Which improves cognitive function. How to improve your mental abilities

The structure of the body in all people is the same, which cannot be said about mental abilities. One person literally grasps everything “on the fly”, and is able to store a huge amount of information in his memory, while the other does not succeed. The reason lies in the work of the brain, or rather in its cognitive functions. Consider what it is, under the influence of what factors violations occur and how they are expressed.

Literally translated from Latin, cognitio means “knowledge”. And cognitive is called the higher brain functions that allow a person to perceive, process and store the information received. As a result, people are able to interact with environment and society.

These features include:

1. visual perception. With the help of this function, a person distinguishes and recognizes different stimuli. This is what makes it possible to realize how the surrounding people and objects look, as well as to understand the difference between, for example, a TV remote control and shoes.
2. Attention. talking in simple terms, this function helps a person in the implementation of brain and motor activities. Thanks to her, among external factors, such as sounds, smells and images, as well as internal ones, for example, thoughts and emotions, a person concentrates on what will be for him in this moment healthy.
3. Memory. This is a complex process that encodes, stores and reproduces the received information. It is closely related to the ability to concentrate attention, since without it it is impossible to obtain information in full.
4. Executive abilities. This can also be attributed to cognitive functions, since they are responsible for the relationship between the fixation of information and its further use. Such abilities are provided by the activity of the prefrontal cortex in the brain.
5. Speech. This communication system allows people to communicate with each other, and also to formulate their thoughts in a connected way. Various brain regions, located mainly in the left hemisphere, are involved in providing the process.

In other words, the cognitive functions of the brain help to perceive everything that surrounds a person, form their own idea about it and fix it in memory.

Causes of brain dysfunction

Impairment of cognitive functions is considered a sure symptom that disorders in brain activity have occurred. They can be functional, when such a phenomenon is temporary, and organic, characterized by irreversible processes.

The first category includes violations provoked by such factors:

• overwork;
• severe or prolonged stress;
• emotional and mental overload.

Organic disorders occur against the background various diseases when the process of transmission of impulses in the brain "goes astray".

Such a violation can be provoked:

• diabetes mellitus;
• disorders in metabolism and homeostasis processes;
• hypothyroidism;
• hypertension;
• disorders of blood circulation in the brain;
• myocardial infarction;
• craniocerebral injuries;
• Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease;
• obesity;
• the use of large doses of alcohol or drugs.

Cognitive functioning disorders are classified according to severity. They may be:

1. Lungs. In this case, the deviations are insignificant, the person has problems with memory and attention, as well as fatigue.
2. Moderate. Approximately a tenth of these disorders gradually flows into Alzheimer's disease. Over time, the symptoms increase, there is a deterioration in the ability to think and remember, and problems with speech develop.
3. Heavy. As a rule, these disorders occur in old age and are characterized by mental disorders. A sign of this condition is disorientation in space, when a person gradually turns into a child, losing elementary skills.

Attention! In the latter case, patients need care and constant intake of supportive drugs. They are no longer able to take care of themselves.

How to improve mental abilities

The improvement of human cognitive functions is facilitated by activities such as physical training and training, when a person regularly acquires any new knowledge and skills. And also on the activity of the brain is affected by nutrition and adherence to the daily routine. In addition, we need proper rest and communication associated with positive emotions. And there are a number of drugs that can improve cognitive performance.

Fish fat

Everyone knows about the benefits of this product since childhood, despite the popular saying that "nothing scares the world like the hated fish oil." The polyunsaturated fatty acids present in it, such as docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acids, have a beneficial effect on the heart, blood vessels and nervous system. And also they allow you to balance the pressure and prevent the formation of blood clots. In addition, these enzymes are able to influence the balance of triglycerides, increased content that lead to the development of diabetes.

Acceptance of funds based fish oil beneficial at any age. For a premature baby or young child, the positive effect is to improve visual acuity, increase cognitive abilities and normal brain development. In elderly patients, taking fish oil and other formulations containing polyunsaturated fatty acids reduces the risk of senile dementia.

Vitamin B complex

The wording "vitamins of the B group" combines a number of elements that have a positive effect on the human body. Without these enzymes, normal functioning is impossible. As a result of taking the complexes, a number of positive effects arise, which are provided by these microelements.

