How to boost your concentration and memory naturally?

Many life events lead us to consider how to optimize our brain performance or prevent its decline. This issue affects everyone: students stressed before exams, seniors concerned about maintaining their cognitive abilities and memory, gamers and esports players for whom reaction time and analytical skills are crucial, athletes seeking to improve concentration, and individuals experiencing a heavy mental workload. While there are no magic solutions, there are natural ways to support brain performance, memory, and overall intellectual capacity.

What do we mean by cognitive abilities?

The brain is the "conductor" of our body, our behavior, and how we perceive and interact with the environment. Cognitive abilities are those that allow the brain to interact with the environment. They enable us to perceive our surroundings, acquire and retain information, perform intellectual work, and reason, among other things.

Among the major cognitive functions are:

• attention

• executive functions such as working memory, organization, mental flexibility, etc.

• intellectual functions

• Visuospatial functions: perception in space

• the gnosies

• language

• memory

• etc

The brain is a complex organ that needs omega-3.

The brain is considered the main organ of the nervous system. It controls numerous functions and is the seat (apart from spinal reflexes) of the motor, sensory, and arousal systems. Among the essential components of the brain are omega-3 fatty acids, and more specifically DHA. Omega-3 deficiencies have been shown to lead to developmental abnormalities and behavioral disorders (including depression). Omega-3s are essential for the proper functioning of the body and are major constituents of neuronal membranes, and are crucial, among other things, for proper brain function.

It is particularly important to ensure an adequate dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids, including 250 mg of DHA. This amount is recommended by health authorities for proper brain function and vision. To achieve this, it is important to consume vegetable oils rich in omega-3s (such as walnut, flaxseed, or rapeseed oil), but these do not provide DHA. To ensure you meet your DHA needs, you should consume portions of oily fish (salmon, herring, tuna, etc.) several times a week. You can also effectively meet your omega-3 requirements by taking high-quality supplements such as our OMEga+, which provides 250 mg of natural DHA in just one capsule.

What are the best plants to boost intellectual abilities?

Certain plants or substances are traditionally used to stimulate cognitive abilities, help maintain memory, or improve concentration and alertness.

Bacopa monnieri

Bacopa monnieri, a plant native to India, is widely recognized for its beneficial effects on memory and concentration. Also known as Water Hyssop or Brahmi, Bacopa monnieri is a succulent plant belonging to the Scrophulariaceae family. It grows primarily in marshes and wetlands and is frequently used in Ayurvedic medicine.

Bacopa monnieri has various benefits associated with its traditional use. It is attributed with anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and gastroprotective properties. Some people use bacopa to improve or treat various conditions such as sexual dysfunction, infertility, sleep disorders, and anxiety. However, not all of these effects have been scientifically proven.

Bacopa monnieri is considered an adaptogenic herb, meaning it helps the body adapt to stress. However, the most documented effects of Bacopa monnieri relate to its influence on the brain, memory, and cognition. It is primarily used to improve memory, concentration, and the ability to perform complex tasks.

Scientific studies have shown that Bacopa improves memory, memory retention, reaction time, and logical memory. In older adults, it also promotes cognitive performance. Furthermore, Bacopa monnieri improves attention and speeds up task execution.

Numerous studies, clinical trials, and meta-analyses have been conducted on Bacopa monnieri, with approximately 1100 results indexed on PubMed. The majority of these studies focus on the cognitive effects of Bacopa and have demonstrated significant results. It is worth noting that most of these trials were performed using standardized Bacopa extracts.

Bacopa monnieri contains several active compounds, including bacosides such as jujubogenin, ebelin and bacogenin A, as well as flavonoids and nutrients such as iron, calcium and phosphorus.

When choosing a Bacopa monnieri supplement, it's important to consider the concentration of active compounds. Common forms include herbal teas, powders, leaves, and capsules. However, to achieve the desired effects, it's recommended to use a Bacopa monnieri extract standardized for bacosides. This ensures adequate absorption of the active compounds and therefore the expected beneficial effects.

The Ginkgo Biloba

Ginkgo biloba is a unique tree species and the only living representative of the Ginkgoaceae family. Considered a "living fossil," the Ginkgo is believed to have appeared around 300 million years ago, long before the age of dinosaurs, making it one of the oldest known tree species.

Native to Asia, Ginkgo biloba has been used in China and Japan for millennia, both as food and as a medicinal remedy. Chinese medicine already referred to the virtues of its leaves and seeds for improving blood circulation 2,700 years ago.

Ginkgo leaves contain various active substances, including flavonoids, terpenes, sesquiterpene lactones, ginkgolides, and bilobalides. Most research on the effects of Ginkgo is conducted with a specific extract called EGb761, which contains 24% flavone glycosides and 6% terpene lactones.

Several potential mechanisms of action of Ginkgo have been identified, including an increase in blood flow, an antagonistic effect on platelet activation factors, and a prevention of damage caused by free radicals to cell membranes.

Clinical studies have been conducted to evaluate the properties of Ginkgo, particularly in the treatment of cerebrovascular insufficiency, cognitive impairment, and senile dementia. Ginkgo is also found in many nootropic supplements, although its effectiveness can vary depending on the amount of active compounds present in the extract used. It is recommended to use Ginkgo biloba extracts standardized for flavone glycosides.

