Brain function is key to nearly everything, especially your goals and life. Since we are made up of our mind and brain, alongside the body and other aspects, we cannot achieve nor actualize without them. None of our aspects are exclusive of the others, and our bodies, minds, mood, and conscious is certainly not an exception. At some point in your pursuits, you will wonder if you can become smart or wish that you were smarter, and could focus, learn, read, think, remember, and more better, faster, and longer. Even athletics and sports require focus of the brain in order to function.
As it is said:
A healthy brain resides within a healthy body; A healthy body surrounds a healthy brain.
Improving brain function has beneficial effects not only on academic and work performance, but on your mood and stress levels, as well as the health of your body, and health or wellness overall. When you can focus and learn or read easier, you find it much more natural to pursue your hobbies and goals. You also don’t strain, rush, or stress various tasks like school work as much either, because why would you when its easier.
I often teach that the fundamentals dictate and facilitate all else; The results of and your actions all derive from the fundamental functions, systems, and aspects. Therefore it is most prudent to ‘become smarter’ before trying to learn a skill, pursue a career, aim to amass wealth, and all such endeavours. Just imagine if you could read a book every week easily, focus for eight or more hours in a single instance, work on whatever you wanted when you wanted, imagine what you could accomplish and how far and quickly you could achieve your goals – all of these are achievable and governed by your brain function. Cognitive decline with disease, unhealth, and age is of course another factor that many people will face, and naturally must reconcile or heal.
Here is a collection of ways to improve brain function, as well as other considerations and aspects of your cognition.
How To Improve Brain Function
B Vitamins
The B vitamins thiamine, riboflavin, and pyridoxine are the most efficacious and essential for cognitive function, and the ones that will provide the most effect when supplemented. A B complex can be a powerful but fulfilling supplement for brain performance that is often overlooked for other, more promising nootropics like rhodiola or gotu kola, but holds many of the same effects. B vitamins are of course essential for energy and cellular metabolism, which naturally empowers the brain and brain cells. They are also critical for the growth and structure of neurons as well as as a cofactor for neurotransmitter production, especially folate (methylfolate) and pyridoxine.
Ray Peat recounted how when he was teaching at a university, his students always came in groggy in the morning, unable to concentrate and learn. He start baking cookies with eggs, and bring them in for the class alongside coffee and sugar. The students perked up after and were much more attentive and receptive. He attributed it to the protein in the eggs, alongside caffeine, glucose, and thiamine from this combination.
Neuroinflammation
Neuroinflammation, or inflammation of the brain, is a major driver of brain fog and procrastination, as impaired cognitive function and even neurological diseases. Decreasing neuroinflammation therefore is a fundamental avenue for increasing cognitive function, such as with magnesium, B vitamins, sunlight, sleep, and more.
Perhaps the most profound, as well as overlooked, is gut inflammation which always causes brain inflammation. This adds to the eponymous title of ‘second brain’ that the gut has. Research has shown that any instance of gut inflammation leads to neuroinflammation, and this is likely caused in large part by endotoxin which is able to circulate through the body to the brain, where it naturally causes body-wide inflammation and inflammation in the brain.
Reducing endotoxin and keeping the gut as clean and balanced as possible can therefore significantly improve cognitive function.
Protein
Protein or amino acids are essential for driving the Krebs cycle and energy production, as well as neurotransmitter production, being the precursors to things like dopamine and epinephrine. Since protein deficiencies are so common, along the likes of magnesium and vitamin D, it stands that the majority of the populace would derive significant cognitive benefit and improved clarity from eating more protein. As often mentioned by Ray Peat, protein is key for metabolism and mental processes. Eggs, cheese, meat, even some nuts, and other foods or snacks can provide protein in the morning for a big boost to cognition for the morning workload and flow state, and throughout the day. Protein powders are also prudent, with a simple shaker cup of milk and scoop of protein able to also provide this benefit easily in the morning after waking.
Exercise
Exercise of course has been consistently shown to improve brain function, memory, focus, mood, and ward off cognitive decline with age. It does this in part by increasing blood flow to the brain and increase neurotrophins, which are proteins that regulate brain cell growth and repair. These neurotrophins include BDNF and NGF, which also contribute to the elevated mood and clarity during or after exercise.
The type of exercise doesn’t really matter, with all forms significantly improving cognition. Simple walking could be considered the best, given its ease, consistency, and relaxing or rejuvenating nature. Nikola Tesla credited many of his ideas and intellect to the walks he took consistently every day. The foot strike of walking also increases blood flow to the brain specifically, with tapping your foot, rocking your leg, and dancing carrying similar effects.
Sleep
It goes without much saying that sleep improves brain function and clarity. The brain repairs itself, grows new neurons, and clears out metabolites from the day, such as amyloid-beta and tau proteins which contribute to Alzheimer’s and cognitive decline. You can feel the difference in mood, motivation, memory, and focus that a poor night’s sleep always brings. Lack of sleep or poor sleep has also been consistently shown to cause and increase neuroinflammation without fail. Conversely, sleeping or improving sleep quality decreases brain inflammation. Improving sleep with a healthy circadian rhythm, sunlight, magnesium, exercise, and more can therefore all improve your cognition through improving sleep as well as their own effects.
Other Ways To Improve Brain Function
Mushrooms have consistently been shown to improve brain function or improve cognitive decline and brain inflammation. Some studies have found significant associations between eating mushrooms and risk of Alzheimer’s or Dementia. The medicinal mushroom Lions Mane is one of the most prominent nootropics or supplements for cognitive function, and has been used traditionally for learning and poor brain function in the elderly. Whilst common edible mushrooms like white button and oyster may not provide significant immediate effects, they will almost assuredly support a healthy cognition and energized brain.
Thyroid can also have benefits for the brain, or perhaps rather correcting low thyroid levels can, as low thyroid levels can cause brain fog, poor memory, lack of focus, and low motivation & energy, all of which naturally culminate in poor brain function. Improving thyroid function and increasing T4 or T3 hormones helps to energize the brain, stimulate brain cell growth, and increase neurotransmitter production. Poor memory and brain fog are some of the hallmark symptoms of (untreated) hypothyroidism as an example.
Creatine has been shown to improve cognitive function and memory, including in the elderly. Creatine improves energy production in brain cells and oxygen utilization, as part of its mechanisms.
L-Citrulline, an amino acid, increases blood flow to the brain, enhancing cognitive function. Beetroot, exercise as previously mentioned, sunlight, and many other aspects of health or supplements also increase blood flow to the brain like L-Citrulline.
Vitamin E can improve brain function by reducing neuroinflammation and increasing dopamine, through inhibiting prolactin release.
Caffeine of course can improve cognitive function through a variety of ways, including antagonizing adenosine which is responsible for feeling sleepy and groggy, as well as increasing dopamine and epinephrine (adrenaline).
Antioxidants like polyphenols and flavonoids have also been consistently shown to improve brain function, most notable through reducing inflammation in the brain as well as reducing oxidative stress which damage brain cells and neurotransmitters.
Blueberries, which are rich in polyphenols and antioxidants as mentioned, are one of the more prominent or famous foods for improving brain function and improving cognitive decline. A few studies have shown its benefits on memory and potential efficacy for conditions like Dementia. Blueberries also increase neurotrophins like BDNF, like exercise and the lions mane mushroom.
