Cognition

The brain is the command center of the body and orchestrates the millions of systems occurring every second in the body. Cognition is the general term for the proper function of the brain in acquiring knowledge, processing information, memory recall, managing stress response and promoting a healthy mood. Factors like poor diet, stress, and lack of sleep can cause the chemical switches or genes in the brain to malfunction—thus diminishing cognitive and overall health.

Neurodegenerative Disease:
- Alzheimer’s disease has recently been classified as Type III Diabetes (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2769828/)
Depression:
- 6.7% of all adults in the US have had a major depressive episode. (https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/major-depression.shtml)
- 25 million adults in the United States take antidepressants—a 60% increase since 2010 (https://www.pharmacist.com/article/many-people-taking-antidepressants-discover-they-cannot-quit)
Decreased productivity:
- Recent study shows that even minor levels of depression are associated with a significant loss of productivity at the workplace. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21747101)
Anxiety:
- Anxiety disorders affect over 40 million people each year—18.1% of the world’s population. (https://adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics)

Nutrition:
- Eat foods rich in brain Epinutrients like blueberries, raspberries, apples, pomegranates, cacao, fish, and herbal teas like chamomile and lavender.
Exercise:
- Mental exercises increase neuronal plasticity—meaning they strengthen the connections in the brain that are responsible for cognition
- Do something that spawns creativity (painting, drawing, building, etc.)
Supplementation:
- Adaptogens are a class of natural products from plants with the potential to promote cognitive health by supporting healthy levels of neurotransmitters. See here for a general review on adaptogens: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19500070

Here is a list of the best science-based adaptogens:

Cannabidiol: 2015 paper showed that cannabidiol was effective in people with anxiety disorders. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26341731)
L-Theanine has been shown to help reduce the stress response in the body. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4728665/)
Rhodiola Rosea: A 2018 study found that 500 mg/day of Rhodiola Rosea exhibited antidepressant effects. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30477830)
Bacopa monnieri: A 2008 study showed that cognitive performance improved and depression and anxiety indicators were reduced compared to the placebo group when taking 300 mg/day of a bacopa extract. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3153866/)
Ashwagandha: A 2014 review showed that many papers have reported the ability of ashwagandha to reduce anxiety. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25405876)
Magnolia bark: Honokiol and magnolol in this tree bark can reduce stress and anxiety as shown in this 1998 study (https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/np9702446)