We all know that the human brain is the main control center of the body. It is responsible as the director for every cognitive, motor, and sensory function in it. Proper brain health and function depends on nutrition, exercise, rest, and a generally healthy lifestyle. It also helps to understand the various parts of the brain, what they are responsible for, and what foods and herbal remedies work to keep them healthy and functioning at their best. What follows is a discussion of each of the major centers in the brain along with the herbal remedies and foods that help to keep them at their best.
Cerebellum
The cerebellum is a small mass of tightly-packed continuous tissue that resides below the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Its primary functions have roles in balance, attention, muscle coordination, language, pleasure, and fear. It also has roles in controlling movements specific to speaking, walking, and eating.
In recent years, it has been discovered that the cerebellum is also responsible for some cognitive responses to stimuli. An article appeared in the American Journal of Neuroradiology that discussed studies done on the cerebellum using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). The findings showed that when subjects were shown stimuli related to recognizing and sorting words, activity was recorded in the cerebellum. Thus, it can be concluded that this part of the brain helps with reading and image recognition as well.
An important herbal remedy for the healthy functioning of the cerebellum is known as choline. Choline is similar to vitamin B and can be found in supplemental form. It is also found in a variety of food sources such as spinach, cauliflower, eggs, and organ meats.
Frontal Lobe
At the forward part of the brain is the frontal lobe. It is in this area where highly complex functions take place that are associated with concentration, behavior, emotions, planning, and organizing. With regard, to behavior, the frontal lobe is also responsible for inhibitions. This means that it stops you from doing things that are socially unacceptable. Your personality is shaped here as well. Even your sense of smell is affected by the frontal lobe. Disruptions in sense of smell are seen in those having brain tumors in this area.
Studies on the frontal lobe have been done in a quest for answers to the behaviors of psychopaths. Researchers have seen an association between this area and psychopathic behavior. A study was done at the Macquarie University in Australia by two researchers, Mehmet Mahmut and Richard Stevenson. They tested smell perception between healthy subjects and those who displayed psychopathic traits. They found that those with psychopathic tendencies could detect that they smelled something but could not discern what it was which indicates that their frontal lobes lacked this ability to recognize odors.
What herbal remedies promote health in the frontal lobe? Gingko biloba is one of them. This herb has shown favorable results with improved concentration and memory retention. It promotes blood flow and neurotransmitter function which are both crucial for a healthy brain. It has also shown promise in preventing Fronto-temporal Dementia which is a deterioration of brain function in the area between the frontal and temporal lobes.
Another herbal remedy used to boost function in this area of the brain is galantamine. It works in your brain’s frontal lobe to boost the neurotransmitter acetylcholine which is necessary for healthy cognitive functions, attentiveness, reasoning, and memory. It is especially effective when combined with B vitamins and choline.
Parietal Lobe
Just behind the frontal lobe and above the occipital lobe is the parietal lobe. This part of the brain handles your spatial sense, ability to navigate, and language processing. With vision, this area maps perceptual imagery into a body coordinate system.
The ability to perform mathematical calculations comes from here as well. In fact, a study was done on a disorder known dyscalculia. In simple terms, this disorder is a decreased ability to solve math problems. The right parietal lobe is the area that aids in mathematical processing. The study done by Dr. Roi Cohen Kadosh of the University College London (UCL) Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience examined the effect of stimulating the right parietal lobe on a group of subjects with and without mathematical difficulties. During the study they found that mathematical ability increased in subjects after stimulation.
The neurotransmitter acetylcholine is of utmost importance for optimum functioning in the parietal lobe. When considering herbal remedies for this area of the brain, you want to focus on optimum levels of acetylcholine. For this, there are the herbal supplements club moss, lemon balm, and snow drop.
Occipital Lobe
Visual processing is the function of the occipital lobe and it is located posterior to the parietal and temporal lobes. The shapes and colors of images are processed in this area.
A healthy occipital lobe helps to prevent the onset of a dysfunction known as Occipital Lobe Epilepsy. Those who suffer from this dysfunction will suddenly see bright lights and experience other symptoms that are common to migraine headaches such as eye pain, uncontrollable eye movement, and decreased visual capacity.
A study was done in Sagamu, Nigeria to determine the association between visual problems and occipital lobe health. The study in the Nigerian Postgraduate Medical Journal referred to a 61-year old Nigerian male subject who complained of headaches at the front part of his head for the previous five years. He died during the study and the autopsy showed blood vessel problems in the occipital lobe as well as the left parietal lobe.
Healthy blood flow and the right amount of minerals are important to optimum function in this part of the brain. Gingko biloba is an excellent herbal remedy for promoting blood flow and you can get the essential minerals you need through food sources or supplements high in calcium and magnesium. Both of these minerals promote neurotransmitter levels that are crucial to stable brain impulses.
Temporal Lobe
The temporal lobe is the section in the brain that is responsible for several functions to include speech, memory, emotions, visual perception, and auditory recognition. It is located below the frontal and parietal lobes and above the brain stem.
The ability to recognize, process, and comprehend complex human languages is one of the prominent functions and long-term memory is formed here as well. Studies have been done where this area of the brain was stimulated through electrodes and produced responses in subjects such as hallucinations and an inability to understand the spoken or written word.
One such study was conducted in 1964 by Mahl, Rothenberg, Delgado, and Hamlin with the purpose to isolate the cause of seizures. The study tells about an interview done with a woman who had suffered from seizures. The interviewer would ask questions with and without electrode stimulation to this area. In this particular instance, the woman actually increased her use of language when the temporal lobe was artificially stimulated.
Language processing and memory are among two of the highest functions in the human brain so naturally it makes sense to get the nutrients and herbal remedies crucial to optimum performance. Some of the herbal remedies that are beneficial to this area of the brain are St. John’s Wort, valerian root, gotu kola, ginseng, and rosemary. Folic acid is also known to be beneficial and vitamin B is especially important for healthy temporal lobe processing.
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Brain Stem
At the base of the entire human brain is the stem. You can think of the brain stem as that part that links the base with the spine thus its most important function is to service the nerves that go to every part of the human body plus process all motor and sensory responses. Automatic motor functions such as respiration and heartbeat depend on it as well.
When the brain stem is having problems, the sufferer might have physical coordination difficulties along with other difficulties such as sensing, swallowing, and speaking. So, it is important to get the herbal remedies and nutrients crucial to its healthy function. Rhodiola (also known as golden root, rose root, and arctic root) is one known herbal remedy beneficial to the brain stem.
Maintaining healthy brain function is not only important for today. It is even more important for your future. The human brain tends to degenerate with age with diseases such as Alzheimer’s that render seniors helpless in their golden years. By having a healthy lifestyle, proper diet, and supplementing with herbal remedies, you can slow the process of brain degeneration and maintain alertness, memory, and other brain functions at their peak performance levels for years to come.
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