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Being a good parent in general is hard enough, but things become a lot more complicated when your child has ADHD. A good day can easily turn into warfare and every second is a constant internal battle of whether or not you should yell at that stinkin’ lil’ brat!

Today we are going to tell you about 6 amazing natural supplements and how great they can be at treating symptoms of ADHD. These supplements aren’t ones that you’ll hear about from your doctor, because you can actually get them without any prescriptions, which means you don’t have to fork out hectic amounts of cash in the hospital.

When administered at the right dosages, these supplements have been shown to work wonders on children who have ADHD or general attention issues, by improving focus, promoting relaxation and boosting clarity. Make the better choice as a parent by giving your child safe, natural supplements that cause little to no side effects, unlike strong synthetic drugs like Ritalin and Adderall.

• Magnesium

A study conducted back in 2009 showed a link between magnesium deficiency and children with ADD/ADHD.¹ Magnesium is a mineral that our bodies need to maintain a variety of different functions, including: keeping our bones strong, strengthening our immune system, supporting a steady heart beat and lowering stress, inducing calmness, and supporting restful sleep.

Children with low levels of magnesium typically have a hard time falling asleep, are overly hyperactive throughout the day, have mood swings and emotional outbreaks. Supplementing with a natural mineral such as magnesium can balance your child’s body chemicals and promote calmer behavior.

• Zinc

Studies have shown that students with zinc deficiencies are more likely to have poor attention spans and ADHD. Certain researchers have also confirmed that administering zinc to kids with ADHD may help improve their symptoms.²

Remember that the mind of a child with ADHD works completely differently to the majority of other kids. This study ³ specifically suggests that the difference in behavior is due to malnutrition and zinc deficiencies. The study shows that 55mg of zinc sulphate daily helped improve symptoms of kids with ADHD by reducing hyperactive behavior and enhancing focus skills. Who knew that supplementing with such simple minerals was all that your child needed to feel calmer and brighter?!

• L-Theanine

This amino acid is undoubtedly the miracle ADHD treatment parents have been looking for. It’s an amino acid that can be found in green tea, and its effects are more powerful than you may expect. It has been shown to promote better focus, learning, and of course, relaxation. It basically works by calming the mind from distracting thoughts, leaving you feeling more tranquil and ready to be productive. You can even use this supplement yourself on days where you feel a little extra stressed and worn out. Supplementing with L-Theanine at night may help regulate sleeping patterns and promote better sleep, which means no more battles with the little one when it’s bedtime!

• Flaxseed oil

Flaxseed may be the trendiest new superfood on the block. It contains three important nutrients – omega-3s, fiber and lignans – all of which provide remarkable health benefits. Omega-3s is discussed further into detail below, but basically the compound helps focus, memory and concentration as well as overall brain health. Lignans provide strong antioxidant protection to our body cells, which is why it may help with the development of cancer. Last but not least it contains plenty of fiber, which is a nutrient that can really play a big role in your child’s energy levels and mood. Fiber is needed to control blood sugar spikes, to keep your child calm rather than hyperactive.

You can add regular flaxseeds to your meals or drinking flaxseed oil straight (probably not such a great idea…).

• Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids include EPA and DHA, both of which are needed to support your child’s brain development and proper brain function. Studies have shown that supplementing with EPA may actually promote better focus and mood in children, resulting in enhanced academic performance. DHA, on the other hand, may improve hand-eye coordination and overall communication skills.  Unfortunately, most children (and adults!) don’t get sufficient amounts of omega-3s from their diet. Kids with ADHD specifically, however, have been shown to have significantly lower levels of omega-3s in their system.

When choosing your Omega-3 complex supplement, make sure that it has both EPA and DHA, that it’s been manufactured by a well-known supplement company and that it’s free from any toxins and additives.

 

What to do now?

You can spend all the time in the world getting more educated about the different options available for your child but you won’t be doing anyone any favors if you don’t take action now.

