Herbs for mental sharpness

The essential oils of Rosemary, Basil and Peppermint are all very helpful in promoting a clear and alert mind. Memory stimulation seems to be very receptive to essential oils, one reason may be that both the sense of smell and memory functions share the same area of the brain.
Rosemary seems to be considered the king when it comes to clear headedness and concentration as well as enhancing memory. I've used these oils often and they have worked quite well for me - I usually use Rosemary when I have work that needs concentrated effort and Peppermint for a pick-me-up when I am feeling mental fatigue.

There are a variety of ways to use them - simply taking a few whiffs from their bottle when you feel the need is fine, using a diffuser if that is convenient gives off a wonderful aroma or even just putting a few drops on a cotton ball to carry with you to smell once in a while. These can be used on the skin, but I would dilute them with a little lotion or oil first as they are quite potent. I use about 1-2 drops in a tablespoon of carrier (lotion -oil, even vegetable oil) and that seems to be adequate, then I just put some on each wrist and the scent is with me for a few hours




Dry fruits like Almonds, Pistachio and almost all kind of edible fruits and dry fruits will provide some help.
I beleive Brahmi and Gotu cola is the same herb.It is very good for memory and highly recommended herb in Ayurvedic medicine.



Gingko has helped improve cognitive functioning of many "normals" during its thousands of years of human usage. While a small number of studies did not show gingko to improve memory in "normals," there are certainly other studies -- plus centuries of human usage -- which show otherwise. It is one of the oldest medicine trees still growing on the planet.

Some of the clinical testing of gingko use too low a dose to show improvement in unimpaired individuals. For example, tests were conducted using 60mg/daily, whereas serious herbal practictioners find that 300mg/daily is an effective dosage.

Clinical testing of herbs & other non-drug therapies in North America is very often biased & designed to produce failure. Some common ways that this is done is to use improper form (dried as opposed to fresh herb; standardized extracts as opposed to whole herb; plant parts harvested in the wrong season; etc.), or improper dosage (not enough to be effective; ridiculously high amounts that produce undesirable side effects).

Please keep that in mind when evaulating this and other venerable herbs.

And while I'm particularly found of gingko & gotu kola because they were so profoundly helpful during my recovery from a head injury 3 years ago, I don't thing gingko should be taken casually. Good diet, gotu kola & the essential oils are great ideas. Be sure to get your gotu kola from reputable source, or grow your own (easy) to avoid the sometimes high levels of contaminants in the imported herb




This web page for Brahmi,with botanical name.
http://www.herbsarespecial.com.au/newpages/book/sample/sample10.html
This one for Gotu Kola,with botanical name.
http://www.herbsarespecial.com.au/newpages/book/sample/sample28.html

Im not all that good with "proper names",but I know there is a differance because I grow them both and for differant reasons.


You may look into www.holisticonline.com for Brahmi or Gotu Kola.