Let's learn more about it:

• improves memory by increasing the level of thiamine (B1) in the blood;
• blood pressure indicators are restored, blood clotting is normalized due to the content of pyridoxine (B6) in vitamin complexes;
• cholesterol and triglyceride balances are normalized, the production of omega-3 acids is activated, the risk of vascular diseases thanks to niacin (B3);
• degradation processes slow down and the severity of memory impairment decreases due to cobalamin (B12);
• the amount of homocysteine ​​in the blood decreases - this is a protein, the increased content of which leads to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases, as well as memory disorders, this effect is provided by folic acid (B9).

Lecithin and choline

Many mistakenly consider lecithin and choline to be the same substance. In fact, these are closely related enzymes that affect the state of the liver and nervous system.

Lecithin is a fatty compound that is produced by the human body. But you can get this enzyme from food, animals and plants. It contains liver, eggs, soy products, peanuts and wheat germ. And this component is found in the composition of ice cream, mayonnaise sauces, chocolate and margarine.

Choline is a component of acetylcholine found in the brain. It is necessary for the adequate functioning of memory and muscle activity. You can get this enzyme from food by eating liver, egg yolks, soy, grape juice, cabbage, and peanuts.

Lecithin and choline are part of many vitamin complexes, both group B and other multicomponent additives.

plant extracts

Among the remedies based on plant extracts that help improve the functionality of the brain, the following stand out:

1. Gotu Cola. This plant contains many compounds that help protect the heart, blood vessels and brain matter. Preparations based on it help to improve the emotional state of a person, normalize intracranial pressure, enhance memory, attention and intellectual capabilities.
2. Ginkgo biloba. This plant component is used in medicine in the treatment of various diseases associated with the functions of blood vessels and the brain. Preparations based on it help improve memory and thinking even in patients with Alzheimer's disease. And also with the help of these tools, a number of disorders that affect cognitive functions can be prevented.
3. Maritime pine extract or Pycnogenol. This compound is a powerful antioxidant and also prevents proteins from sticking together. It is used to protect the medulla, it also has a beneficial effect on nerve cells, and helps prevent stroke. Taking such drugs helps to normalize mental activity, increase memory and eliminate forgetfulness.

It is important to realize that innate abilities cannot be improved even with the help of highly effective drugs. The described means will only help them to open up fully, as well as save them from disorders that negatively affect cognitive functions.

The process of thinking is an integral part of our life. In situations where you need to quickly learn the material or think through the project in detail, you want everything to happen quickly and efficiently. There are several ways that improve human cognitive abilities.

drink coffee

A large amount of coffee harms the body, but researchers have found that caffeine does more than just keep you awake. It is able to help focus on complex tasks, increases the efficiency of mental activity, improves reaction. Coffee does not make a person smarter, this drink only temporarily improves brain function.

drink wine

Norwegian scientists have found that people who regularly drink wine perform better on cognitive tasks than those who give up alcohol. This relationship is especially pronounced among women. Of course, wine can only help if its quantity is strictly limited. It is assumed that the characteristics of this drink are based on the antioxidant properties of wine.

sunbathe

The study found that people who had high levels of vitamin D in their bodies performed better on control tests than those who were deficient in this element. Vitamin D is formed under the action of sunlight.

sunlight

dance

Dancing and outdoor activities reduce the risk of dementia. In addition, these types of activities improve a person’s cognitive abilities and teach them to make quick decisions.

Watch your nutrition

It’s not enough to just eat a product that has received “best” status. In the long run, you need to provide the brain essential vitamins, different elements. The most important thing is to monitor sugar, the presence of amino acids, antioxidants and omega-3s.

food pyramid

Play Tetris

Using MRI, it was found that playing Tetris increases the activity of gray matter in the cerebral cortex. Moreover, such an activity helps the mind quickly forget about recent tragedies and problems.

go in for sports

Studies have shown that athletes perform much better on cognitive tasks than non-athletes. Regular walks on the street are enough to increase brain performance by 10%.

