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36 Comments
- algaeturd, on 04/25/2009, -0/+16What a load of *****. I could have written that: Take care of your body, get enough sleep, skip supplements, exercise, blah, blah, blah. This isn't a ***** article. it's not even a proper list. It's filler. Like wooden crap designed to just take up space on a web page.
- BigBlitz, on 04/25/2009, -2/+1710. Tease your brain
Whether crossword puzzles, sudokus and other brain teasers actually keep your brain in shape, has not been well-established. However, lack of education is a strong predictor of cognitive decline. The more you've tried to learn, the better you'll be at mental sit-ups in old age. The key may be tackling something new; the challenge of the unknown is likely more beneficial than putting together the same jigsaw puzzle over and over again.
9. Skip the supplements
Supplements have been getting a bad rap recently, with even the familiar multivitamin now looking like a waste of money -- or worse. Brain pills, such as ginkgo and melatonin, likely belong in the trash as well. Despite their "natural" origins, they are not free of potential side effects, such as high blood pressure, digestion trouble, fertility problems and depression. And among healthy individuals, ginkgo offers no brain benefits beyond that of a placebo. (In some cases, the placebo worked better.)
8. Chill out
Stress takes a toll on the brain by washing harmful chemicals over the hippocampus and other brain areas involved in memory. Some scientists suspect that living a balanced lifestyle and pursuing relaxing activities such as yoga, socializing and crafting may delay memory impairment by reducing stress.
7. Eat fish
Some theories credit the introduction of fish into the human diet with the evolution of our tremendous cognitive prowess. Essential fatty acids, such as Omega 3s, are critical to brain function and are proving beneficial for treating such brain-sapping ailments as depression. Studies on the efficacy of Omega 3 supplements, however, have had mixed results, so get doses from food sources, such as flax seeds, fatty fish and grass-fed animals.
6. Enjoy your coffee
Growing evidence suggests a caffeine habit may protect the brain. According to large longitudinal studies, two to four perk-me-ups a day may stave off normal cognitive decline and decrease the incidence of Alzheimer's by 30 to 60 percent. It is unclear whether the benefits come from caffeine or the antioxidants found in coffee and tea, but that latte may improve cognition this afternoon and several decades from now.
5. Get your beauty rest
When we rest and dream, memories are sifted through, some discarded, others consolidated and saved. When we don't sleep, a recent study found, proteins build up on synapses, possibly making it hard to think and learn new things. Furthermore, chronically sleeping poorly (in contrast to not enough) is linked to cognitive decline in old age, although the relationship may not be causal.
4. Take care of your body
Largely preventable diseases -- such as Type II diabetes, obesity and hypertension -- all affect your brain, too. System-wide health concerns have been linked to an increased risk of cognitive decline and memory impairments. Keeping your circulatory system in working order, by, say, avoiding cigarettes and saturated fat, lessens the onslaught of age-related damage to the brain.
3. Watch that diet
While overindulging can make the brain sluggish and lead to long-term detriments to your brain, too few calories can also impair brain function. Extreme dieting can cause some diehards to feel stretches of calm -- a feeling that may underlie the addiction of anorexia -- but many studies have also linked dieting with distraction, confusion and memory impairment.
2. Eat, eat, eat
Too much or too little energy throws a kink in the brain's delicate machinery. A low glycemic diet -- high fiber, with moderate amounts of fat and protein -- is broken down more slowly in the body than high glycemic foods, such as sweets and white starches. A steady pace of digestion in the gut gives a more reliable flow of energy to the brain, likely optimizing the organ's long-term health and performance.
1. Do something!
Scientists are starting to think that regular aerobic exercise may be the single most important thing you can do for the long-term health of your brain. While the heart and lungs respond loudly to a sprint on the treadmill, the brain is quietly getting fitter with each step, too. For mental fitness, aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity every other day. - sgtbutterscotch, on 04/24/2009, -0/+8i hate sudoku. you could have the same puzzle multiple times but never realize it.
- VenDrake, on 04/25/2009, -0/+5I have a hypothesis that every single sudoku puzzle is mathematically interchangeable.
E.g.
Swap Row 1 with Row 3.
Swap Column B with Column C
Swap the number 7 with the number 3
Viola! A new puzzle.
I hypothesize that every puzzle could be converted back to the same source puzzle simply by swapping rows, columns, and numbers. - sgtbutterscotch, on 04/24/2009, -2/+7dugg for stock photo on #4
- BossKey, on 04/25/2009, -0/+3I might have read that once but I can't remember if it's true.
- str3ama, on 04/23/2009, -2/+4sudoku ftw
- CoreyHalliwell, on 04/24/2009, -2/+4This is kind of a stupid article.. this kind of ***** has been main stream for years now... none of this is news.....
