Brain power is the thing that makes your brain work properly; helping your brain to fire up quickly and efficiently as it works through complex problems and issues effectively in just a matter of seconds. However, some of us find that our brain power isn’t as great as it could be, so what do we do? Well, we try to find ways of getting a little extra brain power… beyond that of the usual crossword teasers that are so common today. There have been many studies over the years that have explored the many ways to help improve the function of the brain, things such as nutrient supplements that help with memory to exercises that help to broaden the mind and brain power. Who doesn’t want to be smarter, think faster, solve problems more easily and more?

In the article “5 Easy Ways To Boost Brain Power (Without Doing Crosswords)” the ways in which to increase brain power is talked about in real solutions that can be used to get your brain working that much quicker and that much more effective. Dr. Natasha Turner of Blisstree, a site that helps to promote better health and wellness, explores what you can do to make your brain work better from simple memory recall to the ability to learn at an accelerated rate, making it a real possibility to boost your brain power and start thinking and learning in ways that will make you feel like a true intellect.

New research indicates that elevated blood pressure can produce brain damage even in early middle age. In fact, neurological damage could even be observed in those experiencing pre-hypertension episodes.

A ground-breaking new study recently published as part of an early online publication in the academic journal The Lancet Neurology, observed approximately 600 individuals with an average age of only 39 years old. Scientists measured blood pressure and collected MRI brain scan data for comparisons. Researchers verified signs of advanced brain aging prevalent in those with either high blood pressure or pre-hypertension. Those with elevated blood pressure experienced as much as a 6 percent decrease in grey matter in the frontal and temporal lobes.

The data suggests that hypertension-related cognitive damage may occur over a lifetime and not simply during the advanced years of aging. Nevertheless, damage to the brain's white matter is often tied to cognitive decline in the elderly.

It should also be noted that heart disease still stands as the greatest human healthcare risk responsible for premature death in the US.

New research indicates that playing a musical instrument may not only calm an aching heart, but it may also significantly strengthen brain connections.

A recent study published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience revealed that musical training may lessen the effects of normal cognitive decline that occurs with aging. The evidence suggests that seniors who learned to play a musical instrument during childhood and continued to play for at least a decade performed better than others in various tests of cognitive ability. In fact, they scored higher not only on evaluations of motor dexterity, but also verbal memory and recall, and even visual-spatial discernment. The study further revealed that continuing musical development throughout a lifetime may enhance cognitive ability and lessen the effects of any lack of formal education.

This may be good news for those who have suffered the effects of stroke or experienced similar neurological motor impairments. Music offers an effective multi-senory means to treat such disorders. 

Other important factors supporting the positive effects of musical training include the ease of specifically quantifying the time spent developing the skill. For example, it's far easier for one to publicly recall the time devoted to learning a musical instrument than it is attempting to quantify time reserved for other activities such as reading or doing crossword puzzles.

This study further supports previous evidence published last year in the journal Neuropsychology.

According to new research conducted by Brigham and Women’s Hospital of Boston, diets high in saturated fats, which are typically found in red meat, may accelerate brain aging more rapidly than other types of fats. Conversely, research suggests that consumption of monounsaturated fats may serve to actually slow the brain's aging process.

Published in the Annals of Neurology, the study utilized dietary surveys from approximately 6,200 women over age 65. As a follow up to the survey, the same women were interviewed five years later and asked to take cognitive functionality tests. The results indicated that those with diets highest in saturated fat had the worst scores related to reasoning and memory, while those with the highest monounsaturated fat intake had the best cognition test scores overall. Those who consumed mainly polyunsaturated fats, which are typically found in corn and vegetable oil, fell somewhere in between.

Those with diets high in saturated fat even appeared to show cognitive functioning ability of a theoretical brain age 5 to 6 years older than their biological age. Researchers suggest that one reason for the apparent difference could be that saturated fats may promote inflammation and damage to the arteries.

Cognitive Supplement