6 months. The therapeutic effect is observed two weeks after the start of treatment.
Drugs that improve blood circulation
In case of poor condition of the blood and blood vessels, antiplatelet and anticoagulants are prescribed to improve brain function. Antiplatelet agents include the following:
- "Nicergoline",
- "Xanthinol nicotinate" ("Complamin"),
- "Ticlopidine"
- "Tiklid",
- "Courantil",
- "Pentoxifylline" ("Trental"),
- "Acetylsalicylic acid",
- "Clonidogrel".
To anticoagulants:
- Solcoseryl,
- "Heparin",
- Cerebrolysin,
- "Actovegin",
- "Vasobral".
Brain medications in this group have side effects.
Stimulants of nervous activity
Stimulants have an undeniable advantage - the result of their use is visible almost immediately. Unfortunately, you have to pay for everything. With the abuse of stimulants, the improvement in brain function occurs for a short time, over time, addiction develops and an increasing dose is required. In addition, the brain is depleted, which can lead to severe fatigue and headaches.
The most readily available stimulants are found in food.
- Coffee contains caffeine and L-theanine, which improve blood flow to the brain and stimulate transmission
- Chocolate and cocoa. The antioxidants flavanols contained in cocoa powder improve the biochemical processes in the brain and protect it from stress factors.
Vitamins
With increased mental activity, it will be useful to take vitamins to improve brain function.
- Choline. In addition to improving the absorption of fats in the liver, choline is involved in the production of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is necessary for the transmission of nerve impulses. To stimulate mental activity, choline is taken at 0.5-2 g per day, depending on individual tolerance. In case of overdose, headaches are possible.
- Omega-3 fatty acids are used by doctors for the complex therapy of age-related depression of brain functions. They are found in fatty fish, legumes, walnuts. Daily consumption of 1-2 capsules of fish oil fully covers the body's need for Omega-3 acids.
Amino acids
In addition to vitamins, a number of amino acids are needed to synthesize neurotransmitters and supply energy to brain cells:
- Acetyl-L-carnitine is involved in carbohydrate metabolism and releases intracellular energy.
- Tyrosine. Applied with caution for thyroid diseases.
- Glycine improves the functioning of the brain, increases efficiency and normalizes sleep. Relieves nervousness, normalizes mood.
- Creatine regulates energy processes in the brain tissue.
There are drugs that include several vitamins and amino acids, aimed at improving brain function and memory.
Complex preparations
- The drug "Biotredin". Brain pills containing threonine and pyridoxine (vitamin B6).
- Means "Brain Booster" - a colloidal preparation of complex composition, containing plant materials and a number of neurotransmitters - substances that improve the functioning of neurons.
Supplements and herbal remedies
For minor disorders, pills are used to improve brain function based on plant extracts.
- Means "Ginkgo biloba" - flavonoid glycosides and terpenoids from the Chinese. It normalizes microcirculation, has a vasodilating effect, prevents fat oxidation and has the ability to increase tissue resistance to oxygen deficiency. Cannot be used concurrently with other drugs that improve blood circulation during pregnancy and lactation.
- The drug "Vinpocetine" is an alkaloid of the periwinkle plant. Improves blood circulation in the brain, has anticoagulant activity. Contraindicated in children, pregnant and lactating women, as well as in violation of cardiac activity, in the acute phase of stroke.
- Means "Biocalcium for the Brain" - a set of vitamins, mineral elements, amino acids and antioxidants.
- Asian ginseng has a general stimulating effect on metabolism, improves blood circulation and glucose metabolism. Recommended for improving brain activity in case of fatigue, bad mood, increased nervousness.
- Rhodiola rosea affects the production of dopamine and serotonin in the central nervous system, which has a beneficial effect on the general condition of the body, memory, attention, concentration and visual perception.
All of these brain-enhancing drugs can be taken as a preventive measure. As with other herbal remedies, the course of treatment is long - at least 3-4 weeks, and on average - 2-3 months.
Precautionary measures
Deterioration of brain activity can be caused by a disease that requires examination and serious treatment. Therefore, before taking pills, consult your doctor for advice. For prophylactic purposes, take herbal preparations and amino acids. For a quick short-term improvement of thinking processes, stimulants are used. They should not be abused, as long-term use backfires and consumes brain resources without recovery.
Loading ...