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The amino acid L-tryptophan - responsible for your well-being
Ever heard of L-tryptophan? Probably not, although this amino acid is extremely important for your well-being. Various factors, such as stress and an unhealthy diet have a negative impact on L-tryptophan and are thus the reason for negative mood. In this article, you will see how exactly the amino acid works in your body and if your needs are actually met.How L-tryptophan works as a natural mood enhancerL-tryptophan is fascinating because it is rarely found in food, but at the same time takes over many important tasks in your body and metabolism. The amino acid is particularly important for one thing: it is the building block for releasing the happy hormone "serotonin". This means that L-tryptophan directly influences your mood. Thus, the better you are supplied with the amino acid L-tryptophan, the higher your levels of serotonin, and the better your mood will be. Are you interested in the happy hormone serotonin? Then we have summarized everything important and exciting for you here.The improved supply of L-tryptophan and therefore the increase of your serotonin level can do even more good. A study at the Neurobehavioral Research Laboratory in San Antonio, Texas has now been able to bring a shortage of L-tryptophan in connection with a variety of other mental and physical health problems. Researchers have found out that L-tryptophan not only helps against mood swings but also against insomnia, stress and reduced memory performance.¹ Because L-tryptophan is in a sense, the precursor to the formation of serotonin, the body needs serotonin to form the sleep hormone melatonin at night. Thus, a deficiency of L-tryptophan is not only associated with a lack of serotonin and a worsening of your mood, but also with the so important sleep hormone, which regulates your sleep and ensures relaxation. If you sleep badly, your stress level increases, you lack energy for the day, and you find it difficult to concentrate. If you suffer from bad well-being, decreased memory performance, and insomnia, this may be an indication of a lack of L-tryptophan. The good news: Even a small increase in the amino acid ensures improvement.Take-Home-Message #1: L-tryptophan is essential for the body and building materials for the happy hormone serotonin and the sleep hormone melatonin. If too little of the neurotransmitter is available, it leads to reduced well-being.The key role of L-tryptophanBy increasing your level of serotonin naturally through the amino acid L-tryptophan, it can have a positive influence on various factors in relation to the mind and body. We have summarized the three most important ones here.1. L-tryptophan and mood swings A study by Washington University has dealt with the relationship between depression and serotonin and has now been able to show that a low level of serotonin is a major reason for mood swings and poor well-being.² Similar to the functionality of antidepressants, serotonin levels in the brain are increased. If there is too little serotonin present in the brain, which acts as a chemical neurotransmitter, then impulse conduction between neurons no longer functions correctly. The so-called serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) increase the concentration of serotonin again. Unfortunately, serotonin cannot be absorbed as a "building material" that easily, but can only be increased through additional L-tryptophan. Therefore, you should ensure that your brain has sufficient L-tryptophan.2. L-tryptophan and decreased memory performance Low tryptophan levels can lead to both long-term, and short-term reduced memory performance and affect other cognitive functions. A study by the University of Bordeaux found out that tryptophan improved memory in both healthy adults and adults with memory loss.³ The principle is similar to the positive effect of tryptophan on mood. If there is too little amino acid available in the brain, then a lack of neurotransmitters will develop in the brain. You are mentally blocked, as it was because the stimulus transmission of information does no longer function properly.3. L-tryptophan and insomnia As already mentioned, L-tryptophan is also an important component of the sleep hormone melatonin. It is therefore just as essential as the happy hormone serotonin. If there is too little L-tryptophan present, this can lead to insomnia. Increasing the amino acid may help you go back to sleep faster, help you sleep longer in total, and help you wake up less during the night. According to recent findings, L-tryptophan promotes your restful sleep by keeping serotonin levels almost unchanged during the day, so enough melatonin can be built up when falling asleep at night.Take-Home-Message #2: L-tryptophan plays a key role in your overall well-being. If you do not have enough supply of the amino acid, it can cause mood swings, decreased memory performance, and insomnia.These foods have the highest proportion of L-tryptophanIf you keep a balanced diet, you will have a daily input of about 3.5 to 6 mg of tryptophan in your diet. However, each person has individual requirements. Because of this, it is recommended to incorporate as many foods with a high content of L-tryptophan into your own diet in time to prevent a possible shortage. Tryptophan is not free in foods but is always bound to proteins. Therefore, animal and vegetarian foods such as eggs, meat, cheese, fish, beans, or seeds have an extremely high protein content and are thus good for your tryptophan intake. With the preparation of these foods, you do not have to pay attention to anything special, because the amino acid is heat-resistant and not water-soluble (with the preparation of these foods, you do not have to pay attention to anything special, because the amino acid is heat-resistant. Because of the lipophile character of the amino acid, it is beneficial to take in those foods together with some fat or oil).Here is an overview of foods with the highest tryptophan content: - Eggs- Spirulina/algae - Fish - Poultry, beef, lamb - Dairy products of all kinds (yogurt, cheese, etc.) - Sesame, walnuts, cashews- Oats, quinoa, brown rice- Tomatoes - BananasTake-Home-Message #3: L-tryptophan can be readily easily absorbed through food. The amino acid can be found especially in foods containing protein. L-tryptophan is by the way also an ingredient in our BRAINEFFECT MOOD.Studies1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2908021/2. https://source.wustl.edu/2002/01/low-serotoninreceptor-levels-linked-to-depression/3. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/07853890008998828
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Detoxifying your body: The 5 best tips and methods