Given how busy your schedule must already be, it would be quite an inconvenient choice to get 5 different types of supplements. That would mean ensuring that your child takes 5 different tablets a day and having to repurchase/order 5 different bottles. Doesn’t seem like a lot of fun, which is why we love Lumonol Prep. Lumonol Prep is a supplement that contains most of the natural ingredients listed above plus more. It’s designed to promote concentration and make your child feel more relaxed. It also comes in chewables, so you don’t have to battle with your child everyday and force them to swallow annoying capsules. All the ingredients in Lumonol Prep are listed on the company’s official website and discussed in further detail. Make a difference in both your child’s life and your own today by purchasing Lumonol Prep for only $44.70 a month. This price is a value that comes from a bunch of guys who want to give back – in fact, they’re so sure that you’ll be happy with Prep’s results that they promise to give you a 100% money-back guarantee if you’re not impressed with what you get. What are you waiting for? Order a bottle (or three!) of Lumonol Prep by clicking here.

Kids (and adults!) who “suffer” from ADD/ADHD are usually the most creative, caring and lively bunch of human beings you will ever meet. But they also have their weaknesses and a common one that most people with ADD/ADHD have is a lack of organizational skills. When things aren’t in order, your child’s brain can get jumbled up and feel even more anxious, which leads to irritability, inability to focus and bad behavior. A tip that we’ve learned from one of our team members, who happens to be a mother of a 7-year-old son with ADD, is to create and stick to a morning routine with your child every single day.

Here are a few morning schedule samples that you and your child can follow. You are of course welcome to modify them or create your own.

Morning Routine #1

• Start the day by reading a book together
• Make the bed together
• Brush teeth, comb hair and get dressed
• Let your child eat breakfast while you prepare his/her lunchbox
• Give your child their morning supplement

Morning Routine #2

• Set up a fun but gentle alarm clock tone
• Open the curtains
• Start the day by playing some calming music
• Eat breakfast together
• Give your child their morning supplement

 

“What is the point of doing this?”

“Will it actually benefit my child? How so?”

“But that extra 15 minutes of sleep is precious to me…”

If these questions and concerns come to mind, let us ask you a question in return: do you make your own or your child’s bed every morning? If the answer is yes, think about why you do so. Some of you may say that that you do it because it’s an innate skill that you’ve learned from your parents who learned it from their parents and so on. Others of you may argue that it’s important to make one’s bed because it’s a form of discipline. A bunch of you could even say that you do it because it feels better to come home to a nicely made, clean bed. All answers are totally valid, but there is an answer that most of you don’t quite realize.

Making your bed in the morning is the first thing you get done in the day. Getting such a simple task done will give you enough satisfaction for you to feel motivated to keep going and make your day productive.

If you teach your child to follow a schedule in the morning, they will feel more organized, more secure and more satisfied before the bell for school even rings. They will have gained a sense of accomplishment, giving them the confidence and motivation they need to do well throughout their day. Sure, kids with ADD struggle with organization. We’ve known that for a really long time now. But it’s not something that’s impossible to fix. Take it day by day and you will get there.

To further help your child gain a cool but focused mindset, we encourage you to get them a supplement that can potentially reduce or eliminate problems such as poor attention skills, anxiety, mood swings and more. Our choice is Lumonol Prep, which you can learn more about here. A cognitive supporting supplement such as Lumonol Prep will make your child feel calmer, happier and ready to perform their best at school.

Phenibut: A Review

Phenibut is a central nervous system depressant and derivative of the naturally occurring inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA, and it is well-known in the nootropic community for its anxiolytic and cognitive enhancing effects. While Phenibut has been widely researched in Russia —where is available by prescription to relieve tension, anxiety, and fear, to improve sleep in psychosomatic or neurotic patients; as well as a pre- or post-operative medication, depression, and PTSD—, little knowledge exists in Western medicine regarding its properties and long term use effects.

