As the new school year begins and many of us are undoubtedly considering a plethora of semi-legal options to improve our studying, consider first these less risky alternatives. The options included below are suggestions only, and if at any time you experience any unwanted side effects, you should cease any dietary changes.

Caffeine
Oh the old standby of students the world over. Caffeine has been demonstrated in studies to improve short term memory, boosting brain performance and combat sleepiness, and there has even been evidence that it supports general learning, particularly in children. There are counter-examples, however, which show that long-term consumption of caffeine can slow hippocampus-dependent learning in mice. As a central nervous system stimulant, it gives you that quick-witted and alert feeling with minimal detrimental effects beyond acting as a diuretic. Caffeine is the world’s most popular psychoactive substance, and as you read this you probably have some pumping through your system right now!

Ginkgo Biloba
A plant which originates in Asia, ginkgo has been cultivated in China for both culinary and medicinal uses. Recent studies, however, suggest that ginkgo may be able to function as a memory and concentration enhancer. The degree of efficacy is hotly debated, however, with studies producing varied results. It is commonly available from most supplement stores and is usually priced at an affordable rate. There are, however, a great number of potential side effects that some individuals may experience, including upset stomach, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, general feelings of restlessness and a possible increased risk of bleeding. In addition, ginkgo biloba should not be taken with antidepressants without first contacting a medical professional.

Sleep
One of the most important things you can do to improve your working memory and concentration is catching up on sleep. For the average sleep deprived student who has to balance a job, studying, classes and the rest of your life, it proves to be an area that may be of help to those who can afford to partake. Failing to have enough sleep has been demonstrated to significantly reduce an individual’s working memory and concentration. The best quality sleep comes from a dark room with minimal noise. How much sleep on average do people need? While the ideal amount of sleep varies for each individual, it is generally between six and eight hours of uninterrupted sleep per night. There are some recent studies that are highly controversial and have been dismissed by some as pseudoscience, which suggest that naps may be more effective than contiguous rest. The assertion is that the nature of naps forces the body to descend into deeper levels of sleep more quickly and is more efficient.

Physical Activity
If you cannot fit more sleep into your busy schedule, an easy solution may be simply adding twenty minutes of physical activity into your daily routine. Studies suggest that implementing a regular fitness regimen may enhance learning and memory function by increasing levels of epinephrine in the hippocampus. Plus, there is the added bonus of increasing your chance to survive university and the rest of your life through the improvement in overall health that accompanies an increase in general fitness. Physical activity also has a definitive positive effect on the quality of your sleep, so maybe you can try this as a way to break the ice with your new study partner.

Eliminate Grains and Corn Syrup
There is a new body of evidence which suggests that grains may cause a chemical reaction within the body. This appears to cause a lowered level of creativity and mental flexibility within the mind of the individual. While you are at it, attempt to remove corn syrup from your diet, a harder task then one would imagine. The inclusion of high fructose corn syrup to the diet can cause effects to the brain similar to drug abuse.

In conclusion, there are a variety of simple and affordable options for you to consider to improve your cognitive function for the upcoming year. As it turns out, your diet and habits may be your own worst enemy for succeeding academically. And remember, even if you are one to consider less than legal alternatives, they are not magic bullets to solve all your problems: studying is still required. If not for all the regular items you can always opt for buying Nootropics in Australia is legal and has also been known to help increase the memory power in a person.