Gym

Allow yourself to rest

In certain situations, it is really necessary to fully concentrate on the task and not stop to rest. Researchers have found that people who allow themselves to take breaks while working have a much better memory than those who work without rest. It’s enough just to break away from work and think about something else.

Temporarily stop eating

While a proper and balanced diet is essential in the long run, short-term food avoidance can help improve brain performance quickly. Researchers think it's evolutionary—we work better when the brain thinks it's undernourished.

Talk to yourself

Scientists came to the conclusion that while searching for a thing, you need to say its name aloud, as this allows you to find the desired item much faster.

These early attempts, with mixed results, were based on the premise, or at least the hope, that cognitive training would help change cognitive function. But everything has changed radically with the emergence of new data - that cognitive exercises help to change myself . It seems almost self-evident that this is how it should be.

When you exercise, not only will your athletic skills improve, but actual muscle growth will also occur. In contrast, the lack of exercise leads not only to the loss of athletic skills, but also to the actual reduction of muscle tissue. Or another, more important example in this connection: in a baby monkey, sensory deprivation gives rise to the actual atrophy of the corresponding brain tissue.

However, decisive experimental data began to appear only recently. Enriched immersion has been known to heal brain damage in rats. Now the mechanisms behind this cure are finally becoming clear. We compared the recovery of animals with traumatic brain injury in two conditions: in a standard environment and in an environment enriched with an unusual amount of diverse sensory stimulation. When compared in the brains of animals of these two groups, surprising differences were found. Reconnection between nerve cells ("dendritic branching") was much more vigorous in the stimulated group than in the standard group. There is also some evidence that vigorous mental exercise is improved by increased growth of small blood vessels (“vascularization”). Scientists such as Arnold Scheibel are convinced that similar processes take place in the human brain. Systematic cognitive activation may contribute to intense dendritic branching in victims or traumatic brain injury; this in turn facilitates the restoration of the function.

This raises another question: Does cognitive activation slow down the development of degenerative brain disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Pick's disease, Lewis body disease? These disorders are characterized by progressive brain atrophy and loss of synaptic connections. This in turn is associated with the accumulation of pathological microscopically small particles, such as "amyloid plaques" and "neurofibrillary tangles" in Alzheimer's disease.

Unlike a head injury or stroke, dementias are slow, progressive disorders. This means that the effectiveness of a treatment must be assessed not only in terms of whether it reverses the course of the disease (this, at least for the time being, would be an unrealistic expectation), but also in terms of whether the treatment slows the progression of the disease. There is, however, evidence that cognitive exercise can temporarily improve performance, even in an absolute sense. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute in Germany used positron emission tomography (PET) to study the effects of cognitive exercises and neurostimulant drugs on brain glucose metabolism in people at an early stage of cognitive decline. In combination, these two forms of therapy improved brain glucose metabolism. The German study examined changes in the physiology of the non-activated brain, its background state, as well as changes in the types of brain activation when the brain is stimulated by a cognitive task. The development of brain imaging technology opens up a window to observe the brain mechanisms of mental processes that seemed unthinkable in the past. It is now possible to directly observe what happens in the brain when a person is engaged in mental activity.

For years it has been accepted as an axiom that the brain loses its plasticity and ability to change as we move from childhood to adulthood. Today, however, there is more and more evidence that the brain retains plasticity into adulthood and, possibly, throughout life. Previously, it was assumed that in an adult organism, dying neuron cells are not restored. Although it has long been known that new cells can develop in birds (thanks to the work of Rockefeller University scientist Fernando Nottebohm) and rats (thanks to the work of Joseph Altman of Indiana University), these data have been ignored on the grounds that they are the exception rather than the rule. But recent work by Elizabeth Gould of Princeton University and Bruce McEwan of Rockefeller University has shown that new ones continue to appear in adult marmoset monkeys.

The growth of new neuronal cells has been demonstrated in , a brain structure that plays a special role for . In another study, Elizabeth Gould and colleagues found continued growth of new neurons in the cortex of adult macaque monkeys. The new ones are added to the heteromodal cortex in the prefrontal, inferior, and posterior parietal regions, areas of the brain involved in the most complex aspects of information processing.

