It's amazing how little we know about the brain and how it works. It is reliably known that the brain is capable of generating electrical impulses and is able to power a 25 watt light bulb! Now imagine how much effort and energy is spent to keep all vital processes in the norm, how many resources are needed to control the vital activity at the highest level. How does this happen and why? And where does the brain get its energy for such powerful organizational work? Is it possible to prolong the tone and youth of the brain and how to load the brain, we will tell in the article.
How the brain works
The brain is like jelly, and it is fragile jelly. To prevent damage and injury, nature has ensured that it is reliably protected. First, a strong skull, and second, a flexible membrane of connective tissue, which prevents the brain from hitting the walls of the skull. Finally, the cerebrospinal fluid inside the skull protects the brain from concussions and injuries.
What is the brain?That's about one and a half kilograms of "intelligent" mass in the human body, made up of billions of neurons, processes of nerve cells (axons), through which nerve impulses and signals are transmitted. In addition, each signal is generated and received by a certain part of the brain. In order to avoid malfunctions in its work, the brain needs 20% of all the oxygen carried by the cells of the body, and sufficient fats and carbohydrates. Their lack leads to a decrease in the concentration of attention, memory, causes psychosis, depressive states and deactivates other systems and organs. The disorders are often seen in those who regularly experience diets and dietary restrictions. Hungry people are also among those who mainly suffer from brain cells - irritation and aggression appear.
What are the functions of the brain?
The brain is our everything! It depends on him if we raise our hand, scratch the back of the head, cry or laugh, fall in love, remember or forget about it. Whether we live happily ever after or suffer, whether we are healthy or sick depends on the quality of the processes that take place in the brain. Who we will or will not become, what talents we will develop and what characters we will have. The brain controls everything and even a little more than you think. As the main organ of the central nervous system, it has a clear hierarchy of functions. Each zone is responsible for certain functions.
- The frontal lobe is responsible for conscious movement, speech and writing, our willpower and our desire for results.
- Temporal zones are responsible for speech perception, auditory and visual information, long-term memory, facial recognition and ear for music, rhythm and musical perception.
- The parietal zone is responsible for orientation in space, conscious movements, detection of one's body and parts, recognition of objects, calculation in the mind, pain, touch, high and low temperatures.
- The occipital zone is responsible for processing visual information. The eyes are a device that reads an image of the world around us by exposure to light. But the back of the brain transforms it, converting light into electrical impulses.
- The cerebellum is responsible for maintaining balance and coordinating movement.
The brain is working all the time, all the time and everything, and not 3-5%, as it has been said. Even in a dream. The claim that the brain rests at night is not entirely true. The work of the brain in a state of rest at night differs only in the activity of regions. Specifically, the frequency of impulses in the cerebral cortex increases. But what is going on there? It is during sleep that the subconscious comes into play, experience, emotions and knowledge are sorted and distributed, and above all, the restoration of the body's systems and organs. He maintains that drowsiness is a signal from the body that it needs a "checkup" and recovery.
How many resources the brain needs daily
Understanding the amount of data in the brain and the number of functions it performs, a reasonable question arises: what does it take to improve the quality of the brain, improve its capacities and prolong the youthfulness of its cells? And are there any pills that, like in the movies, would turn the brain into a supercomputer?
Brain nutrition
The brain spends the lion's share of the resources that arrive in a day. So, for daily self-care at rest (we will assume that this is a normal day in "light" mode, without physical exertion and expensive intellectual activity), the brain will consume 250 kcal. If a person activates the increased complexity mode, the brain will take the prescribed 750-1000 of the daily calorie intake. Now imagine that a dieter with a calorie intake of 1300-1500 will simply be knocked down at the end of the day, even in light mode. After all, in order to go to work every day, manage the baby at home, do physical labor, do sit-ups, cook, eat and digest, the body needs at least 2000 kcal, not to mention the cost of it. brain maintenance +500 kcal on average. You will certainly succeed in losing weight quickly. But it is not necessary to say that a person with a limited diet will be able to cope with stressful situations and daily loads, achieve good results in the professional field or in sports.
Vitamins for the mind
In addition to energy expenditure, the brain needs vitamins and minerals to function normally. Their deficiency in the body can be created permanently. The reason may be regular physical activity, unhealthy diet, diet, stress, lack of sleep, change of seasons, disturbances in the functioning of certain organs and systems (gastrointestinal tract or endocrine system), including, again, the brain is responsible.
Do you remember that famous phrase - all diseases are caused by the nerves? This is absolutely true! And the leader of the whole nervous system is the brain! So, by controlling the brain, feeding it regularly, you can not only pump the nervous system, but also protect yourself from many diseases.