In regard to its chemical structure, phenibut is a phenyl derivative of GABA. The addition of a phenyl ring allows phenibut to cross the blood–brain barrier effectively, albeit there is a considerable amount of anecdotical reports that support that phenibut can take up to three hours to start working . Even though the calming effects of the drug are similar to other GABA agonists, some researchers argue that phenibut binds to the GABAB metabotropic receptor and NOT the GABAA ionotropic receptor one, which is responsible for the actions of the benzodiazepines, barbiturates, Z-drugs, and for some of the effects of ethanol. If this were true, we would consider phenibut a unique drug on its type. There is still dispute in the literature about this important issue that can clarify the controversy of phenibut’s potential withdrawal effects.

For our purposes, it is better to play safe and say that Phenibut acts as a GABA-mimetic, primarily at GABA(B) and, to some extent, at GABA(A) receptors, and might also stimulate dopamine levels , fact that would help explaining the reported mind-stimulating effects of the drug . Indeed, the injection of Phenibut was shown to enhance not only the inhibitory, but also excitatory components of cerebral cortical neuronal responses to all applied stimuli ; and accelerate the acquisition of internal inhibition, even in doses as high as 40mg\kg . Furthermore, Phenibut has been proved to decrease the reactivity of animals to emotionally negative stimuli , hence the interest on its potential antidepressant and anti-anxiety properties.

Furthermore, there have been experiments on mice that indicate that phenibut has pronounced protective properties, from an inmunocorrecting nature to a neuroprotectant one. In this study , phenibut reduced a neuralgic deficiency, amnesia, and the degree of cerebral circulation drop, and improved the spontaneous movement and research activity deteriorated by brain ischemia. Thus, Phenibut (I mg/kg) eliminates the symptoms of GABA-system disturbances revealed upon exposure to stress, decreases the tension of stress reaction and hyperglucocorticoidemia which causes hyperglycemia .

Nevertheless, the main downside of phenibut would be its abuse potential. While the debate of GABAB metabotropic receptor vs. GABAA ionotropic receptor would give more lights to this problematic, the fact is that there have been reports of phenibut dependence already and, as you might have read before, terrible withdrawal stories in reddit . Even though there are as few as 3 official cases descriptions in PubMed -all of them with successful outcomes-, moderation and supervision is urged.

Phenylpiracetam, a phenylated analog of the famous and generic nootropic piracetam, is clinically used in its racemic form as a nootropic drug that improves physical and mental state. It has been developed in Russia in 1983, where is still available as a prescription drug. Thus, a small yet considerable number of low-scale clinical studies have shown its potential anti-amnesic, antidepressant, anticonvulsant, antipsychotic, and anxiolytic properties. Here we summarize and analyze the evidence.

In this study, the central neurotropic effects of the compound were studied and compared with the effects of piracetam, morpholene and phenylpyrrolidone. Phenylpiracetam was found to activate the operant behavior more powerfully, to remove psychodepressant effects of diazepam, to inhibit post-rotational nystagmus, and to prevent the development of retrograde amnesia. Nevertheless, when given in high doses, the compound under study produces psychodepressant effects.

Unlike piracetam, phenylpiracetam exhibits a specific anticonvulsant and antipsychotic action. In this study, the substance had a marked neuroleptic activity in models of positive and negative symptoms of psychoses as well as in the cholinergic pathway. The compound markedly antagonized haloperidol catalepsy. Thus, it was concluded by these researchers that when phenylpiracetam is used in a single dose or as a course treatment, it does not provoke aggression nor intensify it. In contrast to typical and atypical antipsychotics, phenylpiracetam had no sedative action and other adverse effects. Conversely, it exhibited a positive effect on exploratory behavior and motor activity, and presented anxiolytic and antidepressant action.

