Cognition Health - Maintaining A Mentally Active Lifestyle For Lifelong Brain Fitness

Recent research is disproving several myths about the aging-cognition link: that aging results in irreversible mental decline and that dementia is universal and inevitable. Researchers, health professionals and individuals who are concerned to educate themselves about these important issues, have begun to focus on opportunities to both maintain and improve cognitive health.

 
What causes decline in cognitive health?

There are two ways an aging brain experience cognitive decline and lose cognitive efficiency: 1. Brain cell death & reduced brain plasticity which is the ability of brain to grow new brain cells (neurogenesis) or make new connections between brain cells (synaptic plasticity) - both essential processes in cognitive flexibility, learning and the application of fluid intelligence - our ability to reason and problem solve in new situations. 2. Less efficiency in energy supply for brain activity. As we grow older our brains tend to expend more energy to perform the same cognitive tasks - they are less efficient.

Our  fluid intelligence - closely related to what are called 'executive functions' for prioritising goals and staying focused - is particularly vulnerable to decline as we age. It is based on two brain structures: the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus.  

It is known that the aging process targets both these brain structures (and fluid intelligence) more than others. Their volumes typically reduce with age with brain cell death. But this effect can be counteracted. (See scientific references here)

Physical exercise, certain natural brain foods & brain supplements, and a specific type of  brain training software that targets fluid intelligence have all been shown to increase brain plasticity or improve energy supply in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex - thus improving cognitive health and fitness - increasing IQ while countering the effects of cognitive aging.   

Exercise, brain supplements & brain training all promote brain plasticity and brain fitness

Three behaviors — smoking, poor diet, and physical inactivity were the root causes of over 1/3 of all U.S. deaths in 2000. These risk factors have a similar impact in other countries. These behaviors also negatively impact brain health.

The following factors have been shown to stimulate brain plasticity and brain cell growth and help maintain brain health and fitness.

Regular physical exercise (walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, yoga) is not only effective  in the prevention of hyper-tension, heart disease, cancer, type II diabetes, osteoporosis and depression. It is also one of the best ways to stimulate brain cell growth  in the hippocampus and maintain brain function and cognitive efficiency throughout the lifespan. Regular exercise on some measures results in 2-3 times as many new neurons being produced by the brain. A physically a ctive lifestyle can help prevent loss of cognitive efficiency with aging and neuro-degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. 

Brain Nutrition. A diet high in saturated fat and sugar (junk foods) not only increases risk of cardio-vascular disease and cancer, but sharply reduces the brain’s production of new neurons and speeds up cognitive aging. On the positive side, several natural brain foods or brain supplements have been shown in laboratory tests to promote brain cell growth, improve brain function and reduce cognitive aging. Creatine brain supplement – which helps provide a steady fuel supply to both brain and muscle cells - has been shown to be a particularly effective natural brain supplement to counter cognitive aging and maintain good brain and body metabolism in older age. (See the scientific references.)

brain foods for reversing cognitive aging:  click to enlarge

Scientists believe brain foods and exercise work synergistically, tapping into common cellular pathways for brain plasticity, learning and memory.

Brain training. Research shows that you need to exercise your brain to maintain optimal cognitive performance. Daily brain training with our brain training software High IQ Pro® that targets the fluid intelligence brain centres  results in increased brain plasticity of neural connections in the prefrontal cortex - part of the brain circuitry targeted by cognitive aging. This brain plasticity underlies the dramatic training improvements in memory, fluid intelligence and IQ that have been observed using this software. No other known brain training exercise improves fluid intelligence and IQ - by over 40% in the groundbreaking scientific study by Dr Jaeggi and her colleagues in 2008 that can be accessed here.

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 IQ Lift's brain fitness program for an active lifestyle, active intelligence & cognitive vitality

To improve brain function, cognitive efficiency and IQ to an optimal level of brain fitness, countering the negative effects of cognitive aging while capitalising on the gains in crystallized intelligence, we recommend an integrated brain fitness program: regular aerobic exercise, plus natural brain foods and brain supplements, plus regular brain training with our IQ software High IQ Pro®. These three scientifically proven methods for improving brain function and IQ will work synergistically for all round mind-body health and performance.

How to improve cognitive health and brain fitness?
Click on which of IQ Lift's brain function improving method
you are most interested in learning more about 

Our High IQ Pro® software comes with a money back guarantee if you do not get significant gains in your IQ on a valid IQ test, and at least a 40% gain in your short term working memory capacity.

 
*** for the scientific references for this page, click  here  ***