New data from both animals and humans open up an entirely new way of understanding the effects of cognitive exercises. Instead of trying to shape or transform specific mental processes, try to rewire the brain itself.

While most of us understand that mental processes are brain processes, the underlying causes of different approaches to cognitive training are different. Early attempts emphasized individual functions, hoping that as a result the brain structures corresponding to that function could be somehow modified. New Approach emphasizes the generalized, broad effects of cognitive exercises on the brain. A tennis or golf player who practices daily may strive to improve certain playing techniques. This corresponds to specific, task-oriented, cognitive training. Or he may hope that by practicing some particular aspect of technique he will improve other aspects of technique and thus the game as a whole. This corresponds to the training of the entire functional system. Or, finally, he can start a cycle of training with the aim of improving not so much the game as such, but the very body that plays: overall strength, coordination and endurance. This corresponds to an attempt to improve brain function. The third goal is much more ambitious than the first two, but new evidence suggests that it is achievable, at least in principle.

Animal studies show that the growth of "brain power" through cognitive activation is by no means a fantasy. Scientists at the renowned Salk Institute for Biological Research in southern California tested the effects of exposure to an enriched environment in adult mice. They found that mice placed in cages equipped with wheels, tunnels and other toys developed up to 15% more nerve cells than mice left in standard cages. Stimulated mice also performed better than unstimulated mice on various tests of "mouse intelligence." They were able to learn mazes better and faster.

These findings are important in two respects. First, they debunk the old notion that new neurons cannot develop in the adult brain—they can. Second, these findings demonstrate with dramatic clarity that cognitive stimulation can change the structure of the brain itself and improve its ability to process information. The growth of new neurons was especially noticeable in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, a structure on the medial surface of the temporal lobe that is considered especially important for memory.

The emergence of new cells ("neuronal proliferation") in the adult brain appears to be associated with so-called neuroblasts, precursors of neurons, which in turn develop from common cellular "semi-finished products" called stem cells. These stem cells and neuroblasts continue to grow during adulthood, but they usually do not survive to become neurons. A Salk Institute study suggests that cognitive stimulation improves the chances of survival for neuroblasts, allowing them to become full-fledged neurons.

Of all the uses of cognitive exercise, the most promising is their preventive role in helping people enjoy their cognitive health for longer. Both everyday observation and formal research have shown that education has a protective effect against dementia. Highly educated people are less likely to develop dementia. The Successful Aging Research Network at the MacArthur Foundation has funded research into indicators of cognitive change in older adults. It turned out that education is the most powerful indicator of cognitive preservation in old age.

The mechanism of this connection is not entirely clear. Do educational lifestyles protect against dementia, or are some people born with a particularly “successful” neuroscience that both makes them better candidates for higher education and protects them from dementia? It is reasonable to assume that it is rather the nature of the activities associated with dementia that protects against dementia. higher education than education itself. Highly educated people - by the very nature of their professions - are more likely than less educated people to engage in lifelong vigorous mental activity.

Assuming that the neurological disease that causes dementia affects both groups with equal frequency, then a neurological disease of equal severity would have a less devastating effect on a well-trained brain than on a poorly trained brain. This will happen due to the additional reserves that a well-trained brain has due to additional neural connections and blood vessels. equal degree structural damage will produce less functional disruption. Again, the analogy between cognitive training and physical fitness. The case of Sister Mary presents this phenomenon with dramatic and remarkable clarity. She performed successfully on cognitive tests until her death at the age of 101. This is despite the fact that a post-mortem examination of her brain revealed numerous neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid plaques, hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. It looks like Sister Mary had a healthy mind inside an Alzheimer's brain!

Sister Mary belonged to the School of Sisters of Notre Dame, a widely studied and documented group of nuns from Mankato, Minnesota. Notable for their longevity, they are also known for their complete absence of Alzheimer's disease among them. This phenomenon has been unanimously attributed to a lifelong habit of being cognitively active. The nuns constantly exercised their minds with riddles, card games, discussions of current politics, and other mental activities. What's more, college-educated nuns who taught and systematically participated in other mentally demanding activities lived longer on average than less educated nuns. These observations of the nuns' cognitive health were so compelling that a post-mortem study was planned to investigate the relationship between cognitive stimulation and dendritic outgrowth.