Phenylpiracetam has also been studied in relation to immune stress. In this study, rats were induced the condition through pseudomonas aeruginosa, substance that produced adverse reactions in their locomotion, orientation, and exploratory activities, while anxiety levels increased. Phenylpiracetam exhibited psychoimmunomodulatory effects under these conditions, which manifested in prevention of anxiety and fear response, increase in horizontal locomotion and exploratory behavior, and improvement of immunoreactivity.

Furthermore, psychoimmunomodulating action of phenylpiracetam has been shown on the model of experimental hyperthyroidism. It has been found that the drug (14-days i.p. injection in a dose of 25 mg/kg) is capable of restoring the cellular and humoral immunoreactivity and improve psychoemotional state of animals by eliminating disturbances in the behavior reactions that appear as a result of the induced hyperthyroidism.

In conclusion, anyone who is interested in generating extra amounts of intellectual energy while avoiding the side-effects of a greedy stimulant, should try phenylpiracetam. Clean and focused intensity without a [not reported yet] letdown. Initial results starts as 100 mg per day, whereas tolerance studies have not been conducted yet.

For a general investigation into the stereoselective pharmacological activity of phenylpiracetam, refer: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21689376

 

Epimedium Grandiflorum or horny goat weed is a species of a flowering plant native to China, Japan, and Korea. It is used in traditional Chinese medicine as an aphrodisiac due to the presence of icarriin, a flavonol glycoside that acts as a PDE5 inhibitor, which mimics the effects of testosterone. Thus, in spite of the lack of peer-reviewed research of epimedium grandiflorum’s efficacy, the plant results attractive to nootropic users for its potential antioxidant, antidepressant, and neuroprotective effects.

Horny goat weed may have neurotrophic effects in in addition to known phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibiting effects. By suppressing neuronal apoptosis, Icariin is a potential therapeutic drug for neuronal degenerative diseases. Even though the molecular mechanisms of Icariin anti-apoptotic functions are still largely unclear, in this report, it was found that Icariin induces the expression of Synoviolin, an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-anchoring E3 ubiquitin ligase that functions as a suppressor of ER stress-induced apoptosis. In this way, a previously unappreciated molecular mechanism underlying the neuronal protective function of Icariin makes horny goat weed particularly appealing for the ones looking for neuroprotection.

Horny goat weed has also been researched as a treatment for other conditions, like osteoporosis and hardening the arteries. Nevertheless, the results have been unclear. So far, the plant has mainly been used as a natural alternative to erectile dysfunction, since the herb blocks the effects of harmful enzymes -acting as a phosphodiesterase inhibitor– that restrict blood flow to the penis. Furthermore, subjective reports from female users suggest that the substance might be helpful dealing with lack of libido, acting as an aphrodisiac both in males and females.

While horny weed is an unproven treatment and there is not an official established dose, the anecdotical experiences of their users claim that it is a well tolerated and safe substance that can be taken up 1500 milligrams to with little or no concerns. Good luck!

 

While some people are willing to go the distance and spend thousands of dollars every year to improve their cognitive function, some of us prefer going the natural way without the financial havoc. If this sounds like you, then be happy to know that your journey to better memory can start right now. In fact, the substance that has recently shocked scientists for its ability to instantly improve memory may already be sitting in your cupboard. Found your green tea yet? This wonder-plant has long been used for all its benefits, including reducing anxiety levels, weight loss, hindering the growth of cancer cells and even help reduce symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.

Despite all the great advantages that come when consuming green tea, a new evolutionary study shows that green tea can almost immediately boost memory. The study was conducted by Stefan Borgwardt, MD, PhD, from the Department of Psychiatry, University of Basel, Switzerland. The experiment involved participants who were asked to drink a beverage. What the participants didn’t know was that half of them were given a drink containing 27.5 g of green tea extract while the other half were told to drink a whey protein drink designed to taste like green tea. Afterwards, all the participants’ brains were examined under a fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) machine and were also told to complete memory tests.

