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Children grow and develop almost overnight. Before you know it, they’re already forming a number of physical and mental skills that take them ahead of their age. The brain is a particularly important organ during a person’s formative years, and the right food and nutrition can make a huge difference in its well-being. 

The foundations: Rapid brain growth takes place in the first few years of life. The brain, for instance, reaches 80 percent of its adult weight by the time a child reaches age 2. From there through adulthood, the brain continues to develop, particularly the area linked to memory, planning, and decision-making. 

So what aids proper brain function and development? One is good nutrition, where research shows the benefit of specific nutrients and food groups in supporting brain development and cognitive function. 

Here are seven so-called “brain foods” worthy of mention. 

1. Cocoa

Let’s start with probably one of the most appealing foods to kids: cocoa and cocoa products, a rich source of antioxidants. These chemicals, flavonoids in particular, possess anti-inflammatory, brain-protective qualities. For one, they increase blood flow to the brain and assist in visual processing. Promising research also shows that cocoa intake may enhance cognitive performance among younger individuals. 

2. Eggs

This breakfast staple is one of the healthiest foods to feed kids. Eggs are loaded with choline, vitamin B12, protein, as well as selenium, which are all critical for brain development as well as cognition. Choline, for instance, could assist in brain development in the first 1,000 days of life. A diet that contains eggs has also been demonstrated in research to lead to higher IQ scores in young subjects. 

3. Green Leafy Vegetables

Admittedly, it’s a total challenge to get kids to eat leafy greens regularly, let alone once a day during dinner. While science is yet to provide foolproof advice on getting kids to eat veggies, it shows that there’s a strong case for doing so. Kale, spinach, lettuce, and other leafy greens may protect the brain via their folate, carotenoids, flavonoids, and vitamin E and K1 content, to name a few. Folate, for example, has been shown in a study to help up the cognitive scores of children compared to their peers. As carotenoid-rich foods, these veggies also boost cognitive function and visual acuity in children. 

4. Berries

These pigment-rich fruits are loaded with plant compounds called anthocyanins, which may increase blood flow to a child’s brain, offer anti-inflammatory properties, and promote the creation of new nerve cells. In a study, kids ages 7 to 10 who drank 200 grams of a blueberry beverage filled with flavonoids did significantly better on a word recall exam than their peers who had a control beverage. 

5. Greek Yogurt

The fat that yogurt offers is deemed crucial to brain health. A full-fat Greek yogurt contains more protein than other yogurt types and helps keep brain cells in tiptop shape when it comes to sending and receiving information. When serving yogurt to kids, it’s recommended to combine it with a cereal for some fiber, berries for the antioxidants, and dark chocolate chips for the cocoa benefits. Just watch the amount of sugar that goes into the mix. 

6. Fish and Other Seafood

Fish is an excellent source of omega-3 fats as well as vitamin D, protecting the brain from mental decline and memory loss. The omega-3s that kids consume, the better their brain will function and they will be able to focus on their tasks. Some recommended sources include salmon and sardines. Watch out, however, for contaminated and mercury-laden fish, actively looking for fish and seafood sourced from pure, pristine waters. 

7. Apples, Nuts, Seeds

It’s crucial to give children snacks that serve their brain health well. Nuts and seeds are chock full of protein, vitamins and minerals, and essential fatty acids, boosting their mood and keeping their nervous system working efficiently. If they’re craving something sweet and need something for those sluggish days, then apples are a recommended treat for their roster of nutrients and antioxidants helping combat mental decline. 

Supplements that provide overall cognitive enhancement for children may be well worth exploring if you feel your child’s diet is yet to provide these brain-aiding nutrients. It’s a continually improving process and you can try 101 ways to make their food more brain-friendly. 

Your brain makes a lot of things in your life, if not all, possible: working out and meditating in the morning, doing school work, completing a critical work presentation, solving everyday problems, building complex documents, and navigating many different aspects of daily life and existence. 

But how sure are you that you have a healthy brain? What does having a healthy brain mean in the first place? 

3 Telltale Signs of a Healthy Brain 

For starters, it’s important to note that there isn’t a single definition of a “healthy brain,” although there can be different factors pointing to optimum brain health. These include good everyday functioning, ability to problem-solve, and making wise decisions, among others. Now here are three often-overlooked ways to know if your brain is in the pink of health. 

1. Diet, nourishment, and lifestyle choices

Often we’re too preoccupied thinking of big concepts such as whether we are intelligent, able to concentrate, and many such aspects concerning brain performance. But in doing so we overlook the small building blocks of good brain health. These include our level of nourishment, how much sleep we’re getting, if we’re exercising, or can manage stress effectively. These are handy indicators that the brain is running smoothly and probably has the right foundations for good functioning. 

2. Focus, focus, focus

Another sign of a healthy brain is having the ability to maintain focus. Focus is an important currency in today’s world. In the workplace, being able to focus makes a great difference in productivity, revenue, and value creation. Unsurprisingly, focus is a function of good brain health. One component of it is brain enhancement, such as being able to focus on things and endeavors that matter versus those that don’t. 

