Top Herbs for Mental Clarity and BrainHealth
We have all had those days where we remember something important to add to the to-do list and then forget it by the time you get to the paper to write it down because your brain is working in over-drive. Or those dreaded afternoon slumps where your brain decides to zone out, and focusing on the task at hand feels pretty much impossible. Sometimes this brain fog extends beyond the afternoon, and you feel exhausted with a non-existent attention span for most of the day.
Your brain uses around 20 percent of your body’s energy when you are at rest. If you’re spending time trying to solve the world’s problems – or overthinking that situation that doesn’t deserve the time of day – it uses even more energy. When it comes to a foggy brain, the belief is that something is going on in your body that is forcing your brain to solve an internal problem rather than tending to your work emails. It’s important to remember that short-term mental exhaustion and brain fog are completely normal within the ebbs and flows of life, so be kind to yourself.
Some of the common causes of a short-term idling brain include:
Stress: if your body is constantly in flight or fight mode and you have blood in your cortisol system (just kidding), it is natural that you won’t feel on top of your game.
Lack of proper sleep: if you are not getting restful sleep and your mind is busy the entire night, your brainpower is not going to be at full capacity the following day.
Diet: unhealthy, processed food can lead to brain fog over time because your body is spending more time trying to digest and detox than it is helping you think clearly.
Dehydration: not drinking enough water causes all sorts of issues, one of which is brain fog. Drinking an appropriate amount of water daily is important for your overall well-being, so don’t forget to water your brain.
Environmental toxicity: heavy metal contaminants, chemicals, and air pollution could contribute to brain fog and mental exhaustion.
However, if this is a consistent problem, it might be time to take some herbal action! While there are many lifestyle factors involved in brain health, there are a few helpful herbs to improve mental clarity and boost brain performance.
Gotu Kola
This herb is one of the most highly respected remedies for brain health in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine. Gotu Kola helps to increase the connectivity between the brain and body and helps with left to right brain energy movement. This is good for brain fog caused by stress or digestive issues. Research confirms that Gotu Kola can help improve focus, memory, alertness, mental stress, and clear thinking.
Ginkgo
Ginkgo is a powerful herb full of antioxidants, flavonoids, and proanthocyanidins. It has neuroprotective properties and boosts the overall functioning of your brain, including memory. This herb is currently being studied for its effectiveness in treating Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, with positive results so far. You can read more about Ginkgo here. It is also great for promoting a greater sense of well-being.
Rosemary
This fragrant garden herb is not only tasty in the kitchen. Rosemary has been known as “the herb of remembrance” for hundreds of years. The main benefits of this herb are thought to be for memory and focus and to prevent cognitive decline. Rosemary is a mild parasympathomimetic (say that fast three times), which means it helps your body regulate the nervous system so that you remain in rest and digest and not flight or fight when you are resting. This is good for people struggling with stress-related brain fog because keeping your thoughts in order is easier when you’re calm.
Ashwagandha
Is there any list this herb is not on? Ashwagandha is a powerful adaptogen. It helps the body deal with physical, emotional, and psychological stress. While “brain clarity” may not be on the list of ailments it treats, it is a consistent benefit that people who use this herb report experiencing. Ashwagandha gives you the physical strength and energy to power through the day while subtly working on the problems your brain is trying to solve without the fog. Ashwagandha helps to center you, making it easier to move in one consistent direction.
Bacopa
This herb also goes by the name of water hyssop, herb of grace, and Indian pennywort. Bacopa is prized in Ayurvedic medicine as a nootropic, which is a herb that supports mental performance. This herb contains antioxidants with neuroprotective properties that work to maintain overall brain health and prevent diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s. Bacopa improves learning, focus, memory, and general mental function. Research has also shown that bacopa relieves stress and anxiety, maintaining that calm being that helps with level-headedness.
Peppermint
Peppermint is a little different from other herbs used for mental clarity. While many of these herbs do their best work over time, peppermint is useful for bringing you back to the here and now by giving you an instant invigorating effect. Peppermint is often referred to as the green energy herb and is helpful for quickly improving focus, mental alertness, and clear thinking.
Turmeric
Turmeric is another wonder herb that helps with various ailments. Apart from being a great anti-inflammatory, turmeric also has brain-boosting effects. The active ingredient in this yellow spice, curcumin, helps protect the brain from degeneration, improves memory, and may also help with the symptoms of cognitive disorders. We wrote a blog about turmeric; click here to read more.
Mushrooms
Mushrooms may seem like a bit of an odd addition to this list of herbs for brain health, but medicinal varieties actually act like adaptogens to support your mind and body. Lion’s mane mushrooms contain two amazing compounds called hericenones and erinacines that stimulate the growth of new brain cells. In studies, the lion’s mane mushroom has shown benefits for improving mental function and protection against memory loss. Another fantastic fungus is the reishi mushroom. It has neuroprotective properties and can help prevent cognitive decline.
In Summary
If you feel like your brain is in need of a little boost, give it some natural support and love with any of these herbs. The great thing about these herbs for brain health is that many of them can be enjoyed in the form of herbal teas and can be easily combined. To learn more about herbs that improve cognitive performance and brain wellness, read our blog about Nootropics.
However, please consult your healthcare practitioner, especially when taking other conventional medicine. If your brain fog seems to be a chronic problem, there could be an underlying health issue, so please chat with a holistic practitioner about this to ensure you are receiving the best treatment possible.