The results showed that participants who drank the drink with green tea extract did significantly better on the memory tests and their brains had a different activation pattern between the frontal and parietal lobe. The investigators suggest that this is “the first evidence for the putative beneficial effect of green tea on cognitive functioning, in particular, on working memory processing at the neural system level by suggesting changes in short-term plasticity of parieto-frontal brain connections…”

In simpler terms, consuming green tea allows our brains to process and retain information more effectively, which leads to better memory recall. So next time you’re frustrated about memory problems, just take the small and inexpensive step of drinking 1-2 cups of green tea everyday. Who knows, maybe it’ll even stop you from drinking so much Coke! However, for those of us who need faster and more prominent results in the long-term, then taking a nootropic stack such as our editors’ top choice wouldn’t be such a bad idea either.

Damiana leaf has been used in folk medicine by its aphrodisiac, tranquilizing, and physical restorative properties. It comes from the yellow and fragrant plant Turnera Diffusa, native to the sub-tropical climates of southern Texas, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean.

Even though damiana leaf seems to contain a diverse amount of compounds (such as caffeine, apignen, eucalyptol, lutelin, and tannins ), the active ingredient responsible for its main anxiolytic benefits has not been identified yet. Apparently, damiana leaf acts as an adaptogen, being the aphrodisiac effect rather a product of stress and fatigue release than an increase in libido itself. Recent findings have suggested the notion that the pro-sexual effect of the aqueous extract of Turnera diffusa in rats involves the participation of nitric oxide pathway, mainly at central level .

In this study , damiana leaf facilitated expression of male sexual behavior by shortening mainly ejaculation latency. The treatment also facilitated the number of discharges in the ejaculatory motor pattern as well as the number of ejaculatory motor patterns and its associated penile erections. Thus, Turnera Diffusa prevented the pro-sexual effects of treatments on both experimental models. Besides, the extract of Turnera diffusa at the amount of 10 mg/kg produced an anxiolytic-like effect in male rats without affecting ambulation and motor activity. Thus, damiana leaf recovers sexual behavior in sexually exhausted males .

Furthermore, there are studies that support its use as a bladder tonic. This study suggests that Damiana Leaf possesses antioxidant effects in vitro and hepatoprotective effect on acute liver injuries induced by hepatotoxins in vivo, and the results suggested that the effect of the substance against hepatotoxins that induced liver damage is related to its antioxidant properties.

In conclusion, the results support the use of Turnera diffusa as an aphrodisiac in traditional medicine and suggest possible therapeutic properties of the plant on anxiety. The flavonoids present in active extract may participate in its pro-sexual effect, which is analogous to those produced by yohimbine, suggesting a shared mechanism of action.

When it comes to new brain supplements in the industry, two recurring names we hear very often are Evo and Lumonol. While both of them have been increasing in market share over the course of the past few months, they have come to popularitydue to wildly different reasons.

The manufacturers of Lumonol take a very quiet approach, letting its satisfied customers and expert reviews do the talking, sharing the word and promoting its product. Lumonol is often praised for the ingredients it uses, mainly Noopept, a powerful nootropic ingredient that isn’t found in most other supplements. This, along with its other herbal and natural ingredients make it a very solid contender that gives even long-runners in the industry a run for their money.

In comparison, Evo is kind of like the new kid in class that’s just trying a little too hard – he’s obnoxious, intrusive, asks way too many questions, and is always in your face. You’ve heard about him. You don’t want to meet him. Evo advertises on basically anything and everything related to brain supplements, so don’t be surprised if you see an Evo banner ad just 5 minutes after reading this comparison.We have to give them some merit for their advertising efforts though. They do work. Evo is perhaps about the most-searched word in our site!

The philosophies of the two companies behind these supplements are also in stark contrast with each other, as is made evident by their websites.While Lumonol’s site is very rich in information – including detailed product descriptions, explanations, and supporting research, Evo’s site lacks almost any sort of information at all, but is filed with so much marketing hype. So much so that they don’t even do a good enough job at explaining what Evo actually does for you or how it affects your brain. Instead, they continually notify you of the 75% sale they’re having that only lasts 24 hours.