3. Managing and adapting to stress

Healthy stress management is also a sign of a healthy functioning brain. Again, this is a major challenge in today’s world filled with stressful situations, adversity, and sometimes a lessened ability to cope with the stress. Truth is, how we respond and adapt to these challenges can indicate brain health. Central to this is having the ability to control your response to stress – this, again, is a measure of a healthy brain. 

What Now? The Science of Brain Health Simplified 

Now, how do you make sure you hit all these three areas and your brain is well-functioning? 

Mental stimulation, cholesterol and blood pressure improvement, emotional well-being — all of these are highlighted as ingredients of a healthy brain. What complicates this is the process of aging, where the general objective is to keep the mind sharp and brain healthy as we grow older. 

Here’s one realization from decades of scientific studies on the human brain. There’s no single “miracle cure” for memory issues and other brain changes that take place with aging and daily life. Science has long pointed to a combination of healthy practices and social factors, taken together, to build up and protect cognitive well-being over time. 

One of these is one of neuroscience’s finest discoveries: The brain can grow new cells as well as form neural connections. Like your muscles and other parts of the body, the brain can rebuild itself through smart strategies such as repeatedly using it and exercising. 

The mission therefore involves supporting the formation of new neural connections and supporting healthy brain development. This entails following a raw, organic, balanced diet; getting enough restful sleep; exercising the body and mind regularly; and minimizing stress and its devious effects on your system, to name a few. 

Mental stimulation is also part of the picture. But in keeping the mind stimulated, aim for diversity: consider social activities that keep you independent yet engaged with family and loved ones, participate in various undertakings, and develop new skills such as crafting, cooking, or creative expression. 

Finally, get help where you can. Supplementation today now includes bespoke brain enhancement solutions that can support neuroplasticity or the brain’s capacity to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections. If empowering your brain and unleashing its potential means using a high-quality brain enhancement formula, then it can be a smart move for you to make no matter what stage of life you’re in. 

Stress is one of the body’s natural responses to threat. When you feel threatened or at risk, your nervous system responds to it by releasing a flood of stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. This causes the body to leap into emergency mode: your heart pounds faster, your muscles tighten, your blood pressure rises, and your breath quickens as your senses sharpen to action. 

Unfortunately, stress has become a major health issue among Americans and many others across the globe. More than one-third of adults in the US population report that their stress has increased in the last year, with 24% of adults reporting extreme stress. 

Stress can serve as a detriment to health. How does chronic stress actually change your brain’s physiology and cause damage to its overall structure and wellness? Let’s investigate. 

Stress and Its Physiological Effects on the Brain 

Remember that stress is a chain reaction. When you experience a stressful situation, the amygdala of your brain, the area that contributes to emotional processing, sends a distress signal to your hypothalamus. This area, in turn, acts as the command center, communicating the “threat” to the rest of your body so you can gather the energy to fight or flee. 

This is what’s called the fight-or-flight response. 

It’s responsible for physical reactions to stress, including increased heart rate, heightened alert and senses, and adrenaline rush, to name a few. Cortisol release means restoring the energy lost in this response, then the hormone levels fall once the stressful event is over, returning the body to statis. 

5 Ways Your Brain Responds to Chronic Stress

So what happens to your brain in response to repetitive or chronic stress? Here are some to watch out for:

1. Stress kills brain cells. Did you know that a single stress event could kill new neurons in the hippocampus of your brain? This region of your brain is heavily linked to memory, emotion, as well as learning. The hippocampus is also one of two brain areas where neurogenesis, the formation of new brain cells, takes place throughout life.
2. Stress changes brain structure. The overproduction of myelin during chronic stress situations results not just in a short-term change in the balance between the white and gray matter in your brain. It can also lead to lasting changes in the structure of the organ. The array of problems you can expect include creating either a resilient brain or one that is more prone to mental illness, based on white matter patterning you obtain early in life, according to researchers. 
3. It increases the risk of mental illness. In a study published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, chronic stress has been found to result in long-term brain changes. These changes might be a factor in why those experiencing chronic stress are also more susceptible to mood and anxiety disorders later in life. 
4. It shrinks your brain. Even if you are an otherwise healthy individual, stress can lead areas of your brain to shrink. This isn’t good news when you consider that these areas are associated with regulating your emotions, memory, and metabolism, to name a few. Everyday stress, as researchers are slowly discovering, can contribute to a wide range of mental conditions, versus just life-altering events such as death of loved ones or natural disasters. 
5. Stress adversely affects your memory. Stress can definitely make events or their details rather difficult to recall. This happens even with relatively minor stress, which can make you struggle with remembering details, such as where you placed your house or car keys or if you locked the door before leaving the house. 

Learn to Protect Your Brain

While persistent stress can rewire your brain, there are simple steps you can take to prevent long-term damage and take control of your brain health and wellbeing. Start with a few ways to cope with stress and minimize the various factors that might worsen it. 

