Curiosities about the human brain

Do you know everything about your brain?

We rarely notice it but the truth is that we use it every day. Surely there are things that you still do not know about your brain and that is, for example, it is addicted to risk, spiteful and loves to eat well. Do not miss these and more curiosities and learn to get much more out of it. Keep reading!

1. Train your brain every day

Our brain is made up of billions of neurons connected to each other. This network allows us to think, remember, reason … Intelligence is like a muscle, so if you train it every day, you will make it stronger. Every time we learn something new or do something different, new connections are created between neurons and our potential increases. Don't let it fall asleep!

2. He is addicted to risk

Dopamine, the pleasure hormone, and adrenaline levels rise in the body of someone paragliding or enjoying a horror movie. Both substances are related to our brain reward system , which stores these experiences as very pleasant. Hence, people who have experienced them look for similar situations to get that high again and this "hooks" them.

3. What you pretend is believed

It is true that the brain sometimes tricks us. But we too can cheat and end up becoming what we have pretended to be. The famous psychologist Amy Cuddy, from the University of Berkeley (USA), points out that we can achieve our goals, pass a job interview or speak well in public without going into “panic mode” if we pretend to be stronger and more confident.

4. He is a glutton and loves to eat well

According to Columbia University (USA), the Mediterranean diet is the best for the brain . In addition, there are some positive foods for him, such as red fruits, broccoli or chocolate. This, for example, contains flavonoids, which "repair" an aging brain.

Discover more foods that will give your brain super powers.

5. Recall the criticism

You remember when a friend ridicules you but not when she praises you. Explains neuroscientist Dean Burnett, author of the book The brain idiot , the criticism, insults or teasing us produce stress and cortisol is released. This has an impact on our brain, as the fight or flight mechanism is activated, attention is sharpened, memories are fired and fixed. When we are praised, we secrete oxytocin, the hormone of well-being, which is quickly eliminated and does not leave as much of a mark.

6. He is a great imitator

The brain has imitation mechanisms. Thanks to this, we guarantee our survival, we "fit in" in a group or in society in general, we learn, we are infected with the emotions of others, we maintain communication and relationships thanks to empathy .

7. Remember (almost) everything

Surely you recognize this situation: you meet someone who is familiar to you but you do not remember their name. The brain distinguishes between familiarity and recovery . The first tells us that we have the memory of that person (their face) and the recovery allows access to the original memory. You will likely need more data to access all the information. So that it does not happen again, establish associations of ideas with the name of who you know.

8. Staying up late does not suit you

According to research from the University of Wisconsin, if you rest less than necessary, when you wake up, a part of the brain remains asleep so that it can continue to perform the functions that it should have carried out during sleep. Your ability to concentrate or reason will decrease, and your mood will also be lower. Therefore, if you want to perform, do not stay up late.

9. And watches you sleep …

When you sleep, your brain is alert to perform various functions. First of all, ensure your survival and prevent you from stopping breathing. It also deactivates the signals that are sent to the spinal cord to prevent you from moving and injuring yourself. In addition, your brain is responsible for organizing and classifying everything that working memory (short-term memory) has seen, read or heard during the day, to store it.

10. Dream scraps of life

Even though we all dream, scientists still don't know why we do it. One of the theories indicates that it serves to maintain sleep despite the intense activity that is generated in the brain while we sleep. Our dreams are the result of the electrical activity of the brain, which manifests itself with activity in several of its areas. This explains that they do not always make sense, but that they collect part of the latest experiences.

You may never have stopped to think about your brain. We know it's there, but rarely do we put our full attention on it. To stop being a stranger, in the gallery you will find 10 curiosities about him that will help you take care of him a little more and get the most out of him.

You can mold it to your liking

Our brain is made up of billions of neurons connected to each other, which allows us to think, remember, reason … If every day we "train" it doing different activities and learning new things, it will become stronger and new connections will be created between the neurons, thus increasing our potential.

Is addicted to risk

Yes, yes, as you read it. If you like to practice high intensity activities like paragliding or you are passionate about horror movies, your levels of adrenaline and dopamine - the hormone of happiness - increase. These two substances are related to the brain's reward system, so once you experience these sensations, your brain will immediately like them, and will want more and more. The adrenaline rush "hooks."

He likes to eat well

The Mediterranean diet is the one that works best for the brain, so we are in luck. In addition, there are some positive foods for him, such as red fruits, broccoli or chocolate. This, for example, contains flavonoids, which "repair" an aging brain.

Is a great imitator

The brain has imitation mechanisms and, thanks to this, we guarantee our survival. We fit in with a group or in society in general, we learn, we catch the emotions of others, we maintain communication and relationships thanks to empathy - that is, to put ourselves in the place of the other -, or we can identify what it means the cry of a baby.

He doesn't like staying up late …

When you close your eyes and immerse yourself in the arms of Morpheus, your brain is alert to perform various functions. Ensure your survival and prevent you from stopping breathing; it deactivates the signals that are sent to the spinal cord to prevent you from moving and injuring yourself, and it is in charge of organizing and classifying everything that working memory (short-term memory) has seen, read or heard during the day, to store it.

According to a study, if you rest less than necessary, when you wake up, a part of the brain remains asleep so that it can continue to carry out the functions that it should have carried out during sleep. Your ability to concentrate or reason will decrease and your mood will also be lower. So if you want to take full advantage of the potential of your brain, rest the necessary hours!

If you have trouble sleeping and that is why you stay up late, these tricks to fall asleep quickly will come in handy.