Putting that aside, the two supplements do share some common ingredients in their formula, but it is in their differences where each of these supplements shine, and will ultimately determine the answer to the question: Which is better, Lumonol or Evo?

Ingredients Breakdown and Comparison:
Lumonol vs. Evo

While both of these formulas share a few common ingredients, you’ll see that the ingredients they use in their formulas mostly follow different philosophies. Lumonol’s formula is a lot shorter and concise, including some herbal and natural nootropics in combination with powerhouses like Noopept. However, the short list of ingredients also mean they’re able to put more of each ingredient into their formula. When comparing it to Evo’s formula, most of its ingredients have a 100-120 mg weight on average, while Evo’s is in the 40-60 mg mark.

Evo’s formula relies heavilyon energy boosting ingredients and other multivitamins. It dedicates an entire 135 mg of its formula to just multivitamin “filler”, and a further 525 mg to its energy enhancing properties. This means that its effects are geared more for energy and focus.

While subjective results are also relevant in regard to nootropics use (a better mood leads to a better performance), measuring results through objective tools is a more reliable indicator that your new compound is working for you or not. For the racetam family of nootropics, there are three main benefits. Two of them are problematic to track, including the neuroprotection and reduction of alcohol-related neurotoxicity.Nonetheless, you can track the effects on standard, passive-avoidance tests of learning and memory.

Unless you have access to a perception and cognition lab, your best option is to conduct a self-tracking single-subject design experiment. You do not need to be an experimental psychologist for this aim, but just determination and self-discipline.

I. First, you need a baseline assessment. Before starting with any new compound, it is essential to get a comprehensive understanding of your “natural” cognitive abilities beforehand. This information will provide you with the standard which you will compare later data. Quantified Mind is a tool that has adapted tests used by psychologists to quantify the effects of interventions on our cognitive processes. Here you can see what sort of tasks you perform best at different times of the day, how does eating breakfast affect your mind, how does coffee your reaction time, and even if sex is good for you (in terms of productivity!). It is certainly a good place to begin with. However, If you are looking for something rather exhaustive, Cambridge Brain Sciences is the way to go: Memory, Reasoning, Concentration, and Planning are objectively measured here, with the option of comparing yourself to other people like you.

Take the “IQ Challenge” provided in the webpage, which consists of 13 short tests that see how you do across all the key areas. According to your performance, an estimate of your intelligence will be provided, with your individual test scores relative to the general population.

II. Now that you have a better grasp of how your natural capabilities are, you conduct an intervention assessment. While taking the cognitive enhancer of your choice, you compare your new results with your initial standard for an accurate measurement of what the compound is doing for you. The answer to the question “How long should I take a particular nootropic before assessing results?” is unclear, and it varies with each experimental compound . At least for Noopept and Piracetam , clinical trials go as early as 21 days . However, to make things more

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23186990
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12596521
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20166767
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16277202
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20407435

complicated, neuronal changes do not necessarily correlate with substantial psychological changes, so expecting consequential results in a few days is probably too optimistic.

III. Thirdly, interpretation assessment. Now that you have your initial standards, your intervention assessments, and your final results, you are ready to evaluate how much does substance X has done for you. It is up to you to continue using a compound even if you have not improved your performance, yet remember that the more supplements used, the higher the chances of contraindications and undesirable side-effects.

Finally, most of us are concerned -and hence skeptical- of the recurrent optimistic statistical results we get from these cognitive tests. Indeed, there is a clear possibility that you are just getting better because of the practice, and there is actually no transfer effects to other related cognitive areas. The evidence is not clear , thus existing research is just scratching the surface of addressing all the potential of this question. Nevertheless, these games are likely to make you feel more motivated towards cognitive enhancement, and are a safe “thermometer” for your nootropics usage: at the least, you can assess that they are not being detrimental for you. Enjoy!