Health authorities consider the use of Ginkgo to be "traditional". When choosing a Ginkgo biloba supplement, it is important to prioritize high-quality extracts, standardized in specific active ingredients to ensure optimal effectiveness.

Caffeine

It's not a plant, but an active substance found in several plants. Caffeine is a well-known and popular nootropic used to boost alertness and concentration. It's found in beverages such as tea, coffee, yerba mate, and guarana, and it offers beneficial effects on concentration as well as an anti-fatigue action. However, it's important to note that the effects of caffeine can be a double-edged sword, as it keeps you awake and can disrupt sleep, requiring certain precautions regarding its use. It's recommended to avoid consuming caffeine in the late afternoon to prevent compromising the sleep process.

Guarana

Guarana (Paullinia cupana) is a plant native to the Amazon and belongs to the Sapindaceae family. The seeds of Paullinia cupana are of great interest because they have a high concentration of caffeine, surpassing that of tea and coffee. In fact, it is the plant with the highest caffeine content.

Guarana seed is consumed in powder form, either as a dietary supplement or in drinks such as sodas, primarily in South America.

Using guarana in dietary supplements provides caffeine combined with other nutrients, in addition to offering caffeine from a known, natural source. It's best to choose organic guarana to guarantee its quality (at Phytocea, we exclusively use pure organic guarana in ReBoost).

The main active ingredient in Guarana is caffeine, which is what gives it its reputation. Caffeine is a nootropic commonly used to promote alertness, improve and maintain cognitive performance, and combat mental fatigue.

Guarana and caffeine are also attributed with properties related to weight maintenance, although these effects have not yet been scientifically proven.

Besides caffeine, Guarana contains other molecules of interest, such as vitamins (A, E, B1, B3), alkaloids such as theophylline, theobromine (also present in chocolate and yerba mate), as well as polyphenols.

Green tea and theanine

Green tea is a highly valued beverage for its numerous medicinal properties, notably due to its caffeine, antioxidant, and amino acid content, including L-theanine. The six types of tea (green, white, yellow, oolong, pu-erh, and black) all come from the same parent plant, Camellia sinensis. The quality of tea depends on several factors, such as the Camellia sinensis variety, farming methods, the part of the plant harvested, the time of harvest, and the geographical location of the tea field.

For optimal effectiveness, green tea extracts must be standardized and highly concentrated in L-theanine. L-theanine is an amino acid similar to glutamine found almost exclusively in the green tea plant (Camellia sinensis). It is partly responsible for the taste of tea, ensuring its full flavor while simultaneously reducing bitterness. Green tea extracts are rich in catechins, including epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and epicatechin gallate. Excessive consumption of these catechins can have hepatotoxic effects. The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) has studied the hepatotoxic effects of green tea catechins and concluded that precautions for use are necessary. It is therefore important to adhere to the recommended dosages when consuming green tea extracts. For example, with green tea extract supplements, it is generally recommended to take 1 to 2 capsules daily with food. Furthermore, it is advised not to exceed 500 mg of caffeine per day, especially for women of childbearing age. Finally, high-quality extracts standardized with an effective amount of L-theanine are particularly expensive and therefore not very competitive compared to other substances.

Ginseng

Ginseng is an adaptogenic plant, meaning it helps the body adapt to different types of stress and maintain overall balance. Among the various ginseng varieties, the most common are American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) and Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng). Ginseng extracts standardized for ginsenosides have shown significant effects on improving cognitive performance in some clinical studies. Ginsenosides are the main active compounds in ginseng, and their concentration varies depending on the variety and age of the plant. These compounds have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which may contribute to their beneficial effects on cognition. Clinical studies have shown that taking ginseng may improve memory, arithmetic skills, and reaction times in middle-aged people, but not in young adults. Taking ginseng can cause side effects such as sleep disturbances, headaches, nervousness, and itching. It is therefore important to adhere to the recommended dosages and consult a healthcare professional before starting any ginseng treatment. Drug interactions are also possible, so it is essential to check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any medication.

The quality of ginseng extracts depends on the concentration of ginsenosides and the extraction method used. Dietary supplements containing ginseng extract are available in various forms, such as capsules, powders, and liquid extracts. It is important to choose high-quality ginseng extracts standardized for their ginsenoside content to benefit from their effects on cognition.

Phytocea's dietary supplements for memory and cognition

At Phytocea we have created a range of food supplements capable of meeting the various needs related to the brain, memory and cognition.

For optimal omega-3 intake, we created OMega+ , a food supplement containing high-quality fish oil, chosen for its richness in omega-3 and especially DHA. A single capsule provides 250mg of DHA.

Those looking for a solution to maintain wakefulness and boost attention may want to consider ReBoost , a food supplement made with pure organic Guarana that provides an optimal supply of caffeine on demand.

Finally, for all those who wish to participate in stimulating their concentration, cognitive abilities and memory, we have formulated ReMind , a complex formula based among other things on 2 renowned plant actives: bacopa monnieri and ginkgo biloba.

These three supplements can be consumed together or separately.

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