Maximizing Brain Power: Pushing the Brain to Limitless

"Limitless." A movie based on the book by Alan Glyn in which the main character is able to access 100% of his brain's capacity by taking a little magic pharmaceutical. What a hot fantasy that is! We have been told all of our lives that we are only using, what, ten percent of our brain? We assume of course that if we could access more of it we could accomplish things that would be considered superhuman. The $64,000 question is, does a drug like MDT (the name of the superdrug in the book,) actually exist? This would be a substance that allows you access to all your stored memories and knowledge.

A drug that combined this with absolute focused clarity.

Imagine, start a task, a project, a goal, and never be distracted from completing it, or confused by how to go about it. As the movie, says, the potential upside, is, well, limitless!

The closest pharmaceutical equivalents to MDT (or NZT if you prefer the cinema version) according to several sources are Ritalin and Adderall. Both of these target executive function, while another, Modafinil/Provigil, enhances memory recall and consolidation. These are drugs developed for people with ADD but are known to enhance awareness and memory in people without these diagnoses.

Real Life Guinea Pigs

Ritalin, Adderall, and Modafinil/Provigil. The first two are FDA approved pharmaceuticals for ADD/ADHD, and the second is a 'memory-enhancing psychostimulant' prescribed for various sleep disorders. They are also drugs of choices for students, professors, truckdrivers and combat pilots alike who wish to remain alert during long, boring drives or detail-oriented tasks requiring extended periods of concentration.

Use of these drugs by people unaffected by ADD or other problems is widespread and well-known. In an interview with 60 minutes' Katy Couric, Kentucky college students admitted that pill-popping was commonplace and considered necessary by many to succeed in school. Statistics quoted in the interview stated as many as 80 percent of United States college students had or were using Adderall, Ritalin or a similar drug to enhance their ability to study and take exams.

Studies show these drugs DO work for people not diagnosed with attention deficit disorders. By stimulating dopamine production, a healthy brain may become more alert, focused and even interested in the task they are on. But before you go out and fake ADD to get your prescription filled, be warned, there are potential side effects. Turns out, Ritalin is lumped in the same amphetamine category as cocaine. Among the dangers are sudden heart problems and higher blood pressure; and oh yeah, addiction.

Drug Abuse

The problem with drugs like this, according to the Genetics Science Learing Center at the University of Utah, is the potential to create permanent, undesirable changes to the brain with extended use. They go on to say that the drug is not addicting when taken as prescribed. However, when abused is higher doses, or crushed and snorted like cocaine, addiction is possible. This article evens suggests that cocaine is often substituted for Ritalin when the prescription is stopped.

Do all of the above psychostimulants have the potential to be addicting? Adderall, a Dextroamphetamine, can become addictive. Like similar drugs in this family, it can cause tics and twitches as well. Provigil? Yep. Considering these drugs trigger the same mechanism as cocaine to allow dopamine to flow into the brain, abuse of any of them can lead to addiction. Yet despite the potential pitfalls, many of us would be willing to, or have tried these drugs. After all, they may not be the gateway to accessing full brain potential, but they may allow some people to accomplish tasks they never would without the drugs.

Healthy Brain Power

With all this talk about drug use, what alternatives are available to the person who would never consider pharmaceuticals to enhance their mental capacity? Natural solutions to stimulate brain power are safe, effective and do not require a prescription to get started on.

The top three ways to gain access to greater brain function? Mental exercise, physical exercise and brain friendly nutrition.

Mental

Did you know the brain can atrophy like a muscle? Exercise the brain like a muscle. Activities like cross word puzzles, sudoku, performing math without a calculator, reading; these are all activities that 'workout' the brain. This is by no means an exhaustive list. Puzzles, learning a new language, thought-provoking movies and even some video games can provide the mental stimulation you need as well.

Physical

Regular movement throughout the week keeps the blood flowing in the body and to the brain. Oxygenation is a good thing, so keep your blood pumping. Feel free to become the next Mr. or Mrs. Olympia (without the steroids,) but it isn't a requirement. If you are not a gym rat, hiking, yoga, gardening, and playing a sport you enjoy will work as well or better than being hardcore. In one longevity study, the longest living participants were those that didn't do regimented workouts, but stayed active through activities they enjoyed.

Nutrition

Superfoods like blueberries, the acai berry and various seeds and nuts; organic foods, whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables. All of these foods are preferred eating for the brain savvy consumer. Consider also avocados and olive oil, both of which contain good fats that can lower cholesterol and improve blood flow.

The Magic Pill

So-called 'Magic' pills offer a temporary fix, albeit a fast one. Certainly there is no magic pill like NZT that we know of, but even if there were, it would have to come without harmful side effects like addiction to be viable. While you could take one of the commercial drugs like Ritalin, Adderall and Provigil for temporary clarity and focus, finding a natural solution has several advantages.

First, good nutrition and regular exercise helps people look better and feel better while having positive effects on their body, including increased brain function. Second, a natural solution leads to long term, lasting lifestyle changes. Third, there are many more natural ways to stimulate your brain than there are synthetic ones. In this respect, the possibilities truly are limitless; and isn't endless lifelong potential what we really want from a brain stimulant? If you could get an edge and avoid addiction, what would you do?