First, try to establish control over the situation. If the stress isn’t predictable, then focus on controlling the things that you can. These include a good, healthy routine every day. 

It also pays to get a good night’s sleep. It can be a vicious cycle to be in stress, have difficulty sleeping, and making stress worse due to the sleeplessness. Avoid sleep deprivation by implementing healthy sleep habits, such as going to bed at the same time each night, avoiding caffeine, and maintaining a comfortable temperature inside your bedroom. 

Getting organized also helps. Create a daily list of tasks that you seek to accomplish. This way you avoid getting overwhelmed and you are able to identify the clean end goal for yourself for the day or week. 

If you are not getting enough brain-friendly vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and nutrients in your regular diet, then it pays to consider healthy supplementation to invigorate the mind and its functioning. Cognitive enhancement not only helps you tackle the effects of stress but also helps you improve in areas of memory, learning, focus and concentration, and other attributes to win – and be happy – in life. 

Researchers in Japan have identified a potential drug therapy for neurodegenerative symptoms in animal models of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, concluding that the drug may reverse the effects of these disorders. 

The team, publishing the results in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, noted that there is currently no disease-modifying therapy for neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s. “We discovered the novel, disease-modifying therapeutic candidate SAK3, which, in our studies, rescued neurons in most protein-misfolding, neurodegenerative diseases,” said study author Kohji Fukunaga, professor emeritus at Tohoku University.

SAK3 has been declared safe by the governing board in Japan and researchers are bound to start clinical trials in humans next year, according to the study press release. 

Study Details

Previously, the team saw that the SAK3 molecule seemed to help enhance memory and learning in an Alzheimer’s mouse model. It appeared to improve the function of a cell membrane channel, thus promoting neural activity in the brain. 

SAK3 usually promotes the release of neurotransmitters acetylcholine and dopamine, which are significantly reduced in the case of Alzheimer’s and dementia. 

Fukunaga noted that even after cognitive impairment has occurred, administering SAK3 significantly prevents the progression of neurodegeneration, particularly in motor dysfunction and cognition. 

SAK3 also helps manage the damage of misfolded alpha-synuclein, which normally helps regulate the transmission of neurotransmitters in the brain. The protein can misfold, aggregate, and contribute to what is suspected by scientists as a cause behind neurodegenerative symptoms. When the aggregation occurs, it can result in loss of dopamine neurons, which should otherwise help with learning and memory.

This breakthrough is thought to help solve issues of protein misfolding disorders in Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease, on top of Alzheimer’s.

Preventing Dementia

Getting older increased the risk for dementia. However, evidence is quick to show that there are things that can be done to reduce this risk and prevent dementia. Here are some of them:

• Stay physically and mentally active. Exercise regularly to benefit not just your risk of dementia but also your heart and circulation, weight, and mental wellness. Find an exercise routine that works for you, working your way up if you’re just starting out. Thirty minutes of high intensity workouts three times a week are found to help in overall wellbeing.
  Just as important is staying mentally sound. Keep doing activities that interest you mentally and help stimulate you, such as reading, keeping a journal, or doing brain exercises.
• Eat a balanced diet. Eat at least five portions of vegetables and fruits every day, along with protein twice a week. Manage your intake of carbohydrates if you are trying to shed the extra pounds, and consume healthy fats like olive oil, avocado, and nuts and seeds. Drink at least eight glasses of water daily.
• Stop smoking and lessen your alcohol intake. Smoking and excess alcohol consumption can both increase your chances of dementia in senior years. Set yourself a limit for alcohol and keep track of what you’re drinking.
  
• Take a high-quality dietary supplement. Whether for brain enhancement or another health goal, consider supplementing if you don’t get an optimum amount of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and antioxidants. This is part of taking control of your health, but note that safety far outweighs any purported benefits. 

Has your ADHD medication stopped working or made your symptoms worse? You are not alone: standard prescription medications for treating ADHD symptoms are not foolproof, and statistics in fact shows that as many as 30 percent of children with ADHD hardly respond to stimulants or cannot bear the side effects. About 1 in 3 adults with the condition also do not improve on these standard treatments. 

If your medication has ceased working suddenly or gradually, there may be a couple of reasons involved. Here are five that you may look at and investigate. 

1. You May Be Taking the Wrong Dose or Class of Stimulant

One of two problems can pinpoint the reason for insufficient coverage of ADHD symptoms: you are either taking the wrong class of stimulant or too low a dose. If this is the case, you may begin weekly visits to your doctor for the proper adjustment of the medication, and where your symptoms as well as side effects and sensitivities are closely monitored. 

Note, however, that this approach may not work for all patients. This is because unique body chemistry is a factor at play, and only a percentage of patients respond equally well to amphetamine and methylphenidate drugs for their ADHD. 

2. It May Not Be ADHD

Your child’s behavior may be caused by a learning disability, or your case might be set off by a mood or anxiety disorder. These cases aren’t ADHD, and there might be some wrong diagnosis involved. A physician sometimes may write a prescription without asking enough questions or conducting comprehensive tests. 

