Natural brain boosters & study aids

YOU’VE ATTENDED EVERY LECTURE, read every book and study aid and you’ve been up all night revising for the big test or exam – is there anything else you can do to help boost your chance of success?

Your brain is just like any other organ in the body, it needs to receive the right combination of nutrients to keep in tip-top condition. Your adrenal glands too need the correct nutrition to help you cope with stress.

Consider supplementing with the B-complex vitamins to help you convert your food into energy.

Essential fatty acids help maintain the connections in the nervous system including the brain. Glutamine is a key neurotransmitter to enhance mental alertness. Ginkgo will help improve memory and boost blood circulation to the brain. Rhodiola supports the adrenal glands and helps you to adapt to stress.

Eat well, sleep well and supplement for at least a month before the big day.

Vitamin B1

An important study into the effects of the epilepsy drug Dilantin (phenytoin) on vitamin B1 (thiamine) status found that thiamin supplementation (50 to 100mg daily) improved mental functions in both verbal and non-verbal IQ testing.

Other clinical study has found application in thiamin therapy with Alzheimer’s disease. It has been found that Alzheimer’s sufferers exhibit severe depletion of the important neurotransmitter, acetylcholine in certain areas of the brain. It appears thiamin can action and mimic the activities of acetylcholine and clinical trials using 3 to 8 grams daily, have shown improved mental function in Alzheimer’s and general senility.

Vitamin B5

Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) is found in varying amounts in virtually every food, hence its name derived from the Greek pantos, meaning everywhere.

It is a water-soluble vitamin that has a key role in the release of energy from foods. It is used in the manufacture of co-enzyme A and Acyl Carrier Protein, both important compounds in the breakdown of carbohydrates and fats and the manufacture of red blood cells.

Vitamin B5 is the main nutrient for nourishing the adrenal glands. It is needed by the adrenal glands to make glucocorticoids, which may be the reason that B5 is known as the anti-stress vitamin.

Vitamin B6

Research indicates that 10-20% of autistic children will benefit from B6 supplementation when combined with magnesium supplements. It appears to improve the activity of several important brain neurotransmitters.

Folic acid

Folic acid is part of the B-complex family and promotes the growth and maturation of the body’s red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body. In one study, people who became easily fatigued were found to have low levels of this B vitamin. As their folate levels rose, symptoms of fatigue also disappeared (Clinical Psychiatry News, April 1976).

Folic acid deficiency is the most common vitamin deficiency in the world, with a recorded 67 percent of geriatric patients folate-deficient. Another survey showed 30 percent of psychiatric patients suffering with folate deficiency.

Inositol

More research needs to be undertaken, but initial trials have shown inositol—another nutrient in the B-complex - of benefit in depression and panic disorder.

Essential Fatty Acids – Golden Flax oil – brain and nerve support

EFAs are required for healthy cell membrane structures, particularly in nerve cells as they are required for the myelin sheath (insulation around the nerve cell). In children, EFAs (DHA specifically) are required for brain development.

Glutamine - memory

Glutamine crosses the blood /brain barrier readily and is converted into Glutamic acid in the brain. As a key neurotransmitter it helps increase mental function, alertness, and exerts a mild anti-depressant effect. Glutamine and other amino acids such as choline, tyrosine and phenylalanine are used by the brain and central nervous system (CNS) to make neurotransmitters--biochemical mediators that stimulate or reduce the brain's electrical impulses, which translate into thoughts, sensations and emotions. Different neurotransmitters can also influence perceptions of energy or fatigue. Neurotransmitters appear to get metabolized, or "used up," as a normal part of body function. Heavy mental or physical stress may cause the CNS to metabolize more neurotransmitters, so whether depletion is caused by intensive concentration, a demanding job or exercise, full replenishment of these essential biochemicals is vital to keep the brain "tuned up."
Neurotransmitter production is thought to increase when the amino acids they are formed from are supplemented in the diet. If this is true for glutamine, nutritional strategies that replenish it may also boost perception of energy or help prevent mental fatigue.

Ginkgo – memory, blood circulation to the brain

Ginkgo contains substances that may help to maintain a healthy circulation, particularly to the brain. As a result, it has been studied for its ability to help maintain mental alertness.

Results of a controlled UK study published in Phytotherapy Research Journal has given further support to the theory that ginkgo biloba can improve mental function, particularly short-term memory.

Rigney et al studied the immediate effect of standardized extracts of ginkgo biloba in a randomized double blind, placebo-controlled trial. It was found that ginkgo biloba extract had the most pronounced effect on the working memory.

Rhodiola – stress management

As a powerful adaptogen, rhodiola offers broad non-specific effects supporting overall body function particularly via adrenal stress.

An adaptogenic herb is one that helps the body adapt to various stressors, whether they are physical, mental or environmental. Rhodiola is a superior plant and is generally regarded as harmless whilst exerting profound supportive effects.

Given that we are basically a primitive organism struggling to adapt to a modern high technological environment, now more than ever adaptogens offer protection against the negative effects of stress.

Rhodiola has been shown to increase the levels of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) and creatine phosphate in muscle tissue. The level of fatty acids in the blood has also been shown to increase with the use of rhodiola.

Some research shows that lower levels of dopamine and norepinephrine increase the mental capacity of the brain.

Because of rhodiola’s ability to regulate the release of these hormones, improved mental performance has been noted.

Rhodiola has also been shown to effectively increase physical stamina and endurance.

 

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These documents are reproduced with kind permission from Viridian-Nutrition.