You want to detoxify your body but don't have time for a week-long cure? Here you get the most important tips to cleanse your body from the inside out. Table of contents What does "detoxify the body" mean? 5 Tips on how to detoxify your body at home Tip 1: Antioxidants Tip 2: Reduce stress Tip 3: Sweat out toxins Tip 4: Drink less alcohol and avoid nicotine Tip 5: The right diet Conclusion Sources 1. What does "detoxify the body" mean?The detoxification of the body is very much in vogue at the moment and has many names, including "detoxify", "detoxify" or "fast for healing". All these phenomena describe the same process, namely to free your body from all toxins and to cleanse it from within, so to speak.Your body has some mechanisms to detoxify itself, but sometimes the negative influences from the environment get the better of you and you may feel tired, lacking in energy or get sick more often. The goal of detoxifying the body is to feel better, healthier and more powerful.The pollutants can attack your physical and mental performance, settle in your cells and weaken your immune system. What can help against this is the detoxification of the body, which is useful about once a year.But what exactly happens during detox? The central aim is to transport harmful substances out of your bloodstream, liver, intestines, skin, kidneys, lymphatic system and lungs. How does it work? Right at the top of the list is nutrition, but reducing stress and pollutants from the environment also plays an important role!Many people combine the detoxification of their own body with a complex and expensive cure, where only drinking water and tea is allowed. But there are also numerous ways in which you can detoxify your body from home - without tormenting yourself and without a strict plan or recipe. Sometimes it is enough to support the body's own detox processes with small hacks.2. 5 tips on how to detoxify your body from homeDetoxification can also work well from home, and you are in control of how successful it is. All you have to do is adjust some things in your diet or lifestyle. These changes can significantly reduce the levels of harmful substances in your body and thus improve your well-being and performance. The following 6 detox methods are best suited to detoxify the liver, kidneys, intestines and your brain:3. Tip 1: AntioxidantsYour body already has a powerful weapon that can fight off invading pollutants. This weapon is called antioxidants. These antioxidants can be found in the form of vitamin C in many fruits, green tea, black pepper or omega-3 fatty acids, especially astaxanthin.The antioxidants ensure that the cells in your body and brain are protected and not attacked by harmful substances. Antioxidants are therefore the most natural way to detoxify your body from home. As a study from China found out, antioxidants help eliminate reactive oxygen compounds in your body¹.These oxygen compounds are called free radicals and react with the cells in your body, i.e. they attack your cells and make them age faster. This is not only critical for the health of your body, but also for your brain.As a recent study by the University of Texas found out, the antioxidants protect the neurons in your brain². The study found that in regions where antioxidants are an integral part of the diet, neurodegenerative diseases were less common and, on the contrary, showed improved mental performance. So they are definitely the best choice to detoxify the body from the inside.4. Tip 2: Reduce stressSounds simpler than I said, but stress is actually one of the most important things you can do when it comes to detoxifying your body. Stress becomes a problem especially when it is chronic because then your body is in a permanent state of emergency, which is known as "distress".As a study by Stanford University has now found out, this distress is damaging to numerous important functions in your body³. It causes your immune system to stop working so well, weakens your cardiovascular system and stress is the absolute poison for your mental performance!Researchers at Stanford University have now found out why this is so. Are you standing chronically under stress, will increase the hormone Cortisol. In certain areas of the brain, cortisol causes the nerve cells to age more rapidly and even prevents the formation of new nerve cells. So if you want to detoxify your body, reducing cortisol is definitely one of the most important factors to improve your overall health and especially mental performance!5. Tip 3: Sweat out toxinsOne of the most relaxing methods to detoxify the body is the sauna. Taking a sauna is not only helpful in reducing stress but also detoxifies the body in other ways. Firstly, the heat stimulates your metabolism and strengthens the immune system.But the heat has a particularly detoxifying effect on your skin. When it is hot, your body starts to sweat to cool the body down. This causes a loss of fluid, but other substances are also removed through sweat, such as toxins.Your body temperature rises during the sauna, which increases blood circulation to the cells. This increased blood circulation is also helpful in detoxifying the body because the toxins can be removed more quickly. The last positive side effect is that heat and sweat cause your upper skin layers to swell and dead skin cells are removed. The sauna is definitely an all-rounder and can detoxify your body from inside and outside.6. Tip 4: Drink less alcohol and avoid nicotineYou have it in your hands and decide which pollutants you want to introduce into your body. Of course, for many people, alcohol and nicotine are the stimulants that can give you a feeling of relaxation. But for your body, they are exactly the opposite, namely harmful substances.So if you want to detoxify your body, alcohol and nicotine are the two main pollutants you should avoid. The ingredients of the cigarette not only damage your lungs in the first instance but also have a subsequent effect on your heart, your immune system, and your skin.Your body can't do anything about it. Your body can neither compensate nor break down the harmful substances of nicotine. Also, the alcohol has to be broken down in your liver by a great deal of effort. This process damages the cell structure of the liver and can slow down the breakdown of fatty acids.7. Tip 5: The right dietAnother tip is aimed at the internal detoxification of the body. Because everything you eat affects the health of your body. Many people are not aware of how many toxins they add to their own body every day. There is a large number of foods that are beneficial to the health of your intestines and can even bind toxins.Above all, these include fiber-rich foods such as wholemeal products, linseed, and fresh berries. These contain fiber that binds toxins in the intestines and promotes their excretion. But even small, inconspicuous foods contain a lot of power. First and foremost, garlic has a preventive effect, so to speak, when it comes to detoxifying the body.Garlic has antibacterial and antibiotic properties that protect the body from disease, reduce inflammation and strengthen the immune system! It is also important to drink plenty of water - 2-3 liters per day is best. So even better than just avoiding harmful substances is to eat healthy food that even binds harmful substances and thus detoxifies your body even better.The superstar among the foods that detoxify the body is chlorella algae or the powder made from it. By binding harmful substances to itself, chlorella algae channel them out of the body and have an extremely detoxifying effect. The powder can be easily integrated into the morning green smoothie! In addition, the Paleo diet is an excellent form of nutrition for a healthy body.8. ConclusionDetoxify the body, fasting, and detox all mean the process of ridding the body of harmful substances. Here we are talking about free radicals. These can be broken down again with the help of antioxidants, reduced stress, sweating, less consumption of alcohol and nicotine and a healthy, balanced and wholesome diet. 9. Sources[1] https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/ref/10.1179/1476830511Y.0000000035?scroll=top&[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3183139/[3] https://www.jneurosci.org/content/10/9/2897.short
