As you age, your body will start to slow down. You will notice that your energy tank often gets depleted by day’s end. You will start to feel sluggish, and your focus and alertness will start to subside. Aging can affect both your physical and mental performance.
Oftentimes, we pay more attention to our physical needs than we do to our mental faculties. We exercise to get rid of those excess fats and use the latest creams to address forming lines and wrinkles. However, how many of us give equal attention to our brain health?
One way to improve physical performance is through supplements, and to enhance brain function, taking of brain boosters is a good option. These supplements for the brain may not necessarily increase IQ, but studies show the benefits of adding one into your regimen. So what are these brain boosters?
According to Ray Sahelian, MD, author of Mind Boosters and a family practitioner in Marina Del Ray, California, brain boosters could mean several things. They could be herbs or nutrients that enhance clarity of thinking, alertness, focus, concentration, memory, and even mood.
Those who take brain supplements report a noticeable improvement on their focus and alertness. They claim to be more motivated and able to process information faster.
Although these brain boosters are not stimulants, such as caffeine and amphetamine, in the strict sense, they are shown to stimulate brain activity. Herbs contain dozen of compounds that result in better memory and brain performance.
Food for Your Brain
Ginkgo biloba and improved oxygen flow
Recent research has been looking into ginkgo biloba, the leaf of the ginkgo tree. The herb is native to China and one of the oldest plants on the planet.
Research interest is due to the herb’s capacity to treat Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related mental decline. Several studies show the ability of ginkgo biloba to help these conditions. By thinning the blood, the herb helps improve the flow of oxygen to the brain. Because the brain needs healthy level of oxygen to function optimally, this ability of ginkgo biloba produces desirable benefits.
Better memory with resveratrol
Previous studies show the benefits of resveratrol in heart health, but more recent studies also confirm its beneficial effects on brain function, memory in particular.
World Health reported the study by AV Witte from the NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence/Charite (Germany) and colleagues on the effect of resveratrol on mental health. They enrolled 23 healthy, overweight older individuals, ages 50-75 years, matched to 23 control subjects, in a 26-week long study.
These subjects underwent memory tasks and neuroimaging of their hippocampus which is responsible for various memory functions. They did this prior to and following intervention/control period in which the subjects were given 200 mg/day of RESVERATROL as a food supplement. The result showed that the group that received resveratrol supplement had better word retention over 30 minutes compared to the placebo group.
Resveratrol is one of the abundant formulations of LifeBotanica’s Age-Defying supplement. Its genetic nutrition especially works at cellular lever to ensure optimum results. The Age-Defying formula also contains Proprietary Super Fruit Blends that is shown to improve neuronal and cognitive functions of the brain. Additionally, its berry antioxidants (such as anthocyanins) are beneficial for cardiovascular health reducing age-associated oxidative stress.
With all these promising studies as to the multiple benefits of taking food supplements in improving mental health and memory, Sahelian warns about the detrimental effect of sleep deprivation. He points out that brain boosters will not do much for a person who habitually gets inadequate sleep.
“Deep sleep, out of anything, is probably the most important factor in preserving memory and clarity of thinking during the day,” he says.