- noughtsInaName, on 04/25/2009, -0/+2It's always nice to get a reminder, y'know considering this is for people worried about deteriorating memory.
- SalmonGod, on 04/25/2009, -0/+2Look at the Japanese.
- bqrt345e, on 04/25/2009, -0/+1if eating fish helped your brain
wouldn't eskimos and hawians best the smartest people - below413, on 05/14/2009, -0/+1Would the puzzle be solvable without guessing at all points though? I think THAT would be pretty neat.
- sleepyguy22, on 04/25/2009, -0/+1dugg for the subject matter of the first comment.
- lear, on 04/24/2009, -1/+2good info
- Fabbyfubz, on 05/14/2009, -0/+1Take Mentats
- noughtsInaName, on 04/25/2009, -0/+1There's this: “It showed that caffeine grows brain cells in the area of the brain responsible for long-term memory,”
Source: http://www.nyc-plus.com/nyc_44/ajoltofjava.html%29
And there's this: "The aim of this study was to determine the effect of single administration of caffeine (CAF) on long-
term memory in mice challenged with the step-through passive avoidance task. Results indicate that CAF
(administered intraperitoneally, 30 min. before the test) at doses of 69.3 and 92.4 mg/kg significantly
impaired long-term memory by shortening the retention time in animals from 180 s (control) to 105 s
(p<0.05), and 90 s (p<0.001), respectively. In contrast, CAF at 11.55, 23.1 and 46.2 mg/kg did not alter
significantly long-term memory in animals. Linear regression analysis revealed a trend between
the increasing doses of CAF and their resultant decrease in retention times, indicating that CAF
impaired dose-dependently long-term memory in the step-through passive avoidance task. Based on
this preclinical study, one can conclude that CAF at high doses may also impair learning and memory
in humans."
Source: www.annales.umcs.lublin.pl/D/2006/141.pdf (you can just google that to view as html)
It's very unsettling. The stress associated with indecision over whether or not I should drink this cup of coffee, fear that I might regret it later when science asserts that it does in fact make you stupider, and more fear of regret over not having enjoyed the life-prolonging coffee-breaks in case they prove otherwise, is enough to cause me significant brain damage.
Now I feel like a drama-queen o_O - adequateftw, on 04/28/2009, -0/+1Dugg for coffee
- ShnowDoggie, on 04/25/2009, -0/+1And ... heart attack!
- breached, on 04/25/2009, -1/+2I like how they tell you to chill out, and then drink coffee and then get more sleep.
- ratatek, on 04/26/2009, -1/+2they forgot the part about keeping up with common internet memes to challenge your cognition, amirite?
- kikibun, on 04/25/2009, -1/+2Don't drink alcohol. Thats about as bad is it gets for your brain before Meth and the like.
- liquidjamm, on 04/25/2009, -2/+2The list is the same ***** you have been hearing all your life. I am calling a dup-police...
- noughtsInaName, on 04/25/2009, -1/+1I've read on several accounts that coffee, while good for short-term memory, harms long-term. I dunno.
- Sporfoo, on 04/25/2009, -1/+1I found nothing new or interesting in that list. Eat, Eat Eat?...umm...Hmm, NO *****.
- Petestreet, on 04/25/2009, -3/+31. Speed.
2. Speed.
3. Speed.
4. Speed.
5. Speed.
6. Speed.
7. Speed.
8. Speed.
9. Speed.
10. Speed. - TheMachine1, on 04/24/2009, -2/+2Waiting for the list to be posted here.
- darshanchande, on 04/26/2009, -0/+0Hey that is interesting.. !!
- maef, on 04/25/2009, -0/+0So basically...
10. Tease your brain.
9. - 1. Live healthy.
Well gee, thanks. Who would have thought. - wily6, on 04/25/2009, -5/+4The slideshow is preloaded and loads instantly so no one should bitch about too many pages.
- SalmonGod, on 04/25/2009, -2/+1Anybody try Piracetam?
- DiggMeUpPlz, on 04/24/2009, -1/+0and the chick in the pic is hot
- ratatek, on 04/26/2009, -2/+1hey i wonder where you got that list...
and seriously, the stock photos totally made this thing - DiggMeUpPlz, on 04/24/2009, -2/+1Number 1: Wait for the list to be posted here.
. - nigelbc, on 04/24/2009, -2/+1nice article, i think anyone who doubts it should try yoga.. your brain and body are so relaxed and calm after words. not to mention all the women in spandex that's a definitely bonus if not motivation to go!
- SummerofGeorge, on 04/24/2009, -2/+1play video games?
- inactive, on 04/24/2009, -6/+1watch conspiracy videos and be prepared for the shock of a life.
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