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Vitamin K - Discover the strengths of an underestimated vitamin
Vitamin K doesn’t belong to the stars among the vitamins. Yet when it comes to a healthy and balanced diet, Vitamin K is essential. Vitamin K is extremely important when it comes to your bones, your cognitive functions and your well-being. In todays blogpost you will learn everything about Vitamin K, its function and why it´s so good for you - especially in combination with Vitamin D.Strong bones and a strong brain!Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin, whose main function is the activation of various proteins. This means that these proteins, such as bone proteins are in an inactive form until K vitamins join and activate them. There are three types in this substance group; the most important K vitamin is probably K2, which is the active form and has most of the restorative capabilities as described below. It is found mainly in animal liver, fermented foods and butter. Vitamin K2 initially arrives in your liver, but is then quickly passed into different areas of your body in order to fulfill various functions there. Most studies focus on Vitamin K2, which actively supports you and your cells from your bone density to your memory.This was also a finding of an Université de Montréal study, which mainly concerned the relationship of the nutrient and the brain.¹ The researchers found that Vitamin K not only serves an important function for blood clotting, but also for the nervous system and the brain. It is necessary for the synthesis of so-called sphingolipids. These fats are found in high concentrations in the cell membranes of the brain. The latest study from the Université de Montréal has also dealt with the relationship between Vitamin K and oxidative stress.² The anti-inflammatory power of the group of substances offers protection against the effects of oxidative stress. Thus, the vitamin is a kind of natural antioxidant and protects your brain.Vitamin K2 and Vitamin DVitamin K2 is especially interesting in combination with another vitamin, namely Vitamin D. In conjunction with the sun vitamin, this vitamin optimally integrates the strength of calcium in your body, thus strengthening bones, teeth and muscles. The balance of the two vitamins also ensures that the calcium is not stored in your vessels, and protects them against calcification. Without Vitamin K2, your body's calcium use is disrupted.The 3 most important strengths of Vitamin K1. A strong brain needs many different substances and chemicals to work properly. Vitamin K is not only one of these because it's part of the structure of cell membranes. In addition to its function in the construction of cell membranes, the fats formed thereby are also of great importance for further cellular processes in the brain. For example, they're important for communication between cells, and thus for stimulus and the transmission of information.2. A high resistance to damage caused by inflammation and oxidative stress is the second strength of Vitamin K. A meta-study by Tokyo Medical University found that this particular component has an anti-inflammatory effect.³ The component menaquinone-4 (MK-4) has this particular protective function, but is also the most perishable component with a half-life period of only about 1 hour in the body. Therefore, it is important to regularly select foods high in Vitamin K.3. Optimal calcium utilisation is the basis for strong bones and muscles. Next to Vitamin D, Vitamin K2 is the main ingredient and enables calcium processing in your body. Thus you protect your blood vessels from calcification and protect yourself against diseases such as heart failure. A strong cardiovascular system is the result!Vitamin K2 - in these foodsThe problem with the K2 vitamin is in people's food preferences, which have changed a lot over time. Fermented foods, especially, such as sauerkraut and offal, like liver, contain valuable nutrients. But because people's diets have changed, most people will not eat these things, or very little of them. Above all, they don't do so regularly, and therein lies a further difficulty. The K2 vitamins have a pretty short half-life period in the body. Even when it comes to fat-soluble nutrients that are more likely to be deposited in the body, only small amounts of nutrients are deposited, and the stock is quickly exhausted. The German Nutrition Society recommends at least 65 micrograms for women and 80 micrograms for men daily. Projected on your daily food intake this would mean, for example:- 25g Brussels sprouts- 50 g veal liver - 3 eggs - 220 g cottage cheese - 400 g mushroomsExcellent options, especially when you consider the multiple strengths of K2 vitamins! When consuming these foods, you should make sure to eat them in combination with high-quality fats and oils. Since the K2 vitamins themselves are also fat-soluble nutrients, it is easier to be absorbed in the body with other fats. By the way, green vegetables such as kale, broccoli, spinach or parsley are very rich in Vitamin K1.Studies 1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22419547 2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24108469 3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3648721/Merken
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MCT oil - the fat with the power formula for more energy
MCT oil has already been called "rocket fuel". The names for this high-quality oil are manifold, much hype and controversy about a product that is (still) known to relatively few people. In this article you will learn what MCT oil actually is, how it increases your power and how you can use it for yourself. Inhaltsverzeichnis What is MCT oil and what are its advantages The effective ketogenic power for brain and body! The advantages of MCT oil at a glance The origin of MCT oil in medicine Ketogenic nutrition and how you can use MCT oil for you MCT oil for "beginners" or Bulletproof Coffee Conclusion Sources 1. What is MCT oil and what are its advantagesMCT oil has various effects that you can use for yourself. For example, MCT OIL can increase your power level, boost your overall performance and help you lose weight. If we look at the oil first on a chemical level, MCT stands for medium-chain triglycerides. These are naturally occurring fats that are only found in a handful of foods.The difference between medium and long-chain triglycerides is the number of carbon atoms in each molecule. In total, there are four of these MCTs, namely caproic acid (C6), caprylic acid (C8), capric acid (C10) and lauric acid (C12).Compared to the long-chain triglycerides in other vegetable oils, MCTs are smaller and can, therefore, form ketones in the liver. This means in consequence: Very effective fuel. A natural source for this is coconut fat, but smaller amounts are also found in palm oil and high-fat dairy products such as cheese and butter. Some MCT oils are labeled as "liquid coconut oil".This is a somewhat misleading term, as all coconut fats become liquid at around 24 degrees and are in a solid-state at lower temperatures. Depending on the brand used, specially prepared MCT oil can contain up to 18 times more MCT fatty acids per serving than pure coconut oil.As studies show, by far the best MCT fatty acid is C8 caprylic acid, as this is the acid that forms the most ketones in the blood. This