Cerebrum hominis sapiensis
What does "cognition" actually mean?
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The word cognition comes from the Latin word cognoscere and means to know, to experience.
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People's cognitive abilities include qualities such as thinking, attention, memory, reasoning, learning, problem solving, creativity and much more.
Unfortunately, our cognitive performance often reaches its limits.The information that our senses perceive is heavily filtered and changed (1). Our short-term memory has a limited capacity, our long-term memory, however, sometimes can not retrieve the stored information (= so-called retrieval problem (2)). Lack of sleep, alcohol, poor diet, advanced age, stress, etc. can negatively affect our cognitive abilities.
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(1) Guy A. Boy, 1998. Cognitive Function Analysis. Abex Publishing Corporation, Stamford.
(2) David R. Riddle, 2007. Brain aging: Models, Methods and Mechanisms. CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, Boca Raton.
Digitization and globalization are taking their toll in people. Everything has to work better, faster and everywhere. This can overwhelm our brains and lead to what we nead the least - a decline in our cognitive abilities.
It has been proven that the brain and mind can be trained similar to a muscle - sudoku, brain jogging, various puzzle games, etc. - which is highly beneficial for our cognitive abilities. However, puzzle games are powerless against some of these negative influential factors. Fortunately, these problems can be tackled biochemically - and yet in a natural way. Continue reading as we explain in more detail how our unique Natural Cognition formula achieves this.
What can we do for our brain?
Natural Cognition
the science behind it
The Formula
What's included
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4 different plant extracts (Centella asiatica, Alpinia officinarum, Theobroma cacao, Panax ginseng)
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3 vitamins
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2 minerals
What's NOT included
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Caffeine
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Taurine
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Synthetic preservtives
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Synthetic drugs
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Ginkgo
Why is this so important?
Unfortunately, many manufacturers achieve short-term effects by including caffeine, taurine or even synthetic drugs - without taking the health of their customers into consideration. In the US in particular, many supplements include drugs which have had revoked their approval by the EU due to health risks.
Caffeine does not pose any danger in this regard, but it does not have much of a benefit. A dose of caffeine - which you could also take as a cup of coffee - may increase our mental capacity in the short-term. However, this will not result in biochemical/physiological effect - in contrast to the formula of Natural Cognition.
Why no Ginkgo?
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Countless studies trying to illuminate the effect of Ginkgo on cognitive abilities have come to the same results: Ginkgo has no effect on memory and cognitive abilites (3,4). Still, Ginkgo is included in a variety of memory enhancement supplements, for whatever reasons.
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(3) Snitz et al., 2009. Ginkgo biloba for Preventing Cognitive Declinge in Older Adults. JAMA 302(24): 2663-2670.
(4) Jacqueline Birks & John Grimley Evans, 2009. Ginkgo biloba for cognitive impairment and dementia. Cochrane Systematic Review, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
But what is included in the formula?
Centella asiatica (L.) Urb.
Centella asiatica - Tiger grass
Tiger grass has a variety of long known and proven properties, e.g. to support the healing of wounds, as an antidepressant or an anxiolytic. The anxiolytic effect is achieved by increasing the cerebral gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels within the brain (5).
The effect of tiger grass on the cognitive function is particularly interesting. Several studies have shown improvements in working memory, concentration and overall attentiveness (6). From a biochemical point of view the main active substances of Centella asiatica - called Asiaticosides and Brahmicosides - - increased the synaptic density within the brain and promote the growth of the dendrites of nerve cells. As a further consequence conduction and transmission of signals is increased and improved joined-up and abstract thinking (7).
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(5) Gohil et al., 2010. Pharmacological Review on Centella asiatica - a Potential Herbal Cure-all. Indian J Pharm Sci. 72(5): 546-556
(6) Jana et al., 2010. A clinical study on the management of generalized anxiety disorder with Centella asiatica. Nepal Med Coll J.12(1): 8-11
(7) Gadahad et al., 2008. Enhancement of hippocampal CA3 neuronal dendritic arborization by Centella asiatica (Linn) fresh leaf extract treatment in adult rats. Journal of the Chinese Medical Association 71(1): 6-13
Alpinia officinarum - Galgant
Galangal is not only an integral part of the Asian or Thai kitchen. It is also valued for its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antioxidant effects (8).
However, it also has a considerable effect on mental attention. a placebo-controlled study could prove that the attention span and persistent alertness was improved significantly by Galangal (9).
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(8) Kaushik et al., 2011. Current pharmacological and phytochemical studies of the plant Alpinia galanga. Journal of Chinese Integrative Medicine 9(10):1061-1065
(9) Srivastava et al., 2017. Effect of Alpinia galanga on Mental Alertness and Sustained Attention with or without Caffeine: a Randomized Placebo-Controlled Study. Journal of the American College of Nutrition 36(8)
Alpinia officinarum Hance
Theobroma cacao L.
Theobroma cacao - Kakao
Chocolate has long been considered "the" brain food. Recently, cacao hs been found to be a rich flavonoid-source, especially for the so-called cacao flavanols. Studies assume both an immediate and sustained effect of cacao flavanols on cognitive abilities (10). Via functional magnetic resonance tomography, it was shown that the blood flow to the cerebral cortex was improved considerably and as a result complex puzzles were solved faster by human test subjects(11).
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(10) Sokolov et al., 2013. Chocolate and the brain: Neurological impact of cacao flavanols on cognition and behavior. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 37(10):2445-2453
(11) Francis et al., 2006. The Effect of Flavanol-rich cocao on the fMRI Response to a Cognitive Task in Healthy Young People. Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology 47:215-220
Panax ginseng
C.A.MEY
Panax ginseng - Ginseng
Ginseng is frequently used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Several studies have shown that the administration of ginseng resulted in faster responses compared to placebo groups when undergoing a variety of puzzle games. Especially noteworthy is the significant improvement of mental flexibility and the ability for abstract thinking (12,13).
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(12) Sorensen & Sonne, 1996. A Double-maskkd Study of the Effects of Ginseng on Cognitive Functions. Current Therapeutic Research 57(12):959-968
(13) Kennedy et al., 2003, Ginseng: potential for the enhancement of cognitive performance and mood. Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior 75(3): 687-700
Vitamine & Mineralstoffe
Anyone who thinks vitamin deficiencies are a thing of the darker times in history is wrong. Two different groups are particularly affected: the elderly and younger people who are under a lot of occupational pressure. In both cases the necessary daily intake is increased significantly (13). Several studies have found a direct link between nutrient deficiencies and the decline of cognitive functions. Especially B vitamins and the minerals magnesium and zinc play a very important role in the energy metabolism of nerve cells and in the synthesis of neurotransmitters (14). It was shown that supplementing these nutrients leads to improved mental performance, concentration and a reduction of depression and overall fatigue (15).
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(13) Hukisson et al., 2007. The Influence of Micronutrients on Cognitive Function and Performance. The Journal of International Medical Research 35:1-19
(14) Haller, 1995. The actions of vitamins and other nutrients on psychological parameters. Human Psychopharmacology, Wiley, London.
(15) Heseker et al., 1995. Interaction of vitamins with mental performance. Bibl Nutr Dieta 52:43-55
