The 101 on How to Boost Brain Function

The brain is a fascinating organ. It holds our memories, controls our learning capacity, and shapes our personality. It is who we are, but if you think that once our brains are fully formed there’s no way to improve their function, think again.

If all the organs in the human body, the brain is the most compelling because it controls so many aspects of our being – thought, memory, emotion, touch, motor skills, vision, breathing, temperature, hunger, and every process that regulates our body are all managed by it.

Understanding the anatomy of the brain is key to optimising it. Our brains are around 60 percent fat, with the remaining 40 percent made up of water, protein, carbohydrates, and salts, and containing innumerable blood vessels and neurons.

Neurons, or brain cells, are formed of two parts. The body is called the Soma, which makes up the grey matter, and the long tail with a fatty sheath is called the Axon, which is the white matter. Grey matter processes and interprets information, while white matter sends information to the rest of the nervous system.

The brain also has various lobes, and these regions control different functions. The frontal lobe is responsible for concentration, problem-solving, planning, social skills, regulating emotions, and helping you to make good decisions from bad. At the back, the occipital lobe is involved with visual information and interpretation. The parietal lobe, meanwhile, focuses on touch perception and language, and the temporal lobe processes audio information, memory, and learning. At the bottom of it all is the brain stem, which modulates breathing, temperature, and heart activity, while the cerebellum governs balance and voluntary motor functions.

Our brains are fully developed by the time we’re in our early 20s, with the pre-frontal cortex being the last area to mature. As babies, and later as children, our brains grow rapidly, creating neural pathways and absorbing information like sponges, while as teens we fine-tune how they work. We tend to hit our cognitive peak at 35 years old and this period lasts roughly a decade. The inevitable decline typically starts at around age 70.

Even though as adults the stage for intense growth has long been over, this doesn’t mean that we can’t create new neural pathways and increase the brain’s capabilities later in life. As a former scientist whose research speciality was neuronal development, one of the most fascinating aspects of the brain to me is called ‘plasticity’. This is the capacity of the brain to alter its function in response to intrinsic and extrinsic stimuli by reorganising or creating new neuronal pathways.

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We see many examples of this in real life. Some are more basic, such as remembering the name of the person you met yesterday or learning a new word, but the true power of neural plasticity is seen in those with brain injuries – learning to speak, walk, or use their hands again.

So, how does one use the concept of neural plasticity to improve one’s own performance? The brain isn’t a muscle, but utilising it to its full ability involves treating it as one. Just as one does for physical health, you need to exercise it, create a nutritional plan, and get plenty of rest to maximise your cognitive function.

It may sound odd to “exercise” your brain, but one of the secrets to improving its agility and boosting its cognitive strength is to essentially give it a workout. This can be either physical or mental activity, as long as its fits three criteria: complex, challenging, and can be practised over and over.

For physical activity, choose an exercise that requires coordination. For example, swimming requires thinking, and processing as you execute strokes, kicks, and breathing. Dancing is another great activity. For those looking to focus on specific skills, hand-eye coordination can be improved through hobbies such as sewing and knitting, racquet sports, Tai Chi or boxing. A paper in Gerontologist reviewing 31 studies concluded that outlets such as painting, expressive writing, and learning musical instruments improved older people’s memory and processing functions.

For memory and cognitive function, games such as Sudoku and crosswords can help. Learning a new language engages with memorisation skills and recall, making it a powerful tool in your brain-improvement repertoire. In fact, the Journal of Cognitive Psychology reported that in their study bilingual participants fared far better than monolingual ones. There are also many apps available, such as Lumosity, Peak, and Elevate, that have all kinds of different games designed for brain training.

Like with muscles, nutrition plays a large role in improved brain power. Omega-3 is a fatty acid that is vital for brain function, as brain cells containing higher levels of it in their membranes are better at communicating with other cells. Omega-3 can be found in oily fish such as salmon and mackerel, and it’s recommended that you have two portions per week.

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If you’re not a fish fan, flaxseed is also a good option. Green, leafy vegetables such as kale, broccoli, and spinach contain vitamin K, lutein, folate, and beta-carotene, which can slow cognitive decline. Depending on your food preferences, you could also look into supplements to ensure you’re getting all the nutrients you need.

Every dedicated gym-goer knows that progress is hindered without proper rest and sleep, and it’s the same with your brain. During this time the build-up of toxins is removed. Also, our brains are quite active during sleep and new memories are being created, so without adequate rest you will not retain much of what you learned during the day. Lack of sleep also puts you at risk of injury, as it affects alertness and impairs memory. Try to get seven to nine hours a night if you want your brain to function at its very best.

As complicated as the brain is, improving it is relatively simple. With some lifestyle changes, regular exercise, and the right nutrients, you can quite literally open your mind to new horizons and flourish. Each and every one of us is capable of high-level brain power, so go and realise your genius!