Annika Mueller Module 07

Advertisements for brain game apps are not only everywhere but are also very convincing. Can an app on your phone actually help with memory or improve our thinking skills? According to Healthline, new studies are showing that memory can be improved in adults who have experienced a decline in their memory. Unfortunately, most of the research done is when adults are playing while being supervised by app experts. Playing these brain games at home, without the help of experts, may not yield much improvement to your memory or brain function.

Are there better options available to help with our brain function? While researching, I found that dietary supplements seems to be a very common and effective technique people use to improve brain function. A supplement named Dynamic Brain claims to increase phosphatidylserine in the brain. Phosphatidylserine is a nutrient found in the cerebral cortex, which covers and protects brain cells and helps carry messages between them (“Top 5 Nootropic Supplements of 2020 – Review Scout”, 2020). According to one website, Dynamic Brain is rated highly in effectiveness for improving brain function in adults who have experiences memory loss.

Other options offered by Harvard Health Publishing for improving your brain function are living a healthy lifestyle (i.e. healthy diet, daily exercise, keeping your blood pressure and cholesterol levels low), caring for your emotions, and building a social network. Strong social ties have been associated with a lower risk of dementia (“12 ways to keep your brain young – Harvard Health”, 2020). Memory loss can be genetic but can also be caused or influenced by a lack of self-care. Living a healthy lifestyle, caring for your emotional health, and surrounding yourself with people who take an interest in you may be the strongest ways to sustain or improve healthy brain function.

12 ways to keep your brain young – Harvard Health. (2020). Retrieved 18 August 2020, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/12-ways-to-keep-your-brain-young

MacMillan, A. (2016). Yes, Brain Games Improve Memory, But Only Under Some Circumstances. Retrieved 18 August 2020, from https://www.health.com/condition/alzheimers/brain-games-improve-memory

Top 5 Nootropic Supplements of 2020 – Review Scout. (2020). Retrieved 18 August 2020, from https://www.reviewscout.org/top-5-nootropics/?utm_term