means that MCT oils consisting of 100% caprylic acid are the most effective. Some MCT oils contain a mixture of caprylic acid C8 and capric acid C10, which therefore form fewer ketone bodies and are therefore less effective.BRAINEFFECT HACK: Our MCT Oil consists of 100% caprylic acid and provides you with lots of ketogenic energy.2. The effective ketogenic power for brain and body!Because MCT oil can be processed particularly quickly in the liver and does not have to take the detour via the intestines, these oils can provide the body and especially the brain with particularly good power in the form of ketone bodies.Your brain cannot store energy and needs a constant supply of energy, which is produced by glucose or carbohydrates during a normal diet. Ketones have only recently been discovered as a second energy source (besides glucose) of the brain. These are power carriers that can easily cross the blood-brain barrier to effectively supply the brain with fuel.A study of the Laboratory of Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics in Washington proves the accelerated metabolism in the brain by the MCT oil. [1] The MCT oil has the second advantage, besides the fast utilization for the brain, that it has no effect on your blood sugar level, i.e. the release of insulin. Through a constant power supply, performance lows are prevented and body and mind can perform better.Another advantage of MCT oils is - compared to other oils - that they help you lose weight. The medium-chain fatty acids cannot be stored in the form of fat reserves. So the fatty acids of the oil do not store in your body but are directly processed into fuel.The Obesity Research Center of Columbia University in New York examined the effect of MCT oil on the dietary success of overweight in a study. The study compared the basal metabolic rate of subjects who consumed MCT oil with others who were given olive oil. The result showed a decrease in body fat in those who received MCT oil. 2] MCT oil has no influence on your blood fat values or your cholesterol level.Another advantage of MCT oil is that part of it is converted to heat, which in turn raises the body temperature and thus boosts the entire metabolism. You can supply your brain with powerful ketones through a high-fat, carbohydrate-reduced diet, the so-called ketosis or keto diet.3. The advantages of MCT oil at a glance Effective conversion to power No storage in the fat cells of the body No influence on the blood fat values or the cholesterol level burning off the body's fat reserves Generated heat increases the entire metabolism 4. The origin of MCT oil in medicineThe advantages of MCT oil have been recognized long ago in other areas, e.g. in medicine. For decades it has been used to treat children suffering from epilepsy, because MCT oil is an easily absorbed power source, especially for children. One of the most promising applications of MCTs is in the treatment of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.In the case of Alzheimer's disease, it is believed to be a type of diabetes of the brain in which the brain cells lose the ability to absorb glucose and die as a result. A study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition focuses mainly on the positive effect of ketones on a broad range of diseases, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.Besides the research of the diseases, the positive influence of the ketones on the energy level could be proven. 3] PET scans show that the areas of the brain affected by Alzheimer's disease easily absorb ketones from MCT fatty acids as an alternative power source. Thus, the brain simply gets the fuel it needs from the ketones and not from the carbohydrates.5. Ketogenic nutrition and how you can use MCT oil for youMCT oil is now accessible to everyone and is available in our online shop, for example. Many nutrition professionals rely on the valuable MCTs in combination or as part of a ketogenic diet whose goal is ketosis. If one is in the ketosis, then the body falls back alone to fat cells for energy production.With this form of nutrition, carbohydrates are almost exclusively avoided and healthy fats, in particular, are on the diet. Finally, the ketone level can be measured in the blood, where it is said that ketosis starts at a value of 0.5.However, the medium-chain fatty acids are just as interesting for athletes and are often used in competitive sports to increase the available power and reduce the body fat percentage. Because we already mentioned, good fats are extremely suitable for losing weight without losing muscle mass.Numerous professionals and stars from high-performance sports already rely on ketone bodies as a fuel source. These include basketball player LeBron James, for example, who does without carbohydrates and relies instead on medium-chain fatty acids.6. MCT oil for "beginners" or Bulletproof CoffeePerhaps you have already heard of MCT OIL as an ingredient in so-called Bulletproof Coffee? This is a trendy, special coffee whose recipe consists of a mix of coffee, butter, and MCT oil. The effect of the coffee, optimized by the MCT oil, will definitely bring you forward in the morning.Dave Asprey, biohacker, book author and the inventor of the drink, swears by the addition of butter and MCT oil to his morning coffee. Buttered coffee is the best way to start the day with mental energy and lose weight, Asprey says.He now has thousands of followers who follow his philosophy. By the way, the fat takes some of the acidity out of the coffee. You will certainly be positively surprised by the taste. And this is how you prepare the power-fat coffee: Brew a coffee as strong as you like. Add 1-2 EL MCT oil 1-2 tablespoons butter Off to the mixer Enjoy and get started! If you decide to use MCT oil and medium-chain fatty acids for the production of your fuel, you should start with small amounts, about 1 teaspoon per day is enough. Dosages used in studies are usually between 5 and 50 grams per day.For general purposes, 5 to 10 grams of medium-chain triglycerides are a reasonable initial value. However, your correct dosage also depends very much on your individual goal and preferences. The best thing to do is to try out how much power the MCT oil gives you. The evaluation is purely subjective and that's a good thing. You alone should feel and evaluate the advantage of the oil and the good fats!7. ConclusionMCT oil is an effective way to provide your body in the state of ketosis ketone bodies. The MCT fatty acid caprylic acid C8 can be converted into ketones very effectively. The condition of ketosis has the advantage that your body uses fat as an energy source. No insulin is secreted during this process, which results in a continuously more stable performance.8. Sources[1] https://www.coconutketones.com/pdfs/Veech%20 2004_therapeutic_implications.pdf [2] https://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/87/3/621.abstract [3] https://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v67/n8/full/ejc n2013116a.html#aff1
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Strategies to Improve Your Memory
