Using medications to improve brain power

pills31967012.jpgRecently there has been an increase in the use of prescription drugs to enhance concentration and memory. While there is no doubt that these drugs can improve concentration, most of them are stimulants and medicines prescribed primarily to treat ADHD symptoms. A recent survey found that up to 25% of college students routinely purchase black market prescriptions such as Ritalin or Adderall in order to boost memory and concentration before exams. Of course the downside to these pills is that they can be habit forming and when not properly prescribed by a physician who is aware of your personal medical history, also dangerous.

While most new brain drugs are developed to target increased memory, there are several other ways to improve brain power legally and effectively without emptying the wallet.
Ginko Biloba, has been shown to increase brain function because blood flow to the brain is increased. Although it's effects are still being determined, and results are mixed, many people use Ginko Biloba to assist in recovering and enhancing memory and concentration.

Caffeine is the most easily accessible brain booster. While it's side effects can cause headaches, lack of sleep and addiction withdrawal symptoms, it is readily found in most cups of coffee, energy drinks and soda. It has been shown repeatedly to improve short term brain function.

Acetyl-L-carnitine may also work as a brain booster by helping maintain brain cells. Although there have not been many studies on its effects in healthy people, one study did show that people with early Alzheimer's or mild memory impairment benefited from taking it and it is becoming quite popular as a natural brain boosting supplement.

The advantage to natural boosters is that they are probably much safer than pharmaceutical drugs and can have benefits well beyond just increasing brain power. If you want to avoid brain drugs all together and still increase the power to concentrate and have enhanced memory, we suggest a few of the following ideas:

Select a specific thought and see how long you can hold your mind on it. Start with concentrating for 5-10 minutes and work up to more. As other thoughts drift in, push them out as best you can and keep practicing this exercise until you can keep all other thoughts from your mind. This increases your ability to concentrate and focus and makes your brain work hard to stay where you want it to be.

Count the words in any paragraph of a book or article. Count them again to make sure you counted correctly. Start with one paragraph and work up to a full page. Use only your eye; do not use your fingers or any other object to assist you in the count. This forces your brain to clearly identify breaks in words and focus on each word individually.

Choose an unfamiliar postcard or picture and carefully study the picture for a set amount of minutes (3-5 minutes works best). After concentrating on the details of the picture, recall as many as you can either verbally or write the answers down.

Many foods are considered to be more helpful for improved brain functioning and have natural anti-oxidants and important vitamins essential to the health of your brain. By eating a variety of these foods your diet can assist with increasing your brain power. Some foods include: Apples, bananas, avocados, blueberries, dark green and leafy vegetables, eggs and salmon.

If you have been experiencing memory problems, speak with your doctor as soon as possible. In order to improve your memory problems, you need to start treating it at the sign of the first problem.

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