It is fascinating to see that the brain is malleable (plastic). Simple adjustments in your daily life can already have a major influence on the gray matter in your head and therefore the quality of life. Below you can find 8 interesting brain-specific facts and tips that you can use immediately.
Sleep deprivation
A lack of sleep is not good for you, everyone knows that, even though many people realize that they have a chronic shortage. A 30-minute nap can fortunately neutralize the hormonal effects of too little sleep related to stress and the immune system.
To Sit
Sitting is the new smoking, you probably heard that the last year. Too much sitting is associated with various physical problems that you would rather not have. But do you also know that sitting too much also affects your mental health? If you sit for more than 6 hours a day, symptoms of anxiety and depression are more present than if you only sit for 3 hours a day.
Meditation
Meditation not only gives a feeling of peace and physical relaxation! An 8-week program also has cognitive and psychological benefits. Not too long ago it was established for the first time that meditation can bring about great positive changes in the brain structure. For example, the density of the cerebral cortex, hippocampus and amygdala increased. This is associated with attention, emotional integration, self-awareness, compassion and introspection. And this only with a small 30 practice minutes a day!
Serotonin
As essential precursors of serotonin, L-tryptophan and 5-HTP are widely used to promote the production. Vitamin D3 appears to be essential for the conversion. The omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA influence the serotonin dynamics in different ways in the brain. Serotonin appears to be the missing link that connects vitamin D3 and omega-3 fatty acids. So do not forget to sit in the sun regularly and enjoy a good piece of wild fish in the summer.
Evolution
About 3 million years ago, the brains of our ancestors began to grow tremendously. By the time the Homo sapiens rose, the brain had grown from 350 grams to 1300 grams. How this exactly happened was unclear for a long time, but the “expensive tissue hypothesis” seems logical for this and is based on an exchange between the shrinkage of the digestive system and the growth of the brain. Cooking food seems to have been crucial in this. Cooked food is softer and easier to digest than raw food.
Coffee
Coffee is a very complex beverage that is perhaps the most widely used nootropic in the world. In addition to caffeine, it contains hundreds of thousands of active substances that you would not be able to isolate and study. The health effects of coffee can not be linked to a few molecules, but the synergetic whole makes coffee so fascinating. Coffee drinkers are also often smokers and this makes it very difficult to examine the effects of coffee on health. More is not always better, so you drink coffee in moderation.
Creativity
EEG alpha waves are usually linked to creative ability but creativity seems to decrease as you get older. EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) from green tea seems to increase both alpha, beta, and theta activity in the brain. Because it also stimulates alpha waves, it could be that drinking green tea stimulates creativity.