Strategies to Improve Your Memory With the help of appropriate strategies to improve memory, life can become much more convenient. A strong memory helps us recall vitally important pieces of information with least amount of effort. All we have to do to improve memory is to use the right strategies. These strategies to improve memory can help us avoid suffering nightmarish experiences that occur when our ability to remember things is poor. Sponge Up On Facts and Information to Improve Memory It is good to know that certain strategies, if properly implemented, will help us improve memory dramatically and it will help us soak up facts/information like a sponge. The only real requirement is being serious about using the strategies and taking action to ensure that the strategies to improve memory do indeed work in your favor. There are four different strategies to help improve memory. These are: Developing mental abilities Being able to convert information Using proper techniques to memorize facts and information Developing the power to recall information Developing Mental Abilities Just like exercising helps a person become physically fitter, so too does mental training help a person become mentally fit. To improve memory, you must do something to help develop your brain. Even if this takes a long time, you must invest time and effort to develop the power of your brain. Strong mental fitness will help to improve memory – both directly as well as indirectly. To achieve this goal, be sure to be creative, use your thinking skills, imagination, be more aware and analytical. Convert Information Sometimes, people try to read large amounts of text but find that this makes it hard to digest all the information contained in the text. The key with which a person can improve memory is to convert raw facts and information into information that is easy to remember. So, a long boring article that is converted into one that contains bullet points and/or subheadings becomes easy to remember. You can use color coding and text highlighting as well as making use of mind mapping. The “tastier” the text looks and feels, the easier it becomes to improve memory. Techniques for Better Memorization After completing the first two strategies (improved mental abilities and converting information) it is important to apply these strategies directly to help you absorb knowledge. Therefore, just like we try to convert information we must also learn how to remember that information through use of various stimuli. Again, instead of being bogged down by boring statistics and facts, we must alter the information to make it easier to memorize. However, to improve memory in this way, we also need to ensure that we do not reduce the content in any way. The Power to Recall Normally, a person does not easily forget facts. What happens is that we tend to fail to recall the facts. Therefore, to help a person learn to recall facts, it is important that they do some daily retrospection which aids them to improve memory through replaying events and situations. This will help ensure that they always recall facts without much problem.
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Guarana as a Brain Stimulant
Guarana Powder as a Brain Stimulant In this quick overview about guarana, see how you can use its unique attributes to your benefit. 1. How Can You Buy Guarana Extract? You can buy guarana extract in a variety of forms, such as powder, capsules, liquid, and even chewing gum. It’s also an ingredient found in many memory pills. It is, essentially, caffeine, and acts as a nervous system stimulant. If you need a brain booster, this just might be the ingredient you’re looking for. You can also eat guarana berries and drink guarana berry juice. Your best bet, however, is to buy guarana extract in the form of herbal supplements. 2. Is Guarana Powder a Safe Stimulant? It seems like there are a lot more energy boosting drinks, pills and powders these day. I remember when red bull first came out and stormed the scene, and how skeptical I felt about it. I tried one once, and while it did give me energy, it was pretty obvious that it wasn’t exactly an all natural solution to the mid-afternoon slump. I’ve seen a lot of people around me use similar artificial stimulants, and I’ve just never been on that bandwagon. Now, it’s not that I’m against taking something to help my energy here and there. I just prefer using all natural supporter tea, or my new favorite- natural guarana powder. Now, most people are familiar with tea, but not many people are as familiar with guarana powder. The stimulant called guarana powder is made from the guarana seed, which is an Amazonian berry that is naturally very stimulating. It’s a real staple in a few South American cultures, as they put guarana powder in everything from soda to chocolate. It’s a pretty recent transplant to the United States, where it has been prominent in the modern energy drink boom. A lot of those drinks use guarana powder, but mix it up with other sources of stimulation and tons of refined sugars and artificial flavors and colors. I really prefer to get the boost in a natural way, with just plain guarana powder, and not with all the added processed junk. The guarana seed was used for a long time by the Guarani tribe who lived in Brazil in the Amazon Basin. They considered the seed to have medicinal and magical powers, and hailed it for its ability to almost instantly restore a person’s energy. They consumed the seed by crushing it up into a fine guarana powder, and then mixed the guarana powder into their drink or food. It has a very distinct taste, and is used even today as a natural flavoring for a wide variety of foods. 3. Difference between guaranine and caffeine The stimulant in guarana powder is caused by this thing called guaranine. Now, you need to be clear about one thing - there is very little (and possibly no) difference between guaranine and caffeine. Their chemical structures are basically identical. That does not mean that the stimulation is exactly the same though, as you have to take in to account everything else around the stimulant. Caffeine is present in tea and coffee, which overall have different compositions and thus somewhat different effects than guarana powder. It isn’t just the stimulant, but what else is in the whole product that acts with the stimulant. Guarana powder is considered to be a safe way to boost both your energy and possibly your mental functioning when taken properly. Instead of taking it in energy drinks, consider consuming guarana powder as a supplement- either in a pill, or as just the powder. Perhaps the best way to take guarana powder is as a type of tea. Boil up a cup or two of water, and then spoon in about two grams of guarana powder into the water. Let it heat up, then take it off the heat and sip it as you would a tea or coffee. Keep in mind that it is very potent, and provides about twice as much energy as a cup of coffee. Like any stimulant, you should use guarana powder sparingly and only as needed, and make sure that you don’t abuse it’s use in any way. 4. Is Guarana Extract Right for You? If you don’t mind getting your brain boost from natural caffeine, then this is probably the right choice for you. The effects of coffee vary from person to person, though, so you shouldn’t take more than directed by the manufacturer. If you are suffering from ADD or any other mental disorder, you should talk to your doctor before you buy guarana extract or any other herbal supplement. The people who buy guarana extract are usually pretty healthy to begin with, and want something that will give them an extra boost. In addition to increased alertness and enhanced memory, there is also research that shows weight loss benefits associated with guarana extract.
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Brain Doping - Is it legitimate?