It’s crucial to note that ADHD diagnosis is not a simple one to make. The case needs to meet several criteria before a diagnosis is made, namely establishing that the behaviors are chronic and pervasive. 

3. Improper Intake or Adherence Issues

Your child may resist or refuse to take medication. If this is what’s happening, then it’s time to educate the patient about the ADHD medication. This might entail explaining ADHD and how it affects their life, as well as how the medication helps manage the symptoms. 

Don’t forget to mention that there might be side effects, but that they will be properly addressed by the doctor. Cooperation and patience are a key to dealing with ADHD and making therapy work. 

4. Coexisting Disorders

A disorder that occurs with ADHD at the same time may impede the effectiveness of the medication. The patient may also have a separate medical condition that produces ADHD-like symptoms, such as infection-triggered autoimmune encephalitis. 

5. ADHD Drugs Don’t Work All the Time

You might notice that many problems occur before the medication starts working or when the dose barely lasts the full four or eight hours stated on the label. This isn’t anything out of the ordinary: prescription drugs are not expected to work all the time and again depend on the person’s unique biochemistry or reaction to the stimulant. 

It then makes sense to take smart strategies to manage ADHD effectively the drug-free way. To keep a child calm and focused in the morning as well as to prevent crashes in the afternoon, initiating a new natural therapy or treatment might help. 

Aside from reconfiguring the dosage schedule or medication to use for ADHD, it might be worth exploring a new clean diet, exercise regimen, or dietary supplement for cognitive and behavioral enhancement to manage ADHD and its symptoms.

 

How does anxiety affect the brain? Most of us experience anxiety at least once in our lives. And while there’s no denying it’s a normal human emotion, what exactly happens behind closed doors in our brains?

Anxiety affects everyone differently, but if you’ve ever experienced panic attacks, you know that these emotions can mess with your head. That’s why it’s essential to understand how anxiety works in the brain.

Anxiety is something everyone has experienced at least once. People often find themselves anxious because of their surroundings or situations. It’s estimated that around 40% of people suffer from anxiety disorders. In fact, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, anxiety disorders affect approximately 18 million Americans.

This blog post will show you how anxiety affects the brain.

So, what is an anxiety attack? You might have felt uneasy or distressed this morning over a school submission or a work presentation. This is normal. However, if you find that your worries and fears are getting out of hand and have become debilitating, then you might consider that you’re living with an anxiety-based condition.

Anxiety Effects of Brain

Your brain is responsible for controlling all of your actions and reactions. Your brain also influences your emotions. There could be many causes of anxiety. So, when we talk about “brain effects,” we mean those things directly related to your brain.

So let us try to understand that how anxiety impacts your brain.

1. The Amygdala: The amygdala is part of your limbic system. One of the most important parts of your brain and plays a fundamental role in processing fear. The amygdala processes information that is associated with stress and danger. When the amygdala detects something that causes us concern, it sends signals to the hypothalamus, regulating hormones like cortisol.
2. Hippocampus: The hippocampus integrates memories and stores them as long-term memories. It also helps form new memories. If you recall, the hippocampus is where many of your emotional memories are stored. It also serves as a sort of “memory bank.”
3. Hypothalamus: The hypothalamus receives messages from the amygdala and other brain parts and controls hormone levels. It also produces hormones like cortisol.
4. Cortisol: Cortisol is a steroid produced in response to stress. It influences how your body reacts to stressors and can make you feel tired, angry, stressed, fearful, anxious, etc.
5. Norepinephrine: Norepinephrine is another neurotransmitter that regulates moods, energy, and arousal. Usually, it is released during times of high stress and anxiety.
6. Serotonin: Serotonin is a chemical messenger that helps regulate sleep patterns, appetite, sexual behavior, mood, and more. It’s involved in regulating feelings of depression, anxiety, anger, fatigue, motivation, and pleasure.
7. Dopamine: Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that contributes to reward-seeking behaviors and addictive substances. It’s involved in learning, memory, movement, attention, and mood.
8. Acetylcholine: Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that helps control muscle movements, salivation, breathing, digestion, vision, and hearing.
9. Glutamate: Glutamate is a major excitatory neurotransmitter found primarily in the central nervous system. It is essential for transmitting nerve impulses throughout the body and is required for learning and memory.
10. GABA: Gamma-aminobutyric acid is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that reduces excessive activity in the brain. It’s involved in maintaining muscle tone and inhibiting involuntary movements.

Mental diseases caused by anxiety

Anxiety disorders are chronic mental illnesses characterized by intense apprehension or dread and physical symptoms such as restlessness, difficulty concentrating, insomnia, irritability, muscle tension, and frequent headaches. Anxiety disorders include:

• Generalized anxiety disorder.
• Panic disorder.
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder.
• Social phobia.
• Specific phobias.
• Posttraumatic stress disorder.
• Separation anxiety disorder.

