Four easily accessible nutrients that can help fuel your brain for studying

Photo by Mariah Wilson If I’m in a bean bag chair, hot drink in hand, books and laptop open with all the best studying intentions at heart, I realistically only have two hours of focus before my eyelids start to flutter. Even if I change my surroundings and end up in a creaking plastic chair with a cold water bottle and my books perched on a wobbly desk, the discomfort won’t keep me awake. My lids still droop and my forehead hits my textbook before I even get close to finishing what I’ve sat down to do. If this sounds familiar to you, I have a few nutrition suggestions. There are a plethora of things to eat and drink that can keep your brain memorizing and your eyes focusing. Most of these items can be found on or near campus. Caffeine : First and foremost, the crowd favourite — caffeine. This stimulant comes in many fantastic forms but for the purpose of studying, coffee reigns supreme. Coffee can block an inhibitory neurotransmitter in your brain called adenosine, a depressant. This allows norepinephrine and dopamine, two much more supportive teammates, to amp up your neurons. With a bunch of enthusiastic neurotransmitters bouncing around, your brain function, mood, energy, reaction times and most importantly, your memory, can improve. There are two cafés near campus that have phenomenal beans and even better baristas. I highly recommend Weeds Café and Higher Ground Café. The environments are quiet and relaxed for studying. For on-campus options, Fuel For Gold brews a great cup of Phil & Sebastian coffee. Drink the nectar of the gods and feel mighty as you take down page after page of less-than-enthralling text. If coffee isn’t your thing, green tea is just as potent. It combines caffeine and L-theanine, an amino […]

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