Brain Doping - Is it legitimate? Brain doping is a rather new topic and there is still a lot of uncertainty associated with it. This introductory article will help you understand and judge Brain Doping. Is Brain Doping a Good or Bad Thing? Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the last 10 or 20 years, you should be very familiar with the idea of athletes using steroids and other performance enhancing technologies to out work their competition. It’s been a huge source of controversy, with congressional hearings and many prominent athletes losing their standing in society. Whether or not people should take supplements and chemicals to increase their performance is a complicated issue, and is made even trickier when you start to think about brain doping- which involves using substances to improve your mental performance. Brain doping is, in many ways, a far more complex issue with a lot more gray area than physical doping. There are two main arguments against steroids that seem to be thrown around. The first is that they are not fair, that they give athletes who use them an ‘unfair advantage’ over other athletes. Now, this is only partially true. Steroids and other physical performance enhancers are not miracle drugs. They will not take someone who does not work and does not already have prodigious talent and make them into a superstar. Also, the “unfair advantage” argument assumes that only a few people are using them, and not the majority of athletes. The fact is, most athletes are using them, and thus taking them is not about giving yourself an unfair advantage anymore- it’s what allows you to compete. Natural, healthy supplements The second argument holds a little more weight - that a lot of performance enhancing technology is unhealthy for you. Taking drugs at the expense of your health in order to win a game is not what healthy competition or the spirit of sports is about. Steroids and other drugs are known to have numerous negative side effects, and many users than take a whole host of other drugs to mitigate those side effects, leading to a complicated drug cocktail that improves their performance, but is unpredictable and dangerous. It becomes trickier when you think about brain doping It becomes even trickier when you think about brain doping. Essentially, brain doping involves taking supplements that will increase your mental performance. Brain doping is more complicated for a number of reasons. First of all, mental competitions are not considered or treated the same way as physical competition. No one is really getting up in arms about someone brain doping before a chess match they way they do about steroids and baseball. Secondly, a lot of what can be considered brain doping is simply taking safe quantities of vitamins and stimulants that support you to think clearer and faster. It is highly unlikely they cause any negative side effects when you practice brain doping in this way, despite being known to provide great benefits. Overall, I feel that brain doping should not be considered in the same light as physical doping. Perhaps the biggest reason being that brain doping and increased mental performance is something that can directly and tangibly aid society. Where as sports are highly ritualized forms of performance and entertainment, there are many areas where we can benefit from being brain doping. Writers, philosophers, scientists, engineers and world leaders are all people who can benefit from the increased mental performance that brain doping can provide.
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B Vitamins: Vitamins for the Brain
B Vitamins: Vitamins for the Brain Learn about B vitamins, an often underestimated group of vitamins that play a big role in various processes in brain & body. There's been a lot of discussion over the last decade or two about supplements, vitamins and minerals. While they've been around for many decades, they've only just started to become popular in a massive way. When they first arrived, most of the discussion was about supplements that would make you stronger and improve your performance. Now, the field has opened up and people are staring to take vitamins for the brain - supplements that support mental performance and development. Vitamins for the brain There are a number of different vitamins for the brain, but perhaps the most exciting of these are the B vitamins. The B vitamins were originally thought of as one single vitamin, until scientists discovered that there are actually 8 different distinct types of vitamins in what is now called the B complex. Even further research discovered that the vitamins of the B complex are not even that closely related to each other, and are all chemically distinct, yet they all tend to appear in the same types of foods. B vitamins are found abundantly in animal products, such as meat, liver, poultry and some fish. They can also be found in eggs and dairy products, whole unrefined grains, bananas, avocados, potatoes, lentils, and both nutritional and brewers yeast. Because it is found most commonly and abundantly in animal products, very strict vegetarians and vegans are most likely to have B vitamin deficiencies. B vitamins: More than just vitamins for the brain B vitamins are known to greatly assist mental functioning, but they are more than just vitamins for the brain. They are known to be real energy vitamins, as they are known to improve nervous system functioning, to charge your metabolism, to be crucial in the formation of red blood cells and to help maintain healthy muscles and skin. While they are primarily known as vitamins for the brain, b-vitamins are real powerhouses. Still, it is the mental benefits of B vitamins that are most highly touted. B12 vitamins are especially known as vitamins for your brain. Those who suffer from a B12 deficiency often face serious mental problems, such as memory loss, difficulty sleeping, irritability and sudden shifts in mood. Deficiencies in the rest of the B complex, especially in B6, is known to contribute to similar brain problems. B6 and B12 pills It's crucially important that you take enough of these vitamins for the brain. After all, while it would be terrible to develop the worst conditions associated with B deficiencies, it's still bad to live with the minor symptoms. The best thing you can do is ensure that you get a steady supply of the B vitamins. You can ensure that you change your diet to include plenty of high quality animal products if you consumer them, and more whole grains and doses of nutritional yeast if you don't. It's also a good idea to supplement with vitamins for the brain by taking a high quality, naturally produced B complex supplement. If you don't want to take the full complex, you can narrow it down to B6 and B12 pills, though it's probably better to take the whole complex and cover all your bases.