There are several types of anxiety disorders. These common conditions affect millions of people worldwide. Most are treatable with medications and psychotherapy. There are also natural treatments available to help manage anxiety.

Generalized anxiety disorder

Generalized anxiety disorder affects 6% of Americans and is defined as having persistent worry and trouble relaxing. In this case, the person has what is known as a “fear of the unknown” and cannot focus on anything else. They constantly think about how they will react to any situation and anticipate adverse outcomes. Although these thoughts may seem irrational to others, they are genuine to the sufferer.

Panic attacks

Panic attacks occur suddenly with physical anxiety symptoms and without warning. People who experience them often describe shortness of breath, dizziness, sweating, numbness, cold sweats, chest pain, and nausea. The attack lasts from five minutes to an hour, but it feels much longer.

During the attack, the sufferer is unable to function. This includes not talking, eating, drinking, using the bathroom, driving, working, or even taking care of their children. Afterward, they may be left feeling exhausted, drained, and unable to cope with daily life.

Anxiety attack vs. Panic attack

People can have both an anxiety attack and a panic attack simultaneously. An anxiety attack does not last as long as a panic attack. However, the symptoms are similar. Both involve sudden episodes of extreme fear.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a neurological disorder, and it is characterized by unwanted thoughts or images, called obsessions, which cause distress or prevent someone from functioning normally. A person suffering from OCD tries to eliminate the idea or notion through repetitive rituals, which can become almost impossible to stop.

One example of this would be checking things repeatedly to ensure nothing wrong happens, despite knowing there is no danger. Another would constantly be washing hands, eyes, hair, or other parts of the body until they believe they are clean enough to handle food or contact others.

Social phobia

Social phobia results in significant distress and impairment in areas of everyday life because of fear of interacting with other people in certain situations, especially public places. Physical symptoms of anxiety characterize social phobia, and it involves a fear of embarrassment, humiliation, rejection, ridicule, criticism, disapproval, scrutiny, or failure.

Posttraumatic stress disorder

Posttraumatic stress disorder occurs after exposure to a terrifying event that causes death or serious injury to oneself or another person. It is observed that more than 1.5 million people have PTSD annually in America alone. Symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, depression, anger outbursts, problems sleeping, and hypervigilance for possible future trauma.

Treatments

Anxiety Disorders could well be prevented by using various health supplements and brain oils. Antidepressants can be helpful; however, they usually affect the brain after consumption for more than two weeks. However, other modalities such as psychotherapy and electroconvulsive therapy may also be required in the treatment of chronic stress anxiety.

In terms of supplement consumptions, you’ll need to make sure you start slow and build up gradually.

Key Takeaways

Final Note Most of the damage to the brain, however, may not be completely irreversible, where plasticity allows the brain to achieve some level of regrowth and regeneration. You can also take a few simple steps to fight anxiety, starting with your lifestyle:

• Take a timeout as you need it.
• Eat a raw, wholesome, well-balanced diet.
• Get enough restful sleep.
• Limit alcohol and caffeine intake, which can trigger panic attacks.
• Exercise regularly, favoring high-intensity interval training if you can.
• Practice taking deep breaths and mindful meditation regularly.

 

Do you want to get smarter and learn new things? If yes, then nootropics are your answer!

Nootropics are brain-enhancing supplements that act as cognitive enhancers. These include natural herbs and vitamins.

There are two main types of nootropic supplements: natural and synthetic. Both have their pros and cons.

Nootropics are natural supplements that improve brain function and concentration. These include herbs such as ginkgo Biloba and fish oil. There are also synthetic versions such as Modafinil and methylphenidate.

There isn’t a shortage of nootropics to try on the market if you’re looking to boost your cognitive function and performance. They are roughly classified between natural and prescription or synthetic nootropics, with differences in outcomes, how soon those results manifest, and any potential side effects on the body.

Best Natural Nootropics

Best natural nootropics are usually those taken from plants or other organic sources, which means they don’t require heavy processing like certain drugs do. Some examples include ginkgo Biloba, bacopa monniera, and melatonin.

Natural nootropics tend to be safer than their synthetic counterparts because they usually aren’t as potentially harmful—or even addictive—as some prescription drugs. There is not much research on the long-term use of many natural nootropics, so it’s recommended to make sure the supplement you choose hasn’t been tested for safety before taking it regularly over an extended period.

Synthetic Nootropic Supplements

Some prescription stimulants can increase mental alertness, but they come with risks too when used long-term, such as addiction or heart problems. It’s possible to find these substances online or at your local pharmacy, though these may cost more than comparable natural supplements.

Modafinil is one example of this type of drug. It has been studied extensively and has well-established benefits for treating sleep disorders.

Top 5 Natural and Synthetic nootropics

Here’s a quick exploration of five natural and synthetic nootropics available today.

Caffeine

Ah, good ol’ caffeine. This comes in the form of coffee, tea, energy drinks, and supplements. But we’re just scratching the surface when we talk about caffeine sources, as many common everyday foods and beverages contain this substance.