In the case of nuns, the protective effect of cognitive brain exercises was cumulative, acting throughout their lives. The autobiographies of the nuns, written by them at the age of 20 to 30, were found in the archives. When the relationship between these early writings and the prevalence of dementia in later years was examined, a striking picture emerged. Those nuns who wrote more grammatically correct and conceptually rich essays in their youth retained their mental alertness much longer in their lives than those nuns who wrote simple factual prose when they were young.

These findings sparked speculation in the popular press that dementia is a lifelong illness that begins to affect some people subclinically early in life, forcing them to write simpler prose. But it is equally likely that the same aspects of brain organization that make some people smarter than others also endow them with a protective effect against dementia later in life. It is also possible that the nuns, who early developed the habit of straining their minds, and apparently retained this habit, acquired the protection for their brains that proved so important in their later years.

How universal is the protective effect of cognitive stimulation on mental decline? It appears to be universal, as this effect can be demonstrated for other species as well. This was demonstrated by Del and colleagues in male Sprague-Daily rats. Animals with different tasks were less prone to age-related memory impairment than rats without a history of "mental exercise".

"Use the thing or you'll lose it" is an old adage. It seems to apply directly and literally to . Two researchers at Pennsylvania State University, Warner Shaye and Sherri Willis, published an article with the intriguing title: "Can Adult Intellectual Decay Be Reversed?" The authors studied a group of individuals aged 64 to 95 years who suffered from cognitive decline in many mental functions for more than 14 years. Can a relatively short training cycle restore their thought processes to their original level, compensate for 14 years of decline in spatial orientation and inductive thinking? In many cases, the answer was yes. Moreover, cognitive rehabilitation was generalized; it could be demonstrated by many independent tests of various cognitive functions, and not only on those tasks that were used in training. The effect was long lasting; in many participants, it could be demonstrated seven years after the completion of the training cycle. The authors concluded that the training cycle reactivated cognitive skills that had begun to rust from lack of application.

If it is logical to expect therapeutic effects from cognitive exercises, then why were early attempts at cognitive rehabilitation of the effects of brain damage such a relative success? There are various reasons for this. The first basis lies in the very difference between the cognitive training of a damaged brain and the cognitive training of an intact or almost intact brain, between treatment and prevention. It is known that it is easier to prevent a disease than to treat it. A severely damaged brain will be less amenable to therapy than a healthy brain to prevention.

The second ground relates to the way cognitive exercises were traditionally formulated within the "old" philosophy. In an attempt to target a specific, very narrow cognitive function, narrow cognitive exercises were used. Logically, the broader the cognitive training program, the more general are the effects. Using the analogy of physical fitness, one can say that an individual who spends all his training time repeating the same exercise cannot expect an improvement in his cardiovascular system. For this purpose, a combination of different exercises is needed.

The third ground relates to the ways in which the effects of treatment are measured. By measuring the effects of one cognitive exercise with the ability to perform another cognitive task, we make assumptions about the specific nature of the therapeutic effects we are trying to measure. Failure to find an effect can, of course, be the result of an actual lack of effect. But it could just as easily be a reflection of our failure to find a suitable dimension to capture it. Since we are trying to amplify the underlying biological processes, it would be better to measure these processes directly. Indeed, when the effects of cognitive exercises were assessed by positron emission tomography (P.E.T.), improved glucose metabolism (an important marker) was found.

The fourth ground relates to what a reasonable expectation of the effects of cognitive training is. If a general functions brain are enhanced as a result of such training, the expected effect may be broad, but relatively small in any narrow area.

In any case, current data on the reproduction of neuronal cells throughout life breathed new life into the concept of cognitive exercises and gave them a new rationale.

In order for the head to work well, and mental work to be effective, you need to follow a few important conditions. One of the most important is healthy food.

Activation of cerebral circulation, keeping the blood vessels clean, nourishing the cells of the cerebral cortex - all this depends on what substances will enter the blood during the digestion of food.

In this article, we will look at 5 main ways to enhance cognitive abilities through nutritional advice and specific foods.

