How to Boost Your Brain Power!


By Patrick Holford, Founder of the Institute of Optimum Nutrition and the Brain Bio-Center

The myth is the older you get, the poorer your mental agility becomes. But I do believe that you can keep a sharp mind and a keen intellect at any age with the right combination of nature’s ‘smart nutrients’.

As a psychologist, I was taught that this was impossible – but I didn’t believe it, so I set out to prove it was true. I helped conduct a study, giving school children a high-strength multivitamin or a placebo and testing their IQ before and after. The children who took the multivitamin had a 9% increase in non-verbal IQ! The good news is that you don’t just have to be a child to benefit from these findings.

Dr Rakesh Chandra from the Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada decided to test whether supplementation with vitamins and trace elements in modest amounts could improve memory and mental performance in healthy, elderly subjects. He gave 96 such men and women over the age of 65 either a daily supplement or a placebo for 12 months. Those taking the supplements showed substantial improvement in short-term memory, concentration and problem-solving skills.

Now that’s from just taking a good multivitamin. I’ve since pinpointed some key nutritional factors that I believe give you the edge on focus and concentration, memory and mental agility. I call these ‘smart nutrients’ and they include nutrients such as DMAE and phospholipids, which may directly support brain function. I personally take these nutrients every day and I’m convinced that they’re the best way to sharpen your mind and protect yourself against memory decline.


Brain Friendly Diet

The starting point for tuning up your brain is to follow an optimum nutrition diet and take daily
supplements. Here are the ten golden rules to follow to make sure your diet is maximising your mental health.

1. Eat wholefoods – wholegrains, lentils, beans, nuts, seeds, fresh fruit and vegetables – and avoid refined, white and overcooked foods.

2. Avoid any form of sugar – in biscuits, cakes, confectionery and also foods with added sugar in the forms of syrups, dextrose and maltose.

3. Eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily – choose dark green, leafy and root vegetables such as watercress, carrots, sweet potatoes, broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, spinach, green beans or peppers, all raw or lightly cooked. Choose fresh fruit such as apples, pears, berries, plums, melon or citrus fruit. Have bananas, grapes and potatoes in moderation only (they contain a lot of natural sugar). Dilute fruit juices and only eat dried fruits infrequently in small quantities, preferably soaked.

4. Eat four or more servings of wholegrains daily – such as rice, millet, rye, oats, wholewheat, corn or quinoa as cereal, breads and pasta.

5. Combine protein foods with carbohydrate foods by eating wholegrain cereals and fruit with raw, unsalted nuts or seeds, and ensuring you eat starchy foods (potatoes, bread, pasta or rice) with protein-rich fish, lentils, beans, eggs or tofu. If eating animal protein, choose lean, white meat or preferably fish, organic whenever possible.

6. Eat eggs – preferably free-range, organic and high in omega-3s. Aim for about 3-5 a week.

7. If eating animal protein, choose cold-water carnivorous fish - A serving of herring, mackerel, salmon or trout two or three times a week provides a good source of omega-3 fats and protein.

8. Eat raw, unsalted seeds and nuts. The best seeds are flax (or linseed), hemp, pumpkin, sunflower and sesame. You get more goodness out of them by grinding them first and sprinkling on cereal, soups and salads.

9. Use cold-pressed seed oils. Choose an oil blend containing flaxseed oil or hemp oil for salad dressings and cold uses, such as drizzling on vegetables instead of butter. Don’t cook with these oils as their fats are easily damaged by heat.

10. Minimise your intake of fried food, processed food and saturated fat from meat and dairy to prevent damage to brain fats.

The good news is that mental decline is not inevitable and you can boost your memory and mental alertness at any age. Research shows clearly that healthy, well-nourished and well-educated people show no signs of declining mental function with age. What’s more, while it is true that brain cells die with age, you can also build new brain cells at any age. How? By feeding your brain, both with the right nutrients and the right information.

Source: http://www.patrickholford.com
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Previous Comments

Debbie Davis commented on 10-Dec-2009 04:17 AM5 out of 5 stars
Have you tried Mila instead of Flax? It's the highest quality blend of the Salvia Hispanica L seed (Chia). It supplies 3000 mg of Omega 3's/ serving plus fiber and other nutrients. www.chooselifetothemax.com
Anonymous commented on 10-Dec-2009 04:24 AM5 out of 5 stars
I'd like to thank you very much for the information
that you've been delivering....So informing...Keep it up!
Katrina Cabral commented on 10-Dec-2009 04:26 AM4 out of 5 stars
Great article except the part about saturated fats. The brain is comprised mostly of saturated fats. Saturated fats are good for your brain. Check out Weston Price and google the cholesterol myth. Coconut oil and ketogenic diets have helped those with brain disorders such as Alzheimers.
Rajeev S commented on 23-Dec-2009 01:27 AM4 out of 5 stars
Good article. This diet plan is not limited for brain, but it can be used at any age by anyone to prevent diseases.
Steve commented on 30-Dec-2009 11:37 PM5 out of 5 stars
Info on Coconut oil search Mercola.com he swears by the stuff.
New to this site, I love it already.
My Girlfriend just got the thumbs up, she Cancer free after suffering stage 3b stomach cancer early this year, we got it from 3b to under 1 in 5 weeks using just foods and anti fungus oils such as olive leave extract and oregano oil. oh and Coconut oil for cooking as it can handle heat without being damaged.
Kathi Green commented on 31-Dec-2009 07:21 PM5 out of 5 stars
I found out about Chia Seeds. Close to 4000mg of Omega's in just one tsp. They resemble poppy seeds. I use it in my shakes.
lya haveman commented on 19-Mar-2010 06:51 PM5 out of 5 stars
With regard to the mention of Flax seed and flax oil, I've heard that you should not take that if you take thyroxine for hyperthyroidism. Is this true? Because I was taking flax oil everyday but have stopped since hearing this.
Jolie commented on 15-Apr-2010 12:45 AM5 out of 5 stars
What about the effect of whey isolate proteins on brain power? Has anyone heard of this? I know it can reduce or elliminate seizures in some.
cataclysm cd key commented on 09-Aug-2010 05:16 PM5 out of 5 stars
I agree with your recommendations, but to tell people to avoid soda seems unnecessary. Some of soda is not bad for you, and it is fun and delicious.
leann commented on 17-Jan-2012 09:47 AM5 out of 5 stars
drinking lots of water also helps keeps the brain hydrated.
Claire Caminade commented on 17-Jan-2012 12:35 PM5 out of 5 stars
As Shannon Making is commenting, i find it very unfortunate that this article is partially based on Dr. Rakesh Chandra... It does undermine the credibility of the whole article indeed...
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