When consumed in moderate amounts, caffeine can enhance energy and cognition and reduce fatigue and sleep disturbances. Caffeine is considered as one of the major ingredients in several popular energy drinks.

It’s safe, but you should avoid drinking large quantities. Consuming too much caffeine can cause nervousness, insomnia, and anxiety, among other things.

Pros: You get energy, it’s non-addictive, and there are long-term health benefits associated with caffeine consumption. It’s not just for coffee lovers, too, and can provide social interaction and bonding with coffee sessions.

Cons: If you consume it often, you will build tolerance, meaning you will need more and more caffeine to get the same boost. Overdoing your caffeine intake can also lead to side effects like sleeplessness, anxiety, and even tremors.

L-theanine

Naturally found in black and green tea, L-theanine is a joint cognitive supplement. It boasts of a calming and relaxing effect while also improving alertness. In a 2019 study, subjects who took 200 mg of L-theanine tablets for four weeks had reduced stress and enhanced executive function.

How does it work? L-theanine boosts serotonin, dopamine, and GABA, vital in regulating mood and stress.

Pros: Increased focus, better sleep and immune system, and increased focus and neuroprotection.

Cons: You may experience a change in appetite, a drop in blood pressure, GI discomfort, and possible drug interaction.

Green Tea Extract

Green tea contains epigallocatechin gallate polyphenols, which act as antioxidants and protect cell membranes from damage. Polyphenols like EGCG also help boost brain activity, lower stress hormones and support a healthy metabolism. Green tea extract can also help reduce inflammation, which may benefit those with Alzheimer’s disease.

Pros: You can use green tea extract both pre-and post-workout, and it doesn’t have any known negative interactions with other supplements.

Cons: Some studies show that taking EGCG on its own has little effect, so it’s best taken alongside other supplements.

Vitamin B12

Some experts believe that methylcobalamin, or vitamin B12, is a powerful nootropic agent. One study showed that two weeks of daily B12 supplementation improved performance on tests of working memory, reasoning, and logical problem-solving. Experts agree that more research required to be done on this nutrient, but it promises future development.

Pros: According to one study, low doses of B12 have been shown to enhance cognition and memory. These doses aren’t toxic, and B12 deficiency hasn’t been linked to severe conditions.

Cons: B12 may cause stomach problems, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, headaches, migraines, weakness, confusion, irritability, insomnia, and even heart palpitations. High dosages can have side effects, including nausea, muscle spasms, convulsions, kidney damage, nerve damage, anemia, fatigue, and hair loss.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 Fats These building blocks of brain cell membranes couldn’t be more important for cognitive enhancement. They increase the fluidity of cell membranes, which is crucial for brain cell functioning. Studies show that these supplements, usually in fish oil, helped adults who had a mild form of cognitive impairment. Fish Oil May Reduce Depression Risk and Improve Memory Loss Associated With Age

Pros: Omega-3s are also an excellent aid for cardiovascular health, maintenance of cholesterol levels, and overall health and wellness. This has earned these fats a special place in the nutritional supplement space as a brain and overall health enhancer.

Cons: The purity and cleanliness of fish oil source matter, as some fish are high in lead and mercury. It’s essential to ensure you’re getting high-quality omega-3 sources.

Adderall

This prescription drug is commonly prescribed to individuals with ADHD and even narcolepsy. This stimulant works by enhancing dopamine and norepinephrine levels, improving focus and concentration. Adderall has also been linked to better alertness and energy levels.

Experts, however, point to a ceiling effect with stimulants such as this, as people with OK levels of attention may not be able to “supercharge” their brain or become super intelligent. It is essential to conduct a brain fog test before consuming such supplements.

Brain Fog Test

Brain fog test helps rule out conditions such as brain fog depression which is characterized by difficulty in gathering thought and having clear thinking. Similarly, it can also detect brain fog anxiety and fatigue, which is more consistent with chronic fatigue syndrome.

To test whether or not your mind is foggy, ask yourself the following questions.

1) How much effort am I making when reading a book or article online?

2) When working on a task, how easily distracted am I by phone, email, or family members?

3) Do I find myself struggling to remember names or faces at times?

4) Does my mind wander during conversations?

5) Am I having difficulty focusing on one task for very long?

6) Is my short-term memory suffering?

Yoh should know that you might benefit from taking nootropics. If the answer to any of these questions is yes.

This can help you determine what type of nootropic would suit your needs the best.

Pros: Stimulants like Adderall have an excellent track record in helping ward off distractions present in daily life.

Cons: However, they have been associated with side effects such as jitters, trouble sleeping, appetite loss, irritability, dizziness, headaches, depression, weight loss, and similar products. It’s best to work with your doctor as this is a prescription drug, and there’s plenty of monitoring that may need to be done to prevent adverse reactions.

Modafinil

This prescription drug is a hit for those looking for wakefulness. It’s prescribed for patients with narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea, as well as conditions such as shift work sleep disorder.

