Clever Brain

Docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, is most commonly found in cold water fatty fish and fish oil supplements, a vegetarian source could be sea weeds. It is an omega-3 fatty acid. DHA is an important constituent of infants. Docosahexaenoic acid helps in the day-to-day functioning of our brain as well as the development of the nervous system and growth of our visual senses. Studies have shown that DHA has a lot of uses and, if taken in the right proportions, Docosahexaenoic acid can help us overcome various diseases, illnesses and even prevent many ailments.

Some of its uses are documented below:

DHA and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD):

Supplements of Docosahexaenoic acid have been tested on patients with ADD and the results have varied with some patients having reduced symptoms of the disease at the end of the test while others didn’t go ahead and complete the test. All this being taken into account, there can be some positivity taken out of this as many people’s symptoms have reduced after getting supplements of DHA.

DHA and Brain Development:

As noted at the beginning of this article – Docosahexaenoic acid is very important for the functioning of the brain in our day-to-day life. Very few people know for a fact that our brain consists of 60% fat, yes that’s right, 60% fat. The problem with us isn’t that of not eating a great enough quantity of fatty acids in our food (We eat more than enough fat), but, we’re not eating the right kind of fat. This is where DHA comes into play. Docosahexaenoic acid is one of the fatty acids that can be found and consumed by us. Try including a little bit of seafood in your diet every week in order to have the right amount of DHA. If you’re a vegetarian then I suggest you have seaweed and vegetable oils such as flaxseed oil. Certain supplements containing Docosahexaenoic acid are very beneficial to our health as well.

DHA, Visual Senses and the Nervous system:

DHA plays a vital role in the initial development of an infant’s nervous system and visual senses. It is also important for a woman to take the right amount of DHA during her pregnancy for the same reasons.

DHA and Heart Ailments:

Regular intake of fish oil or other supplemental sources of DHA reduces the risk of getting any kind of heart diseases such as reduction in the clotting of blood, blood pressure and also improves the overall health of your heart.

DHA and Alzheimer’s Disease:

Alzheimer’s disease is found to occur mostly in adults over the age of 65 years. People suffering from the disease find it difficult to recall recent memories. A recent study has been conducted by the United States National Institute of Health in which doses of Docosahexaenoic acid were given to patients suffering from the disease and although it helped in the increase of blood levels of DHA, it did not help in the other tests that were conducted regularly on these patients with regard to their mental abilities.

DHA and the Fight Against Cancer:

The Omega-3 fatty acid, DHA, is said to have a restraining effect on cancer affected cells. Though, it has to be noted that enough research hasn’t been done to come to a definite conclusion.

DHA and Arthritis:

Studies that have been conducted show that symptoms of Arthritis have reduced although it does not restrict the progression of the disease.

The various sources of Docosahexaenoic acid are (Have too much of these and the next thing you know – you’re a member of Mensa):

It is commonly found in cold-water fish as mentioned before. To be more specific, they are found in fatty fishes such as Sardines, Tuna, Herring, Salmon, etc… Pregnant women are told to avoid swordfish, shark, mackerel and tilefish. Breast milk contains high amounts of DHA which is important for every infant.

Safety Measures:

Pregnant women must consult their doctors before they take any fish oil supplements and infants are told against taking any supplements that contain EPA. Docosahexaenoic acid can also cause diarrhea and cause discomfort around the abdominal region.

It is recommended that anyone who is going to take supplements containing DHA consult with their doctor to determine if Docosahexaenoic acid would be beneficial to you in the prevention of heart diseases, development of the nervous system, reduction of Arthritis and the various other benefits and that their are no risks to their health.

In The Decline of Your Mental Powers we discussed some of the reasons for our brain’s decline and why we lose our brainpower. So what can we do to improve our brainpower?

Brainpower Courses

There are many books, lectures and products on the market designed to help you to improve your brainpower. Most of these lessons contain the same information and give specific exercises that you can do that will help you to have a much clearer focus and be able to think at your very best. These exercises do not typically take much time and if done regularly and properly, can assist in providing you with discipline and be very effective in improving your brainpower.

Omega-3 Fats in Your Diet

Add Omega-3 oils into your daily diet. You can do this by eating the proper fatty fish such as salmon as well as fish products that contain these oils, or by purchasing Omega-3 supplemental capsules.

Develop Your Concentration

It is important that you develop a higher ability of concentration. Many concentration and meditation techniques such as those taught as part of Yoga studies can help you to build up your ability to remain focused. One technique to develop concentration, and thus your brainpower, is to move only your eyes, keeping your head and body still, gazing from point to point. This should be done by moving your eyes once each second and scanning the entire range of your vision at all angles. Doing this exercise daily can help you to build your focus and increase your concentration over just a few weeks.

Positive Thoughts are Positive for Brainpower

Keeping positive thoughts can also help you to improve your brain function. Thinking positively gives you more access to the higher thinking abilities that are already inside you. When you think positive thoughts, you feel better and healthier. Spend some time each day asking yourself emotional-type questions such as what you are grateful for and name the people in your life who make you happy. Positive thoughts can go a long way towards giving you more confidence and producing a higher concentration level.

Develop Both Sides of Your Brain

Most people are right-handed and therefore primarily use the left side of their brain. In order to develop the neural pathways between the two sides of your brain, and therefore increasing your brainpower, you should engage in activities that utilize the other side of your brain as well.

An exercise that can help to broaden your brainpower is to move your mouse pad to the opposite side of your keyboard. If you are right-handed, then move your mouse pad to the left-hand side, and vice-versa. This forces you to use the hand that is not dominant and will stimulate the neural connections in your brain between the right and left hemispheres.

You should strive to perform as many activities as you can with your non-dominant hand. Try brushing your teeth with your right hand if you are left-handed. Studies have proven that those who are ambidextrous, or have the ability to use both hands equally, have ten percent more nerve fibers that join the left and right sides of the brain.

Games to Improve Your Brainpower

Playing computer games is also an excellent way to exercise and stimulate your brain. There are several games such as puzzles, brainteasers, crossword puzzles and strategy games that will stimulate your brain. Chess, checkers and – my favorite – bridge all help to engage strategic thinking and can ultimately improve your brainpower. You should strive to get yourself into a regular schedule of playing these brain-empowering games. Consider playing for fifteen minutes each morning before work to get your brain moving or take crossword puzzles to work with you for your coffee break.

All of these exercises should be practiced regularly. Be sure to set aside some time in your daily routine to do the practices that you feel most comfortable doing. Spending just a few minutes each day can increase your brainpower by ten percent or more within just a few weeks.