Brain Drain
Have you ever gone from one room to another, only to stop and wonder what you were going for in the first place? How many times have you known the word but just couldn’t quite grasp it? How many times has someone’s name been at the tip of your tongue?
Is that what happens to all of us? Or is there something we can do to prevent this nervous system demise?
Your brain is made up of an intricate network of wires (neurons) that connect with each other via chemical messengers. Communication is a complex process. There are many factors involved, such as the integrity of the fatty coating (myelin sheath) around each neuron (this coating insulates the neurons and aids in signal transmission) or the chemical messenger levels in the end of one neuron and the receptor endings on another. Even your mood or emotional state on any given day can affect your concentration and memory. It is well established that chronic anxiety or depression dramatically reduces your short-term memory and ability to focus.
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Now, let’s devise a simple plan to keep your brain working optimally.
Your brain is like anything else in the body – if you don’t use it, you may lose it. Studies have proven one of the best ways to keep your mind sharp is to do the daily crossword puzzle. Also, your brain needs oxygen which gives us yet another reason to exercise!
The components of the communication process in the brain are also affected by different vitamins, nutrients and amino acids, and the presence of glucose is also crucial. Your brain needs a lot of fuel to work properly. While studying for my naturopathic licensing exams, 8 to 10 hours per day for 6 weeks, I was always starving. I lost more weight then than I did training for any 5K race because I was using a lot of calories by thinking so much.
You should aim to eat regularly, with a protein at each meal, and never go longer than 4 or 5 hours without eating. This will help maintain your blood sugar levels and prevent symptoms like confusion, weakness, irritability and headaches that may be associated with hypoglycemia.
Vitamin B12 and essential fatty acids (EFAs) are important for the neuron’s myelin sheath so ensure you get enough of each of these. EFAs are found in deep-sea cold-water fish (cod, mackerel, salmon and tuna), hemp oil, flaxseed oil and borage oil. Eat fish three times per week and consider adding a tablespoon of one of the oils to your salad dressings or smoothies. Vitamin B12 should be taken in a form that can be absorbed under the tongue. Next to an intra-muscular injection, the sublingual form is the best utilized by the body.
Memory and mood are dependent on chemical messengers such as serotonin, your “happy hormone” which also affects your sleep and appetite. Your body makes serotonin from protein, particularly from an amino acid called tryptophan. Turkey is very high in tryptophan, which is why everyone gets dopey after Thanksgiving dinner. If you are suffering from low mood, anxiety or depression contributing to your poor concentration, you can try supplementing tryptophan through 5- Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP). You can purchase 5-HTP from most health food stores, but prices vary greatly. With this product I have found you get what you pay for, and suggest you opt for a more expensive brand. Take it with food because it may cause nausea on an empty stomach.
Despite its reputation, ginkgo is not always the answer to poor memory or concentration. It is more helpful where the cause is poor circulation and tends to be more effective in the elderly.
