5 methods to get smarter

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Anthony Golden
5 methods to get smarter

I'm going to tell you not one, but 5 proven methods to get smarter. Also, the best thing is that you can use them all at once and accumulate their effects.

In recent years, neuroscience has advanced by leaps and bounds. That does not mean that they have discovered the pill to become more intelligent at once, but studies on the brain have multiplied and technologies have been developed that allow us to see what happens inside it in a very precise way. One of the results of these advances is that we now know that getting smarter is within our grasp. Let's see how:

1- Epicatechin

It is a substance (flavonol) present in some plants such as cocoa and green tea. Various protective and enhancing effects on the brain are attributed to it. In a recent study published in Nature Neuroscience, a group of 37 patients between 50 and 69 years consumed 900 milligrams daily for three months. At the end of the study, their memory capacity had equaled that of people in their 30s or 40s. Namely, his memory had rejuvenated 30 years.

It must be said that you cannot ingest so much epicatechin from eating chocolate. Neither based on tea infusions. For my part, what I do is take green tea capsules with a high concentration of epicatechin (EGCG).

2- Caffeine

It has been known for a long time that improves alertness and increases cognitive activity. It is as if it allows us to keep our data entry channel more open and for longer. But now it has been discovered that, apart from this known effect, also increases memory.

A study of the Johns Hopkins University has shown that a dose of 200 mg of caffeine (equivalent to a strong coffee) increases learning even after taking it after the study session. By the way, green tea in addition to epicatechin also contains caffeine, although I cover my daily dose of caffeine with mate (coffee is bad for my stomach).

3- Intellectual activity

We could put it another way: Less screen and more reading. Watching TV involves much less brain activity than reading a novel. Due to a characteristic of our brain called neuronal plasticity, intellectual activity makes the connections between neurons (synapses) strengthen and even establish new synapses. On the contrary, connections with little activity weaken and can disappear.

By the way, cognitive training games (Brain training, etc.) only produce an improvement of the specific trained ability, which is not extrapolated to other faculties nor does it imply an increase in general intellectual capacity..

4- Physical exercise

In studies with mice it was found that physical exercise increased the size of a brain structure called the hippocampus, and that improved his memory and learning speed compared to another group of mice that did not exercise.

It has also been shown, in this case with humans, that physical exercise improves mood; so if you want to be smarter, and happier, exercise 😉

5- Social contact

A very effective way to stimulate the brain it is through social contactreal, not virtual). This is because social contacts have a high component of unpredictability. You can't know exactly what the people around you are going to do or say, and anything you do or say can elicit a reaction. Social contact requires the brain to maintain a certain level of attention, be alert. In a social situation, the brain, instinctively, stay quite active.

Below you have  a video in which I speak in more detail about how to increase our intelligence, and other brain-related issues:


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