How to get more blood flow and oxygen to the brain

[jbischke]

I've been reading a lot lately on the benefits of getting a lot of blood flow and oxygen to the brain. Particularly Daniel Amen's work. It seems that a lot of brain-related illnesses (e.g., depression, OCD, alzheimers) are caused or made worse by a deficiency of blood or oxygen flow to the brain.

So I thought it would be interesting to start a list of things people can do to encourage blood or oxygen flow to the brain. I'll start.

#1 - Exercise - This should be obvious.

#2 - Supplements like Gingko Biloba and L-Arginine - Both show increased blood/oxygen flow to the brain.

#3 - Yoga inversion - Again, probably obvious.

What else do you guys think should be on this list?

[Elektron]

Any stimulant increase the blood flow and blood transports oxygen.
I disagree about exercice because the blood goes to your muscles not your brain.
I think better when i rest my body.

[funchy]

Exercise. Not only will it help blood flow, it'll condition the cardiovascular system to be healthier. Exercise is shown to help with issues such as depression. IMO it's the most important thing you can do. Even just a good 30 minute walk daily can help.

My #2 choice is diet. Good diet will go a long way. Poor diet can result in anemia, lethargy, and other problems, and this may make you feel like your brain is tired.

I have mixed feelings about drugs (natural "supplements" or artificially produced). I'd want to know how it "increases blood flow" before I believe it's going to help my brain function. Caffeine, for example, increases blood flow in a sense. But is it really a good thing to rely on long-term? Maybe not. Some stimulants can also trigger headaches, cardiovascular stress, and sleep disturbance in some people.

"Natural" doesn't automatically mean safe or side-effect free, so really research the compound before using. Also consider since there is little to no regulation on "supplements" since they're a food product, you don't always get the same amount of active ingredient across brands or even across batches. Use with caution!

Treating any personal health issues will also help keep brain fog away. If you are diabetic, for example, poor blood sugar control can keep you feeling disoriented. Fibro myalgia is known to cause the brain-fog in many who suffer from fibro, so again it's important to take care of yourself as much as possible.

[zoner7]

breath more

[brandongilbert]

deep breathing will surely get blood to your brain.

yoga is where its at for this.

[bdp]

I can't think of anything more fundamental than maintaining a pristine circulatory system.

[Andrew Gubb]

When I'm passionate I naturally breathe more deeply; I think otherwise I just go into hibernation. Finding your life purpose might fit on that list...

[justin2377356]

Hi all

Is there a way to test oxygen to the brain, so we know what is working for us?

Or blood flow to the brain I suppose.

[Aleksander Krstic]

I dunno about oxygen, but I know that strong focus can bring more blood flowing into your brain, especially if you're focusing on it.

[Fullcrum]

Triggering the mammalian diving response by holding your breath under cold water for at least 30 seconds several times in a row increases blood flow to the brain.

Check this out: Mammalian diving reflex - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Note that part two of the response decreases blood flow to the muscles and increases it to the brain and heart. I have personally noted much clearer thinking after dunking my head in cold water for just a couple minutes. It's fun and not as hard as it sounds.

Here's a link describing that. Two GUARANTEED Ways To Profoundly Increase Your Intelligence

[MartialDev]

Qigong includes specific exercises and postures to increase bloodflow in the brain. They are far more effective than "general exercise" for this purpose. In fact, they are so effective, they sometimes cause latent psychological problems to surface--problems which are subsequently blamed on the practice itself ("qigong deviation").

[Andrew Brunelle]

Every day I do deep breathing exercises. It seems to help my effectiveness in any task I do. Meditation is also effective at increasing blood flow to the brain.*

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

[Benny21]

I would think exercising. Also I see that blueberries are called "brain food". I haven't looked into what exactly they do for the brain but it could help the brain.

[Angela Leeds]

Originally Posted by jbischke

I've been reading a lot lately on the benefits of getting a lot of blood flow and oxygen to the brain.

Use Breathplay techniques -- read Ian Jackson's book "Breathplay Approach to Whole Life Fitness", and get his "Acousti-Coaching" CDs from his cycling website. Use it with whatever your own type of workout is.

Can't say enuf about both the techniques and Ian Jackson as a coach. There's may be nothing on the planet that will more effectively get more oxygen into your brain than his approach...

[Peek]

Put more iron in your diet, it helps the red blood cells to transport more oxygen.

An other one (seriously) hold your head low for a while, like in stand up side down, so the blood flows to your head.
I will back this up: if there is too less oxygen in the brain, you will faint. This makes your head go down naturally for the blood to flow in.

I'm no doctor of any kind just a watchful person.

[FazK]

The best way to get more oxygen to your brain would be to breath deeper. There are hundreds of yoga sites on the net that can teach you a wide variety of breathing techniques, another is to just leave your windows open all the time and to try to never sit to long in a stuffy room

[Datum]

I think you guys should see this. This video address the very basic issue of producing quality oxygen. As a matter of fact I am going to do the same in my office and my bedroom.
It is a 4 minute video which must be seen and shown to friends and family.
Kamal Meattle on how to grow fresh air | Video on TED.com

[ginkgo]

This is the purpose of Asians drinking only tea. It is great for the brain. This also includes Jesuit tea (yerba mate).

[stanmrak]

Getting more blood flow to the brain area won't be entirely effective if the capillaries are too constricted to allow free flow. To improve this, you want more antioxidants that can penetrate the blood-brain barrier such as:
– ginkgo biloba
- astaxanthin
- curcumin
- resveratrol
- alpha-lipoic acid

Alpha-lipoic acid and chlorella also help eliminate heavy metals that have been associated with alzheimer's.

Antioxidant Man