1. Drink Water. While most of us are aware that dehydration can lead to medical complications , a few have noticed the well established research that indicates that even mild dehydration (defined as little as 1.5% loss in normal water volume in the body) could have a negative impact in mood, energy levels, and cognitive performance . Unfortunately, people often use exclusively thirst as an indicator to drink water, when dehydration has already taken place, and hence its negative consequences in the mind & body.

Not all is bad news. Current findings suggest that particular cognitive abilities and mood states are positively influenced by water consumption . Brain structure changes were observed in adolescent and adult brains following appropriate hydration: executive functions including planning and visuospatial proceeding were positively affected

Special populations such as diabetics, the elderly, and children should be especially concerned with an adequate water intake, since the impact of dehydration on cognition and mood is predictable higher for those with poor fluid regulation.

You can check your hydration status by monitoring the colour of your urine. Ideally, it should be a very pale yellow.

2. Exercise. Everybody knows they should probably exercise more. Now not only because you will look and feel better, but think better. Scientific literature has established reliable research that assures that an efficient memory, sharp problem solving abilities, and reduced risk for Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease need active physical activity.

Exercise holds immediate benefits for affect and cognition in younger and older adults . A single bout of moderate exercise (such as simple walk of 30 min) is associated with increased levels of focus, motivation and determination in diverse cognitive tasks following the physical activity. Furthermore, the calm states that follow exercise seem to be the “natural medicine” for diverse mood disorders, such as depression or anxiety , acting as “fast-acting antidepressants”. Regular exercise reduce stress and enhances self-concept.

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16028567
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3257694/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24480458
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21125202
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23623982
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3768113/
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25764792

The cognitive benefits of physical exercise also last for decades, making it a nootropic with long-term benefits . Aerobic exercise, especially, is positively correlated with academic achievement, behavior, and psychosocial functioning outcomes. It is believed that physical activity exert neuroprotective benefits that stall cell death, hence its importance to an overall good health.

Health experts often remark that if exercise came in pill form it would be the most successful supplement drug on the market. However, as we all know, too much of a single drug might be eventually counterproductive. The findings from the above-mentioned clinical trials definitely prove that moderate exercise correlates well with an enhanced cognitive performance, yet the same has not been proven with acute physical exercise.

For a very concise but precise overview of the relationship of exercise and cognition from a neuroscientific perspective (with nice graphs!), check https://www.bodbot.com/Cognitive_Health.html.

3. Sleep Well.This might be repetitive for most of us, but we cannot emphasize enough how important is sleeping for memory consolidation, attention, decision-making, vigilance, and working memory . It does not really matter how much you read during the day if you do not take the time to consolidate it during the night by sleeping.

Sleep is essential for body restitution, energy conservation, thermoregulation, and tissue recovery . It is like recharging your “cognitive batteries” depleted during the day. Contrary to our common sense, sleeping time is not something you can recover during the weekend. As you may have noticed, even though you are sleep deprived for one day, the next day you will not sleep 16 hours, but just a little bit more than the regular 8 ones. The brain time has been lost, and with it, all the information gathered that day in particular (in addition to the apparent long-term consequences of sleep deprivation). From this perspective, stealing some time from our sleeping time does not seem a good deal.

Much has been said about sleep deprivation, yet sleeping too much is also linked to faster decline in brain function. The findings suggest that women and men who begin sleeping more or less

8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3647480/
9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2802247/
10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2656292/
11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19338508
12. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110501183643.htm

than 6 to 8 hours per night are subject to an accelerated cognitive decline that is equivalent to 4 to 7 years of aging. Indeed, it is interesting to notice that aging appears to be indeed accompanied by a decrease in duration of good quality nocturnal sleep and an increase in sleeplessness and sleep disturbances.