Thread: 10 Ways to Improve Brain Function

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From the editors of Prevention

Introduction

Around the time we hit 30, our brains begin a slow, steady downward trajectory, or so popular wisdom would have it. But cognitive decline is by no means an inescapable side effect of aging. In fact, according to a flurry of new reports, you can counteract age-related changes in the brain with a surprisingly simple regimen of activities guaranteed to nurture and fortify your mental musclepower. Here are 10 easy ways to keep your brain quick, sharp, and bristling with youthful vigor.

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Eat more vitamin E


Avocado, oils, nuts, and seeds all contain an important antioxidant: vitamin E. In one study, researchers found that people who consumed moderate amounts vitamin E — from food, not supplements — lowered their risk of Alzheimer’s disease by 67%. Shoot for 15 mg of E a day, the equivalent of 2 ounces of almonds.
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Play on the Internet


When you Google, you engage key centers in your brain that control decision making and complex reasoning. And these few clicks may be more mentally stimulating than reading, say UCLA scientists. Their studies found that Internet searching uses neural circuitry that's not activated during reading — but only in people with prior Internet experience. MRI results showed almost 3 times more brain activity in regular Internet searchers than in first-timers, suggesting that repeated Googling can be a great way to build cognitive strength over time.

Tip: Spend around 20 minutes a few days a week searching topics you've always wanted to learn more about — regardless of how seemingly frivolous: Whether you're researching a celebrity's latest pratfalls or musical harmony, the benefits to your brain are the same.
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Exercise outside


A team from the University of Illinois' Beckman Institute recently reviewed dozens of past studies and found that aerobic exercise boosts not only speed and sharpness of thought but also the volume of brain tissue. As little as 50 minutes of brisk walking 3 times a week was found to have this brain-expanding effect. For an added boost, walk in the park: University of Michigan researchers found that volunteers whose course took them through a tree-filled setting performed 20% better on memory and attention tests than those who walked downtown.
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Order the salmon


This superhealthy fish, as well as albacore tuna, mackerel, and sardines, is packed with omega-3 fatty acids, powerful and versatile nutrients that are essential for a healthy mind. About 40% of the fatty acids in brain cell membranes are DHA, one of the main omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil. Experts believe it’s probably necessary for transmitting signals between brain cells.

In a 2006 study, researchers at Tufts University found that people who ate fish 3 times a week and had the highest levels of DHA in their blood slashed their risk of Alzheimer’s disease by 39%. Eat it at least twice a week (limit albacore tuna to no more than 6 ounces a week to minimize mercury exposure).
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Use your library card


It's no science fiction: Cozying up with a good book shields your brain from decline. Baltimore's Center for Occupational and Environmental Neurology studied 112 factory workers with similar blood levels of lead, a known mental health hazard, and those with an 11th-grade reading level or lower did half as well on cognitive tests as better readers. Researchers theorize that you can read books for a healthy brain, as bookworms develop a brainpower reservoir that's tapped when disease or aging threatens their gray matter.
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Know your Starbucks barista


A 2007 French study found that women over 65 who drank three or more cups of coffee a day were better able to recall words than women who consumed little or none. Another review showed that coffee drinkers may cut Alzheimer's disease risk by up to 30%. But caffeine is one of those substances wherein the dose makes the poison: In excess, it can cause brain fog, but in moderate amounts, caffeine can improve attention span, reaction time, and other brain skills.

Drink it daily, limiting caffeine intake to 300 to 400 mg; an 8-ounce cup of coffee has around 100 mg.
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Get to your happy weight


If your scale registers a healthy weight, your mind is likely youthful too. In a recent UCLA study, overweight people had 4% less brain tissue than normal-weight adults — the equivalent of their minds aging 8 years. One possible cause: a high-calorie or high-fat diet, which clogs arteries in the brain, restricts blood flow, and causes cells to shrink.
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Watch TV — the right way


Zoning out in front of the tube is the last thing you’d consider brain boosting, but research shows that if you watch at a low volume, it can improve your concentration skills. Turning down the TV volume a little more each day can teach you to filter out background noise and improve focus, says University of California, San Francisco neuroscientist Michael Merzenich, PhD. Your training at home could even pay off at work by helping you block out the loudmouth in the next cubicle or fully concentrate on a meeting while ignoring noisy distractions outside.
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Doodle during meetings


To remember more of what you hear during phone calls or meetings, turn your notepad into a sketchbook, say British researchers. When they played a monotonous phone call listing several names and places for a group of study participants, those who aimlessly shaded in printed shapes while listening recalled 29% more information on a surprise memory test than those who only took notes.

Researchers believe that simple tasks, such as doodling, may block daydreaming, keeping the mind focused on the job at hand.

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Choose crunchy snacks


Snacking on celery and green bell peppers may help keep your mind sharp. Luteolin, a plant compound abundant in these two green veggies, can prevent inflammation in the brain linked with aging and diseases such as Alzheimer's and multiple sclerosis, according to researchers at the University of Illinois. The scientists studied the compound's effect on human brain cells in a test tube and on mice and in both cases found that it decreased inflammation.
Try dipping celery and green bell pepper slices in hummus, or chop and mix with tuna, herbs (like parsley or chives), and a dollop of plain yogurt for a healthy tuna salad.
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Hello Isaac.
That's very indeed post about improve Brain Function. It will help to us for improving in Brain Function. If you have more article related Health then Please post it.Awaiting for your next post.

Anyway, Thanks for Reply.

Pretty good post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed reading your blog posts.

Great detailed information, I ll be visiting you more frequently, here is very interesting information.


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Hi Isaac,
Your post is being really useful. It is great to know those facts which we do not pay much attention on in our daily life. Although some of these above tasks are difficult to meet in our busy lives, we should try continuing those. I suggest “avoiding stressful and unhappy situations as much as we can” will also help us to improve our brain.
Anyway, Thanks for sharing and keep posting such valuable information.