7 surprising habits that make us dumber

According to the experts everything from technology to the eating habits can destroy our brains, making us slower, less intelligent and incapable of original thought. Starting with 1930, the level of IQ in the world has increased due to improved living conditions, better nutrition and education. But recently, scientists are concerned that our collective intelligence, not only did not stay at the same level, but fell by one point in the last 50 years. Here are a few habits that can reduce our level of intelligence.

1. The love of fatty foods

A large amount of saturated fat retards function of dopamine - an important neurotransmitter responsible for motivation. Studies have shown that a diet rich in fat, have a negative effect on the flexibility of the mind, slows reaction time, impairs memory and, as shown by tests on animals, it causes a feeling of depression. So one of the last University of Montreal study found that a large amount of saturated fat influences the function of the brain, destroying the neural circuit, which leads to mood disorders, addiction and overeating. As in the case of heroin, the more saturated fat you eat, the more you want them, and the large portions you need to get a sense of satisfaction.

2. The habit of doing many things at once

As told by Earl Miller (Earl Miller), an expert from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, our brain is programmed for multi-tasking.

When you think you are doing several tasks at once, you actually jump from one to the other. In this case, you will expend glucose (our brain fuel), draining and knocking confusing your brain. The desire to do several things at once prevents deep creative thinking as we switch from one task to the other, going back and starting all over again. As a result of our thoughts are devoid of novelty and more artificial. So, if you begin to read e-mail in the middle of a task, you reduce your IQ by 10 points, as your mind begins to wander from work. It is for this reason that so dangerous to talk on the phone when you are driving. Our limited ability to do several things at once leads to the fact that we can not concentrate on both problems. Multitasking also fills our brain cortisol - a stress hormone and adrenaline, which prevent us from thinking clearly.

3. Search the Web

Access to information at any time, much simplified our lives. However, this also means that we have come to rely less on our memory. the hippocampus of the brain has to deal with new memories. The habit to use search engines affect the way we store information. For example, scientists from Columbia University found that we are now more likely to remember where we store the information than the information itself. Microsoft research has shown that the stability of our attention has fallen from an average of 12 seconds to 8 seconds.

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4. Love of sweets

Excess fructose - a simple sugar found in fruits and honey slows down your brain and affects the ability of insulin to convert sugar into energy for the mental processes. At the same time fatty acids omega-3 counteract this protecting synapses (chemical path) from damage. Brain cells need glucose for normal work, but too much in a short time can lead to diabetes, "explode" and cause excessive nervousness or excitement.

5. Abuse reality show

Although we may not have conclusive evidence, reality television can also disrupt our brain. In the Austrian study, conducted by psychologist Markus Appel (Markus Appel), participants were given a script to read a reality show about the day of a football hooligan, and then asked to take a test on general knowledge. Those who watched the reality show, much worse coped with the test than those who did not watch. Psychologists believe that what we watch and listen to, affects our behavior, and this applies to our brains. In other words, you - what you see.

6. jetlag

Jet lag often arises hindered or confused state for several days after the flight. However, this effect may last for several weeks. Studies have shown that regular internal disorder jet lag reduces the number of new neurons in the hippocampus - a brain region responsible for processing the data in memory. At the same effect may persist for another month after the disorder. The ability to learn is also suffering. If your work involves constant upset the circadian rhythm, it can have a lasting impact on your behavior and cognitive function.

7. Chewing gum

More recently, scientists have said about the positive effect of chewing gum. The researchers found that chewing it is a kind of exercise that increases blood flow to the brain, improving mental function, giving them extra energy. However, a recent experiment showed that during chewing people distracted from the task of short-term memorization, such as memorizing the order of items in the list.