Scientists agree that the average life expectancy of a person is vastly underestimated. In fact, under ideal conditions, healthy sleep, quality food, regular meditation practices (a tool to relieve stress, improve the nervous system, intellectual and spiritual growth), Homo Sapiens could well reach 150. Of course, vitamin supplements alone won't keep you going for 150 years, but they can certainly help on your way to that coveted figure.
Vitamins for the mind
Intelligence, like triceps, can be pumped up. And in order to ensure the youth and plasticity of the mind, its clarity and freshness, it is better to pump it daily. What vitamins can help in this difficult but extremely important matter?
Group B vitamins - ensure the normal functioning of the transmission of nerve impulses from a neuron to the neuron, improve the blood supply to the brain and, with it, increase access to oxygen- one of the main resources of the brain. They nourish the nervous system, preventing insomnia, depression and fatigue, which directly affect the quality of brain cells, the quality of neural connections and the impulses transmitted.
P group vitamins. Today 5000 substances are known, the properties of which are identical to the P group vitamins. These include flavonoids, anthocyanidins, isoflavonoids - powerful antioxidants. Vitamins of group P protect the brain and blood vessels, improve their tone. They slow down oxidative processes in the body, improve cell metabolism.
Vitamin C - the lack of which causes connective tissue to degenerate by the body, slowing or stopping the production of collagen. Due to the lack of vitamin C, the balance of enzymes necessary for the functioning of organs and systems is disturbed. The vitamin acts as a catalyst for metabolic processes. Protects the body and the brain, protects against mental or physical overload.
Omega-3s are a source of docosahexaenoic, eicosapentaenoic, and linolenic acids, which the body cannot synthesize on its own. And they have an important function - neuroprotective. Omega-3s help increase and maintain mental alertness, especially in the face of stress and seasonal bruises.
Vitamin E is a valuable substance in the cell membrane of brain cells. Due to the vitamin, the body produces the biomarker DHA-PC, the lack of which increases the chances of contracting Alzheimer's disease. Vitamin E prevents the significant loss of molecules very important for the brain and the death of neurons.
Multivitamins and drugs that improve brain activity and nutrition of brain cells with proven effectiveness: dry extract of Ginkgo biloba leaves, glycine.
How to improve brain function
As long as I think I live. Indeed, a reasonable person is able to move all of humanity with the power of thought and thanks to thought. But, there is also a downside to the coin. Thinking a lot is really bad. A flood of wandering thoughts can de-energize the brain to a "lemon juice" state. After all, every thought is energy thrown out if it doesn't receive the physical embodiment. And the constant energy gap in the head cannot give the strength to do something real and worthwhile instead of thoughts. This is how laziness, depression, internal aggression are born, the brain begins to function differently and certainly not for the better. Learn to stop the flow of faces, memories, dreams, dialogues within yourself, learn to relax and meditate. Special exercises to develop attention and concentration will help you do this.
Feed your brain. In all directions. Do not offend him or deprive him, for he contains you, and you - him. The game with a single goal ends sooner or later with a loss. Give your brain a good intellectual dinner, eat a nutritious breakfast, play educational games for lunch. And very soon it will respond to your care 10 times stronger. Will give new ideas, strength, good figure and youth, good sleep, good mood and harmonious relationships. That's what you want, right? Then feed your brain with nuts, fish, delicious books, and smart people.
Stimulates the pleasure centers. The brain really needs pleasure. For him, it is the engine of progress. The best help in this area is serotonin. Get it everyday: any creativity you love, your favorite hobby and self-actualization, sports, laughing, walking, singing, dancing. And if you think you don't have time for this, then it will be useful for you to find out.
Learn something new every day. A new foreign word, a new country and its capital, a new word from an explanatory dictionary, new useful information. It can be easily done by special mobile apps which will tell you a new word every day. The teaching is light. And this is the case when the brain generates it in the form of energy for all desires and achievements!
Sport is also able to pump the brain and, moreover, protects neurons and neural connections. Oddly enough, but a couch potato who reads a book will remember less information than a person who regularly exercises sports and reads "smart" books in their spare time.
In any unclear situation - sleep! This joke has a right to life, because in a dream the brain repairs itself, repairs itself, heals not only itself, but the whole body as a whole. What do you usually do when you don't know how to get out of the current situation, what is the best solution? You are wasting energy! Give your brain enough sleep to give you the best solution to the dead end and the right answer to your life question. The answer will come quickly and you will certainly find a way out. Lack of sleep, accompanied by endless thoughts before falling asleep, can have bad consequences.