How it works is that Modafinil increases dopamine levels. The increased levels may assist in improving memory, concentration, and motivation, to name a few.

Pros: The Modafinil “brain state” stays a while, meaning it may make you feel super-smart for quite a long time.

Cons: If you started taking it while young, you risk becoming dependent on the drug to work hard. Unfortunately, Modafinil also runs your system significantly hard or for more than 16 hours or so, which means you may experience a particularly taxing effect on your immune system.

Are Nootropics Safe?

While nootropics are safe, you still need to exercise caution around them. If you wish to try something new, the first thing you should do is research it thoroughly and make sure there aren’t any serious risks involved. Not all nootropic supplements are created equal, and some are far from harmless. That being said, most of the ones we’ve discussed here are relatively harmless.

Key takeaways

There are many different pills on the market today, but we only lasted about five of them here. We did our best to list the top five natural and synthetic nootropics without including supplements already covered elsewhere, such as choline, B vitamins, creatine, etc.

We think these nootropics are among the safest and best supplements, but that doesn’t mean that others won’t offer potential benefits.

If you think that some people are simply born or made happier than others, then think again. Recent research has shown that your brain can rewire itself – through various ways of repeated thinking, feeling, and acting. The brain, after all, can change, be changed, and isn’t set in stone even in your adult years. 

So have you ever thought that maybe you can train your brain for happiness?

Of course, being happy doesn’t occur all the time. There are times when it’s perfectly normal to feel sad, anxious, or just out of it. Life can happen: someone can go through a breakup, lose a job or friend, or go through a negative phase. However, it’s possible to cultivate happiness as a habit, where you pay more attention to your positive thoughts than negative ones. 

Here are five strategies you can use for this specific brain training:

1. Are you thinking positively? Ask yourself this question and assess yourself closely. It might surprise you but the simple act of asking this question can help you start becoming more of a positive thinker. This is because of metacognition, a term that refers to thinking about thinking and can work as a natural memory aid. As a first step, ask yourself regularly whether you are thinking positively – then you can take it from there. 
2. Use happy words and happy associations. Try to memorize a list of “happy” words, or those that you associate with being in a happy state. This works because when the brain is forced to use these positive words, the words become more accessible and activated easily in the brain. If you feel your vocabulary isn’t serving this purpose completely, you may refer to a list measured on the so-called valence scale by psychologists, including words such as “love” and “joy.” 

At the same time, you may use associations more frequently. For example, you may associate happiness with things you commonly see every day, such as the animals you find in your neighborhood or things you like. 

1. Write about what makes you happy. Put into writing something that made you happy for the day: a compliment, something that happened in school or at work, or something unexpected. Similarly, you may practice savoring regularly; this means you stop and dwell on how it makes you feel when you get a compliment or a gift in any form. 
2. Be easier on yourself. This means celebrating small wins and successes, such as being able to practice gratitude often and take a few minutes every day writing about your positive experiences. This fights the tendency to diminish your own accomplishments, which is another common barrier to happiness. So get in the habit of congratulating yourself for meeting your goals, no matter how big or small they are. 
3. Give yourself time and patience. Let the “brain training” take place as long as it should. Adjust your behavior in certain areas at a time. Raising your happiness set points, as psychological counselor Linda Arnold suggests, entails creating new grooves via repeating various behaviors. 

Final Note on Happiness Training

These are easy, highly doable steps in finding happiness and holding on to it. According to what scientists know about brain plasticity, you can actually think of happiness as a skill that isn’t any different from learning how to play a sport or a new hobby. You can train your brain to be happy. 

In life and in brain enhancement, it pays to be patient and recognize every little progress you’re making. Combine this with smart lifestyle habits like a clean and wholesome diet, adequate sleep, and regular physical activity, and you have a great chance of developing happiness from within. 

 

We’ve practically seen hyperactivity in numerous forms: A child that won’t stay still in class or at the dinner table, or a young adult finding it difficult to sit still to concentrate on and complete a task.

ADHD and hyperactive conditions command a multibillion prescription drug industry, with ADHD diagnoses in children increasing by about 41% from 2003 to 2011, according to CDC estimates. Eleven percent of kids from ages 4 to 7 are also estimated to be diagnosed with ADHD as of 2011, already translating to about 6.4 million children. 

If you’re among those who aren’t comfortable in using medications for calming hyperactivity, know that there are natural solutions you can try. Here are some of them. 

Watch out for potential allergens 

Diets that restrict these allergens may help address behaviors in ADHD patients. Check with an allergy doctor if you suspect allergies may play a part in the hyperactivity. Foods in question typically include chemical preservatives such as those in potato chips, cereals, and commercial snacks; chocolate; milk and eggs; and foods that contain salicylates, which include chili powder, cider, apples, berries, and prunes. 

Spend more time outdoors

Spending time outside may benefit ADHD patients, as research strongly shows that even just 20 minutes of outdoor time can improve their concentration. Particularly helpful is spending time in greenery and nature settings. 

