5 THINGS TO KNOW FOR A SMARTER BRAIN

5 THINGS TO KNOW FOR A SMARTER                                                  BRAIN

Dear friends, our brain is doing so much of work for us. Day and night it is helping us to breathe, digest food, learn and memorize new things. It is so powerful that it can help us to do many wonderful things. But only strong and powerful brain can only provide us powerful results.

Recently it has been proved by many researches that diet and mood has close link. What we put into our mouth has direct effect on our thinking and learning capabilities.

 Food can immediately affect how alert or dull we are, and if we are prone to any diseases of the brain like Alzheimer, dementia, depression or any nervous disorder.

 We need to eat nutritious diet to maintain proper levels of certain chemicals in our brain. Disharmony of these chemicals or neurotransmitters will result in mental illness. These are serotonin, epinephrine, acetylcholine and dopamine.

 1. FOODS WHICH MAKE US ALERT

Carbohydrate in our diet has dulling effect on us. They make our brain sluggish. It is because of the serotonin released by the body when we consume carbohydrate rich diet. So carbohydrates are downers.

On the other hand when we eat protein rich food we feel energetic and alert. So it is good to have protein rich diet when we have to perform certain mental task.  


We can have cheese with our brown bread, cheese, egg or meat with our pasta, milk porridge, legumes and rice or roti (bread). As we should take protein first to be alert and then carbohydrate. The sequence of food is very essential to make its effect on us.  

Heavy and fatty diet will make us lazy and dull. As fats take more time to digest. So do not consume heavy and fatty diet when you need to be mentally active. Vegetables have neutral effect. They do not make us active or dull.

So do not eat candies, cakes, pastries or cookies when you are going to perform mental tasks.

Coffee is also very effective energizer. When coffee was introduced it was considered very harmful for our sensibilities. It was not allowed to be purchased by common people. But now coffee is consumed by millions of people all over the world.

 Coffee makes our brain active, as it has a chemical which has resemblance to a brain chemical adenosine. So it stops the brain's activity to make the body relaxed. It takes the place of adenosine and keeps the body in active form.

This energizing effect of coffee does not require much of coffee but one or two cups are sufficient to make us alert. But we should be very cautious as we can be addictive to coffee, if we will drink more of it. Consuming excessive cups of coffee is not good for our health. It can also affect absorption of certain nutrients if taken with meals.

2.  VITAMINS ARE ESSENTIAL

Vitamin C – Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant. It is very essential to combat the affect of free radicals on our body. Acetylcholine an important neurotransmitter is also formed by vitamin C. 


Vitamin C also clears our arteries for the smooth blood flow to the brain. As all the parts of the body depend on the blood flow from the heart which provides them with oxygen and nutrients. Good sources of vitamin C are Indian gooseberry, citrus fruits, guava, bean sprouts, capsicum, cabbage etc.

Vitamin B6 - Vitamin B6 is also very essential for the brain to function efficiently. It improves mood and protects brain from stress. Along with other vitamins it keeps the brain in good condition.

Vitamin B12 - Vitamin B12 is an important vitamin for the brain. It protects the brain from brain impairment, depression, memory loss and lack of concentration. Deficiency of vitamin B12 is found to be the reason of many mental problems. 


Good sources are meat, fish, egg, milk and milk products. Sometimes elderly people are deficient of this vitamin because of the less absorption. So supplements can be given to them. Vegetarian people can also take supplements of vitamin B12.

Caroteniod, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2 - Deficiency of vitamin A Caroteniod) is also found to be resulting in brain impairment. Green leafy vegetables, yellow colored fruit and vegetable are rich in vitamin A.

Vitamin B1 and Vitamin B2 deficient people also got low scores in memory tests. These are found in whole grains, legumes, nuts, milk.

Elderly people who have normal iron level have healthy brain.

Vitamin E – Vitamin E has powerful antioxidant powers. Along with selenium it helps for the smooth flow of the blood. Nuts, seeds and whole wheat are the good sources of vitamin E.

Magnesium - Magnesium also has antioxidant powers. It is found in fruit, green leafy vegetables and nuts.

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3.  SOME REMEDIES FOR A SMARTER BRAIN

Fish - Fish is considered very beneficial to keep the brain healthy. Fish has omega 3 fatty acids. It dissolves clots in the blood and cures inflammation. So it clears the blood for more oxygen and nutrients to reach the brain.

 Fish has zinc also. Even minor deficiency of zinc has been found to be linked with brain functions. Sea food, whole grains and legumes are rich in zinc.

Almond – Almond is considered good for the brain. It strengthens the brain. It improves debility of the brain. 10 to 12 soaked almonds can be taken. It helps in better memory and to cure brain impairment.

Walnut - Walnut is also helpful to eradicate mental weakness. It strengthens the brain. It helps in forgetfulness and in lack of concentration. 20 gms of walnut can be consumed daily .

Ginkgo biloba – It is powerful antioxidant. It helps to prevent many types of mental disorders. This herb is considered very important to boost memory. It slows the progression of Alzheimer, mental insufficiency, depression and dementia. It also strengthens capillaries and improves blood circulation.

Ginseng - It is also very beneficial for the brain.    It maintains the level of serotonin in the brain. The balance of serotonin is necessary for the brain to function properly. It also protects the brain from the stress. It maintains the release of stress releasing hormone cortisol.

Apple – Apple is a good remedy for the proper functioning of the brain. It has many nutrients like vitamin B1, B2 and phosphorus which help in the constitution of  the brain.

Mother’s milk – Mother’s milk is known to be helpful in increasing the I.Q of the baby. There is some hidden ingredient in the mother’s milk which is good for the development of the brain. So babies who have mother’s milk have more I. Q. as compared to the babies who are on formula milk.

Sage – It is helpful to cure mental fatigue and weakness. It is also helpful in loss of memory. Tea made from dried sage leaves can be consumed.

Rosemary – Rosemary has been known since ancient times. Greeks used this herb to cure problems related to memory loss. Rosemary tea can be consumed one or two times daily to strengthen the mental powers.

4.  SOME LIFESTYLE FACTORS AFFECTING BRAIN POWERS

Exercise – Exercise plays a significant role in keeping our body and brain fit. Exercise increases blood flow to the brain. The cognitive functions of elderly who do regular exercise have been found to be better than those who are bit lazy.

Sleep - Sound sleep is very important for all of us. Elderly people who sleep well have smarter brains as compared to those who have insomnia. As sleep help us to rejuvenate after day’s hard work. So the problem of insomnia should be tackled by consulting doctor.

Meditation – Meditation help us to control day to day anxiety. As anxiety and stress is controlled, it results in the improvement of brain functions.

5.  AVOID THESE TO PROTECT FOR A HEALTHY BRAIN

Fat – Fatty food is harmful for the brain in the long run. Fat make plaques in the arteries, affecting blood flow to the brain. More of animal fat has detrimental effect on the brain. 



The brain cell membrane has fatty acids different from the animal fat. Obese people have also been found to be less efficient in mental functions. The size of hippocampus of obese people has also been found to be less than normal weight people.

Alcohol – Alcohol is not good for brain. It damages the brain. It damages the cortex and cerebral structures. It affects the metabolic activity in the entire brain. It also results in memory loss.