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Vitamin and Mineral Supplementation
Vitamin and Mineral SupplementationLearn what you should look out for when it comes to vitamin and mineral supplementation.There’s a lot of confusion about the role that supplementing vitamins and minerals should have in your diet. There are basically four major sides in the argument. There are those who say that taking vitamins and minerals is dangerous, those who say that taking vitamins and minerals do nothing, those that say taking vitamins and minerals can help a little bit, and those who say that taking vitamins and minerals will fix all of your problems overnight. With these four voices competing in the culture, it’s no wonder that so many people are confused by what to do. Let’s try and pick through the different arguments and see which holds the most weight. Natural vs. Synthetic supplementsFirst, there are the people who argue that vitamins and minerals are harmful for you. Some of them argue that it’s dangerous to take supplements in isolation. They argue that, for example that whole foods have all sorts of other vitamins, minerals and enzymes in them that help digest and assimilate the nutrition within them, and that a vitamin C tablet does not. This is true, but is likely counteracted by simply taking your supplements with food. Others argue that most vitamins and minerals are synthetic, and shouldn’t be taken any more than we should down anything else made in a lab. This is also a valid point, though not all supplements are synthetic - some are made from food extracts and are still relatively close to their natural state, whereas synthetic supplements were never natural. Most of the concerns about vitamins and minerals being dangerous are based in valid concerns, but only seem to take into account the people who pop a dollar store multivitamin with a glass of water in the morning. Are vitamins and minerals pointless?Next we have the people who feel that vitamins and minerals are pointless. They argue that there’s no way to know whether or not the supplements are doing what they claim to do. For example, let’s say you make some changes in your life that you feel are positive decisions, and taking vitamins and minerals is one of those changes. After a couple of weeks, you might start to feel better, but there’s no way to know whether that was the affect of the supplements or if it was some other change you’ve made. This is also a valid concern about taking vitamins and minerals, and there isn’t really any good way to prove it true or false. It’s possible that the supplements didn’t do anything, but it’s also possible that they contributed to the person feeling better. This would be more of a concern if vitamins and minerals were a very costly expense, but they are not. Even high quality natural supplements are relatively inexpensive, and the chance that they are the cause of increased health is often worth their small price tag. Now, there are those who promise the world with their vitamins and minerals supplement, and they should be either be approached with caution, or avoided altogether. As we just discussed, it can be difficult to prove one way or another what a supplement is doing, which makes it hard to believe when someone makes outlandish claims about what a pill or powder is guaranteed to do. What have we learned?So what have we learned? That vitamins and minerals, properly taken, are probably not going to hurt you. That vitamins and minerals, properly taken, are probably not going to turn your life around on their own. That it’s difficult to prove that they don’t do anything, and it’s generally worth it in case they do. After all, many, many healthy people take them and recommend them, and they have been used for a long time to help people’s health. Make sure you get high quality, all natural vitamins, and take them with a meal, and the possible benefits far outweigh their small cost.
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Vitamin B6 Deficiency
Vitamin B6 Deficiency With Vitamin B6 playing an important role for brain & body, make sure not to be deficient in it. In this article, see what to look out for and what to do. As dietary research grows and improves, scientists are finding more and more people suffer from vitamin and mineral deficiencies. One of the most common, and most insidious, deficiencies is a vitamin b6 deficiency. A deficiency in this important vitamin can lead to a feeling of weakness, a sore mouth and tongue, and depression. Here are some ways you can identify whether you might have a vitamin b6 deficiency, and what you can do to reverse the problem. B vitamins play an important role The B vitamins are eight separate vitamins that play an important role in a number of body functions, especially in cell metabolism. Vitamin b6 specifically is crucial for maintaining brain functions and lowering the feelings of stress, as it helps form heme, which transports oxygen in your bloodstream. This vitamin is found abundantly in eggs, avocados, soybeans, walnuts, whole grains and brewer’s yeast. While it is relatively easy to treat a vitamin b6 deficiency, it is a surprisingly common affliction for many people. Research shows that a vitamin b6 deficiency is most commonly linked with alcoholism, though there are a number of other highly at risk groups. Certain medications are known to link to a vitamin b6 deficiency, most prominently oral contraceptives. One recent study found that up to 75% of women who took oral contraceptives without any form of vitamin supplementation suffered from a b6 deficiency. Furthermore, males who smoke and non-Hispanic African American men and women over the age of 65 were also found to have a vitamin b6 deficient more often than others. While these groups have the greatest concentration of the ailment, it is thought that the number of people with a vitamin b6 deficiency is overall greater than currently considered. Symptoms of vitamin b6 deficiency While there are some physical symptoms of a vitamin b6 deficiency, such as having a sore mouth and tongue and overall weakness, most of the problems that manifest are mental ones. Increased irritability and shifts in mood, a strong sense of confusion, and depression are all common. B6 plays a crucial role in the formation and transport of brain chemicals that make you feel happy and alert, so it’s no surprise that lacking it causes depression. In fact, some researchers are speculating how many cases of depression are caused by a vitamin b6 deficiency and can be cured with b6 supplementation instead of potentially dangerous psycho-active drugs. If you feel like you might have a vitamin b6 deficiency, the first thing you need to do is eating more foods that are abundant in it. Eating a lot more bananas, avocados and watermelon are all good ideas that most people can start implementing immediately. Other foods, like eggs and other animal products, aren’t as appealing to others, but can contribute b6 in its most easily absorbed form. Overall, you want to stop the dietary conditions that caused your vitamin b6 deficiency. You can also start taking supplements to help heal your vitamin b6 deficiency. If you’re going to take extra vitamins, you just need to make sure that they are of a high quality. You don’t want to get any synthetic dollar store vitamins, as those aren’t likely to help a vitamin b6 deficiency much. Instead, you want to focus on getting b6 supplements that are all natural and made from whole food products. In addition to being likely to help your vitamin b6 deficiency, natural b vitamin supplements are thought to aid and help improve a number of wide ranging brain functions. Now that the fact that many people have a vitamin b6 deficiency is finally being recognized, it’s important that you take it in to consideration if you are feeling the symptoms. You can always see if you have this condition by getting blood tests and asking them to test for a vitamin b6 deficiency, or by simply noting how close to home the symptoms hit. If you suspect you might have a vitamin b6 deficiency, then it’s a good idea to start upping the amount of this important item you get on a daily basis, either through eating more vitamin b6 rich foods, or through supplementation.
