
Ask HN: Ways to Improve Cognition? - 4AoZqrH2fsk5UB
I was reading the [television and cognitive decline](https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.nature.com&#x2F;articles&#x2F;s41598-019-39354-4) thread and it got me thinking: what are the best (i.e. most efficient and proven effective) ways to improve cognition?<p>It seems there are a lot of services out there that purport to provide some benefit, but I&#x27;m hoping some folks in this community can point to something true, even if it isn&#x27;t necessarily fashionable.
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helph67
Exercise is vital... [https://www.ausmed.com/cpd/articles/exercise-induced-
neuropl...](https://www.ausmed.com/cpd/articles/exercise-induced-
neuroplasticity) [https://www.wbur.org/foodtalk/2019/12/27/food-podcast-
resist...](https://www.wbur.org/foodtalk/2019/12/27/food-podcast-resistance-
strength-training)

Remember that a good diet is also important...
[https://www.organicfacts.net/most-unhealthy-
foods.html](https://www.organicfacts.net/most-unhealthy-foods.html)

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PaulHoule
Exercise, particularly cardio. Somewhere around 45 min of cardio, the
production of endorphins really kicks in. It can make street drugs look like
candy.

For general health, weight training is more important than cardio, but for
mental health, stress resilience, and cognition, cardio is our more powerful
tool.

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notduncansmith
I think changing the way you think has more value than anything else - trying
to get better at thinking by optimizing your biology is like trying to become
a better programmer by buying a faster computer.

Read about mental models, read about meaningness, and learn to view the world
as a fractal system of systems. I find that reading about ecology, psychology,
and sociology to be particularly helpful in building/debugging my mental
models, especially my models of other people’s models.

That said, getting enough sleep and exercise wouldn’t hurt.

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MilnerRoute
Yeah, I came here to say: Exercise.

I was just reading a book called "The Secret Life of the Grown-up Brain: The
Surprising Talents of the Middle-Aged Mind." One chapter discusses the 21st-
century discovery of the brain's ability to create new brain cells in a
crucial area....after exercise. It ran counter to 100 years of biological
theory, but it was confirmed and confirmed again.

Exercise.

The only thing I'd add is: lowering stress. (Because stress damages your
brain.) Meditation, sleeping well, having a healthy social life can all help.
Basically, if you start taking basic steps to improve your general
health...you will in fact improve.

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diyseguy
I've subjectively noticed improvement using Lions Mane Mushroom supplements as
well as self-administered ultrasound treatments and TENS

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benkarst
I'm not a doctor but I've noticed some celebrities who are aging well
participate in high-risk physical activities. This is true for some of my
friends too.

Motorcycling (Keanu Reaves), martial arts (Joe Rogan), surfing (Anthony
Keidis).

If you put your body at risk, your mind has no choice but to stay quick. Be
careful though!

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Tilian
A sufficient amount of sleep. What constitutes 'sufficient' is likely quite
individual.

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Torgo
The quality has to be good, too. I was getting "enough" sleep, but it didn't
matter until I got some pills (trazadone) that really knocked me out.

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jp42
Like many comments here...exercise is the key. currently I am reading 'Spark'
book by John Ratey, you might want to check this book. He explains really well
how brain improves with aerobic exercise.