1. Memory improvement

For good memory function, the diet must contain a sufficient amount of protein food, since the protein is broken down into amino acids necessary for normal memory.

Fats serve building material for brain cells, but among them there must be unsaturated fatty acids Omega-3, Omega-6 and Omega-9.

Carbohydrates are a source of glucose necessary for mental work, and preference should be given to slow carbohydrates, which are not broken down quickly, but provide energy for a long time. And without minerals, vitamins, organic acids and other substances, full-fledged long-term memorization is simply impossible.

1. Fruits, berries and vegetables. It has long been known about the positive. Among them, tomatoes are especially valuable, as they contain lycopene, which protects neurons from destruction, onions, garlic and all green vegetables, because they contain B vitamins, folic acid and zinc. Of the fruits, it is worth highlighting bananas, which supply glucose and B vitamins to the blood, lemons, since they contain a large amount of vitamin C, and red apples, rich in anthocyanins. From berries to improve memory, you should choose blueberries, blueberries, grapes and black currants.
2. Fatty fish and seafood. If you need to remember a lot and for a long time, sea oily fish should be eaten at least 2 times a week, and preferably more often. The most useful fish are herring, trout, tuna, salmon, mackerel and salmon, and seafood - mussels, shrimp and oysters.
3. Coffee. The main active ingredient is caffeine. Numerous studies have shown that, and not short-term, but long-term. That is, in order to remember information well, it is not enough to drink coffee immediately before study or work: this will not help. It is necessary that coffee be in the diet of a mental worker in a small amount, but constantly.
4. Tea. Tea, especially green tea, also contains caffeine, which improves memory properties. But tea also contains the enzyme epigallocatechin gallate, which is not found in other products and is so useful for improving memory. See a separate article for more details.
5. Nuts. Extremely. Vitamin E, omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids, vegetable protein, lecithin - all this is extremely necessary if you have to memorize a lot. The amino acid tryptophan, which is also abundant in nuts, helps the production of serotonin, which also contributes to high-quality memorization.
6. Bitter chocolate. Caffeine, theobromine, phenethylamine contained in chocolate contribute to the good assimilation of information. And although milk chocolate is not so useful, but even it improves visual and verbal memory. - also has the ability to increase the speed of memorizing information of any complexity.
7. Rosemary. Essential oil of rosemary, taken orally or used for aromatherapy. In addition, the chemical compounds of this plant protect brain cells from free radicals.

2. Focus

Improving concentration is possible not only by volitional effort. Consuming the following foods will noticeably help boost this mental capacity.

1. Oily sea fish. The positive has long been known. People who complain about the inability to concentrate usually do not have enough fatty seafood in their diet. The situation can be corrected by the use of salmon, mackerel, trout, herring for a start 3 times, and after the normalization of the brain, 2 times a week.
2. Green tea. The caffeine and L-theanine it contains help increase alertness, alertness and the ability to focus for a long time. There is a hypothesis that if you drink this drink with milk high percentage fat content, the effect of concentration will increase.
3. Blueberry. This berry is useful in many cases. But in terms of an attention stimulator, it is priceless: antioxidants, proanthocyanidins, resveratrol and tannins allow you to work with concentration and attention for 5 hours.
4. Nuts. Virtually any nuts should be added to meals or snacks on their own in the diet of those people who need the ability to maintain attention.

3. Energy and cheerfulness

The positive influence of many useful substances on the brain allows you to save energy and vigor. These are primarily natural plant products.

1. Fruits and vegetables. Bananas, figs, avocados, spinach and carrots are those plant foods that should definitely be on the menu of a person who needs a lot of energy. They have the optimal ratio of vitamins, minerals, fiber and carbohydrates,. And nutritionists do not even advise eating such a fruit as an orange in the evening, its power is so great, which can even disrupt sleep.
2. Coffee. This is a famous energy drink. But its secret is that 25 minutes after drinking it, you must definitely drink ordinary water: this will prevent a breakdown, normalize kidney function and restore water balance in the body, preventing dehydration and subsequent drowsiness and fatigue. you can effectively use others, including energy ones.
3. Tea. Plenty of vitamins, minerals, caffeine, essential oils and other specific substances makes green and black tea drinks indispensable for restoring and maintaining strength. see in a separate article.
4. Ginger. Improving the blood circulation of the brain, activating metabolic processes, supplying the body with a large number of stimulating substances, ginger is rightfully considered a plant of mental workers.
5. Essential oils. Aroma of bergamot, orange, lime, lemon and grapefruit and improve brain activity.