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Vitamin B12 Deficiency
Vitamin B12 Deficiency Vitamin b12 is one of the most important vitamins for your body. Find out more! Vitamin b12 is one of the most important vitamins for your body. It plays a big part in making sure you have healthy, functioning nerves, and it works to help create DNA and new red blood cells. Unfortunately, many people are deficient in this part of their diet. Vitamin b12 deficiency is a nasty thing that mostly manifests itself in pernicious anemia. Here are some tips to figure out if you are at risk for a vitamin b12 deficiency, and what to do to fix the problem. The people most commonly suffering from a vitamin b12 deficiency are vegetarians and vegans, as the vitamin is most commonly and abundantly found in animal products. Meat, fish, poultry, liver, dairy and eggs are all rich in b12. While vegetarians can eat dairy and eggs, vegans aren’t able to eat any of these foods. The only other sources of b12 vitamins other than animal products are through nutritional yeast, and some fortified processed foods like soy milks, breakfast cereals and energy bars. Other causes of vitamin b12 deficiency are certain intestinal parasites and disorders that keep you from properly absorbing the vitamin, and alcoholism. Symptoms of a vitamin b12 deficiency There are a lot of symptoms that might point to a vitamin b12 deficiency. Feeling tired and fatigued all the time is one of the major ones, as is diagnosed anemia. If you feel like you aren’t able to perform mental work as well, and you memory and ability to concentrate are lower than usual, or that you find yourself getting irritable and depressed more often, then you might have a vitamin b12 deficiency. Other physical symptoms that have been noted before include having an itchy tongue, finding odd white spots on your skin, tingling limbs, mouth sores, and migraines. Having a few, or a lot, of these symptoms might speak to having a vitamin b12 deficiency. What research found Improved and increased nutritional research is finding that a lot more people have a vitamin b12 deficiency than previously thought. A recent study from Tufts University found that nearly 40% of the people they studied and monitored had a vitamin b12 deficiency, while continued research is finding that far more people might have dangerously low levels. Older people are far more common to suffer a vitamin b12 deficiency than younger people, and it’s likely that people from developing countries are far more common to be deficient due to poor diets. Unfortunately, it can take a long time for these deficiencies to show up in your health. Vitamin b12 stores up in a few of your body’s organs, so it can take a long time on a poor diet before you use up your stores and start manifesting any symptoms- as long as 5 or 6 years. That’s why it’s a good idea to start supplementing your diet if you feel like you might have a vitamin b12 deficiency, or might be at risk for one. You can start eating more animal products to increase the amount of the vitamin you get in your diet if you feel like you have a vitamin b12 deficiency, though it’s still a good idea to take some extra supplementation- especially if you are a vegetarian or vegan. Make sure you only take natural supplements extracted from whole food sources (like the BrainEffect products), as they are far more likely to be absorbed beneficially than synthetic vitamins constructed in a lab. If you aren’t absorbing you supplements, then a vitamin b12 deficiency probably won’t be the only problem you have.
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Study Pills - Are they helpful?
What about study pills for better concentration? Are they really harmless? See the answers and possible natural solutions to your concentration issues.WHY ARE SO MANY STUDENTS TAKING STUDY PILLS? ARE THEY REALLY HELPFUL?Exam time can be hectic for students – especially those who are preparing for their mid-terms. Some students suffer from ADD and other disorders which cause them to experience a lack of focus. Even students who have never been diagnosed with any disorder experience concentration problems. Concentration is essential for studying; sadly, some students just can’t concentrate as well as they'd like to no matter how hard they try. This is why many of them turn to study pills.AN OVERVIEW OF STUDY PILLSThere are different types of study pills. The most common include prescription drugs such as Adderall. These are the best option for students who have been diagnosed with disorders. They work by calming the nerves so that the individual can remain focused. The downside to such drugs is that they have side-effects, and can even be habit-forming. Many people end up being addicted to nerve pills, and addiction is never a good thing.On the other hand, some students really need prescription pills. Students who are healthy for the most part and haven’t been diagnosed with any disorder can take herbal study pills. These are brain supplements that contain all natural ingredients, such as vitamins and herbs. BRAINEFFECT products fall under this category. Research shows that students who take brain supplements end up performing better on their tests.HOW STUDY PILLS WORK, IN THEORYBrain supplements allegedly work because they provide the brain with the nutrients and vitamins it needs to function properly. One of the largest contributors to focusing problems is lack of a healthy diet. Eating poorly and not getting enough water can result in a buildup of toxins in the body. These toxins flow to the brain and cause a plethora of problems.Since herbal study pills contain plant extracts and vitamins they can, in theory, stop the toxins from doing harm. These nutrients allegedly operate through diverse mechanisms, facilitating the flow of oxygen through the nervous system and providing antioxidant defense. The human body and brain require many nutrients in order to function properly. The human body and brain require many nutrients in order to function properly. Some study pills have supporter-ingredients for your mental engine. The Brain-Supporter BRAINEFFECT FOCUS is a beneficial and natural study pill for adults and students, that can contribute with vitamine B5 to better mental fcous which makes studying more pleasant . NUTRIENTS FOUND IN HERBAL STUDY PILLSThe ingredients vary from one herbal supplement to the next. The most common nutrients, however, include: vitamins A & E, huperzine A, acetyl-L carnitine, vitamin B complex, folic acid, hops, omega-3. These are believed to be the most effective nutrients for the central nervous system and brain.The herbs which are commonly found in study pills include passion flower, rosemary, valerian root, and gingko biloba. A combination of any of these ingredients can potentially be very beneficial. Since college students are known for having late night binges and drinking, it isn’t surprising that they lack these nutrients. This is why study pills are becoming more popular. Students hope to increase mental performance by taking such supplements.STUDY PILLS AND DIETAccording to studies, study pills work best when combined with a diet. Foods that are high in Omega-3 content are especially beneficial for the brain. These foods include fish, nuts, and seeds. Students who eat cold-water fish like salmon and fish, while taking study pills, may experience the best results.However, eating too much fish isn’t a good thing either. It needs to be eaten in moderation, due to the high contamination of dioxins. It’s also important to take the study pills as directed. The good thing about them, though, is that they are not habit-forming and thus not addictive. This is why study pills, ideally based on natural ingredients, are a perfect solution for individuals looking to make the most out of their study sessions.
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