Green space has long been studied as a safe, natural therapy to help people with ADHD. 

Try yoga and relaxation techniques

According to a number of small studies, yoga may serve as a complementary treatment for ADHD. Findings reveal that it correlates with significant improvements in areas of anxiety, hyperactivity, and social behaviors in boys with ADHD practicing regular yoga on top of their everyday medicine. 

Similar improvements in anxiety and hyperactivity have been seen in teens participating in tai chi classes twice weekly for five weeks. 

Promote optimum nutrition

Vitamins and minerals play a significant role in naturally addressing ADHD. Foods in everyday diet can work in conjunction with nutritional supplements such as nootropics or brain enhancers designed for adults and children. 

Some that have been deemed helpful for hyperactivity are B vitamins, which are key to a healthy nervous system; vitamin C, involved in numerous functions and needed by the brain to make neurotransmitters; zinc, a mineral regulating dopamine and may contribute to attention problems if deficient in your diet; and iron, which helps make dopamine and low levels of which have been linked to ADHD symptoms. 

Promote exercise and energetic play

Just as important is exercise, which improves both ADHD symptoms and executive functions. According to mounting research, there is not one type of exercise that is better than others; all of them appear to help ADHD. 

What may be most important to consider is what the hyperactive child enjoys doing and is motivated to do regularly. It could be running, yoga, or martial art classes. Energetic play is also recommended and can range from using the trampoline to spending time with friends on a bike or in the park. 

Solving hyperactivity does not need to involve overprescribing medications or drastic measures. One can always start with good, optimum nutrition, regular movement, and behavioral therapies that don’t cost a dime.

Outside of a raging global pandemic, plenty of children around the world already exhibit behaviors that seem difficult to manage. Now with COVID-19 changing their routines in therapy and learning, kids with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have more to deal with in areas of hyperactivity, impulsivity, inattention, and similar symptoms. 

COVID-19 Stress and ADHD Symptoms

Children with ADHD struggle not only with attention symptoms but also with executive function skills, namely organizing which tasks to start first, managing, finishing, and keeping track of tools for it. 

Potentially increasing a child’s ADHD symptoms are varying routines and schedules, whether they are at home or in school. These behaviors often signal a child having stress, affecting learning and development, focus on tasks and remembering, as well as behaving properly, e.g., appearing restless or struggling to stay calm. 

During the global pandemic, it is crucial to keep in mind that a child with ADHD is not getting easily distract, being disorganized, or uncooperative on purpose. Parents should definitely expect more behavioral issues during this time of added stress. 

Some Helpful Tips to Keep the Child Focused

Here are some ways that you can play on your child’s strengths during the pandemic and manage a unique time like the pandemic. 

1. Establish a clear routine. This involves setting clear and age-appropriate rules and expectations within this routine, such as what times of the day or night are for learning-related or personal discovery tasks or activities. 
2. Seek social support. In recognizing the increased stress at this time and aiming to address it, seek support from teachers, pediatricians, or counselors who know your child quite well and can connect you with useful resources for parents of children with ADHD.
3. Does your child have an Individualized Education Program (IEP)? If yes, continue having a written plan for support, such as for speech therapy or customized reading instruction. This way, learning can be supported, accommodated, and modified as needed.
4. Give your children the gift of choice. Let the student choose the best time of learning for them, specifically if they are in remote learning. The child may also create a visual schedule or checklist of tasks, promoting interest and willingness to work with an updated plan. 
5. Promote positive attention. This puts the attention on the child’s efforts and positive attributes, versus specific, rash feedback on their impulse control issues. A specific “Great job on your reading homework!” hits differently from a generic “Good job” uttered from a different room in the house.
6. Clear the workspace. For kids having trouble focusing, having a clean, distraction-free workspace enables them to get into a mindset ripe for concentration. A neat, functional dedicated workspace can get and keep them engaged during remote learning engagement, particularly if their days are filled with Zoom sessions and homework.
7. Consider learning bursts and offer free time. Instead of having a highly structured school day in mind, think in terms of learning bursts, which according to research helps children truly focus and work effectively for about 45 minutes at the most. 

You might hear about this as “chunking,” or engaging children for a period of time that works realistically with their attention span and promotes breaks. Take note that kids and adolescents with ADHD greatly benefit from free play breaks, which then help use their brains in various ways and build a set of skills. 

1. Be present. Deliver to your promise of moments of undivided attention to the child. They rely on it and recognize boundaries when they are there. 
2. Provide strong nutritional support. Nutritional aids like nootropics, a balanced diet,regular exercise routine, and other interventions give children with ADHD a good foundation for enhancing their focus, intelligence, memory, creativity, and motivation. 

Remember that many students, not just those with ADHD or special needs, have difficulty acquiring new information during stressful times. They might need to go through the same material over and over again. They might also require more hands-on supervision. Provide a reasonable amount of added support as a parent and don’t forget to breathe! Your child needs you now more than ever, so recognizing the challenge early on and making small yet meaningful steps matter.