4. Improved performance

Physical and mental performance will be increased by a special one in which carbohydrates and proteins are well balanced. In such a menu, products should be different in composition.

1. Bananas. These fruits are also necessary for athletes who spend a lot of muscle energy, and for everyone who is engaged in mental work, since tryptophan is also needed to maintain tone and vigor. Bananas are obligatory for children and adolescents, for the development of which a lot of strength is needed.
2. Oats. The optimal ratio of minerals and slow carbohydrates makes dishes from this cereal indispensable in the morning, so that there is enough energy for a long time.
3. Beet. The root vegetable contains many vitamins, carbohydrates and minerals that help to saturate the body and maintain its stamina. Athletes even specifically drink beetroot juice before training and competitions for this purpose.
4. Garnet. Potassium, magnesium, especially iron, organic acids and sugars are very useful for recuperation after heavy loads. Also .

5. Fight chronic fatigue

With chronic fatigue syndrome, in no case should one resort to energy drinks such as coffee, tea, sweets, chocolate, etc. This will give a temporary burst of energy, which will only aggravate poor health later.

With chronic fatigue, it is necessary to increase the number of energy-rich foods in the menu, which are slowly digested, but give energy for a long time, and also contain all the necessary substances to maintain the central nervous system.

1. Chicken meat. This is one of the most useful animal products for chronic fatigue, since, in addition to valuable protein, it contains selenium and B vitamins.
2. Cereals. Cereals and bread should be from whole grains: in this case, thanks to them, the body will receive a large amount of minerals, the desired level of sugar will be maintained in the blood, and there will be enough energy for a long time.
3. Fruits. Pomegranates and oranges contain a mineral, without which it is impossible to overcome such a disease as chronic fatigue syndrome: iron is involved in hematopoietic processes and maintains well-being at the proper level.
4. Seeds and nuts. Seeds of flax, sunflower, pumpkin, all kinds of nuts supply the body with useful unsaturated fatty acids, without which there can be no normal body tone at all. This is a storehouse of vitamins and minerals that are in this product in a concentrated form. In addition, they contain a fairly large amount of vegetable protein, which is also important for maintaining strength and getting out of a state of chronic fatigue.

Thus, many factors influence the efficiency of the brain. And properly selected nutrition is the basis for normalizing its work and maintaining efficiency.

The thought process and the process of perception are two sides of the same coin. And they are not only something that is inherent in absolutely each of us, but also represent one of the main components of our life.

Any person from time to time encounters situations when, for one reason or another, it is required to do something as quickly as possible, for example, to develop a project in all details, to understand what is being discussed in the material being studied, etc. But not everyone has the ability to do it in such a way that it is both fast and efficient at the same time. And the point here is mainly that everyone has different cognitive abilities, i.e. ability to perceive.

But the very good news is that no matter what a person's cognitive abilities are, he can improve them. And if you thought that for this you need to pass a lot of different tests, understand yourself and use all kinds of developing techniques, then here we want to please you: this, albeit useful and, of course, effective, but not at all necessary. you can, living your usual life, and, perhaps, making very minor changes to it.

And in this article, we will tell you how you can do it.

10 Unusual Ways to Boost Your Cognitive Ability

So, there are some rather unusual ways to increase your cognitive abilities.

Method #1: Watch your diet

First of all, you must understand for yourself that any products that have a status or are simply called “best” by someone are still not enough. If you approach this issue in more detail and take into account the long-term perspective, then you must provide your main organ - the brain - with the necessary amount of vitamins and microelements. Special attention you need to give enough sugar, antioxidants, amino acids and fatty acids"Omega-3". And the most useful foods for the brain are seafood, grains, eggs, berries, nuts, leafy green vegetables and chocolate.

Method #2: Drink coffee

Of course, we all heard that coffee can be called a product harmful to the body. However, it is harmful only when it comes to a large amount of it, because if a lot of coffee enters the body, this negatively affects the work of the cardiovascular and digestive systems. But moderate use not just to keep a person in a state of cheerfulness. Coffee helps to focus on difficult tasks, activates mental activity and improves reaction. Naturally, he will not be able to make a person smarter, but at the time of a breakdown or a decrease in brain activity, he will become an excellent support.

Method number 3: Give up food for a while

Yes, we have already said that for the productivity of the brain in the long run is indispensable. But, despite this fact, in some cases, a short refusal to eat can help improve brain performance in the shortest possible time. According to a fairly large number of specialists in the field of nutrition and performance, this state of affairs has developed in evolutionary process- a person is able to work more efficiently if his body sends signals to the brain that he does not have enough nutrition. The brain, in response, sends back impulses, indicating to the body that the time has come to use spare reserves.

Method number 4: Drink wine

Do not under any circumstances think that we are on the side of alcohol abuse. But, you see, drunkenness and the occasional use of the "Drink of the Gods" are two different things. According to scientists from Norway, people who regularly drink a little wine are much better at solving cognitive problems than those who drink alcohol once and for all, which is presumably due to the presence of antioxidants in wine. It is especially interesting that this trend is most pronounced among the fair sex. But every person, no matter whether it is a man or a woman, must understand that the benefits of wine can only be when it is used only occasionally.

Method number 5: Sunbathe

The impact of sunlight on the human body has been studied for a long time, and each time the results of these studies give interesting results. For example, according to the most recent data, people who had high levels of vitamin D in their bodies showed more top scores when working with control tests than those people in whose body there was a deficiency of this vitamin. Given that vitamin D is formed through exposure to sunlight, we recommend that you go to the beach as often as possible or, if there is none nearby, go on vacation to resorts. At the same time, you will have a great time (bat maybe even)!

Method number 6: Rest

We live in a world of constant work and worries, stress and pressure. For this reason, in many situations, a person faces the need to work without rest. This, of course, allows you to perform large amounts of work from time to time, but without rest, both the working capacity and cognitive abilities of a person are greatly reduced. People who take at least short breaks in the work process perceive information better, remember more and better, and solve tasks better. Remember: if you can’t arrange a job and a day off for yourself, allow yourself to be periodically distracted and rest a little - the result will be much higher than if you work without interruptions.

Method number 7: Rest actively

Method number 8: Exercise

Continuing the theme of outdoor activities, we can not say about sports. Yes, some people do not see themselves in sports at all, they prefer intellectual development or cultural and educational types of leisure activities. But physical activity should always be. do not have to be professional at all - here we mean even small loads, such as gymnastics, push-ups and pull-ups, jogging and walking on fresh air. If you intend to go to the gym or fitness, it will be even better, because athletes perform cognitive tasks more efficiently than non-athletes. By the way, even an hour walk in the park will increase your efficiency by 10%.

Method number 9: Play logic games

With the help of MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), it was possible to find out that simple game in Tetris favorably affects the activity of gray matter (the main component of the central nervous system). But, besides Tetris, there is also a huge number of intellectual games: games to search for objects, and puzzles, the same crosswords and puzzles - all this develops the brain and improves cognitive abilities. In addition, another charm of them is that such activities help people to distract from bad events and problems.

Method #10: Talk to yourself

According to the results of experiments on finding things, it turned out that people who are busy looking for an object or thing find it much faster if they say out loud the name of what they are looking for. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. If you talk to yourself from time to time, you can quickly find answers to the right questions, better concentrate on the tasks at hand, make decisions faster, etc. Plus, talking to yourself often helps.

You have probably noticed that all the considered methods not only do not create uncomfortable sensations in life, but are also associated with positive emotions. Therefore, take them into service and increase your cognitive abilities.

OUR WAY: But we also have our own way of increasing cognitive abilities, and it can not only increase and improve a person’s brain activity, but also tell him a lot of unique and very important information about himself. This method is our course on self-development, which includes both a powerful theoretical base and many tests and exercises, the purpose of which is to know and develop oneself. Hurry up to get acquainted with our course - you can find it at.

Learn and live wisely!