There's plenty of drugs that benefit 'thinking', depending on the person and how you define this 'improvement', though I think many nootropics are bunk or should not be used by those who aren't attempting to correct some neurochemical issue.

I've known plenty of people who benefited greatly from all manner of drugs, both emotionally and intellectually.

Omega-3 is amazing, by the way. I swear by it.

Eikyu Wrote:I thought only Thora had an interesting life story but you're getting pretty close. Going from marketing snake oil (or was that fish oil?) based products to designing mysterious things at Lockheed for NASA. I can't imagine what happened in between those two occupations but it must involve Japanese bar hostesses.

There was one thing at a hostess club involving a Nigerian man and a Canadian transvestite, and we've agreed to never speak of that night again

Eikyu Wrote:About nootropic drugs: I don't think that drugs can improve your thinking. Besides those that might be classified as nutrition, that is. I've yet to meet someone who benefited from drugs in any way.

Not drugs! I'm talking about nutrition supplements. Proteins, amino acids, and vitamins, that the brain uses to stay focused, make new neural connections, etc.

mafried Wrote:There was one thing at a hostess club involving a Nigerian man and a Canadian transvestite, and we've agreed to never speak of that night again

It's cool to talk about it now, mafried, he ended up becoming my husband...er... wife....er... partner?

Come now! You've got your story crossed. It was a Nigerian man who was also a Canadian transvestite named Tomoko.

Thora Wrote:It's cool to talk about it now, mafried, he ended up becoming my husband...er... wife....er... partner?

I thought we agreed on 'boy toy'?

kazelee Wrote:Come now! You've got your story crossed. It was a Nigerian man who was also a Canadian transvestite named Tomoko.

I see you've been to 歌舞伎町 too.

My comment about nootropic drugs wasn't aimed at you in particular Mafried. Yeah, I wouldn't classify omega-3 as drugs, clearly nutrition. One of my friends, a Canadian transvestite that goes by the name of Tomoko, emailed me this link: Caffeine addicts get no real perk from morning cup http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE65138U20100602

It shows that the effects of coffee cancel out as your brain adapts to it so you get not real boost to attention. The same thing probably happens to most of those other attention raising drugs. I think I've seen somewhere that cocaine also has that same effect where it basically just returns you to a normal state:

Wikipedia: "Prolonged exposure to cocaine, as occurs with habitual use, leads to homeostatic dysregulation of normal (i.e. without cocaine) dopaminergic signaling via down-regulation of dopamine receptors and enhanced signal transduction. The decreased dopaminergic signaling after chronic cocaine use may contribute to depressive mood disorders and sensitize this important brain reward circuit to the reinforcing effects of cocaine (e.g. enhanced dopaminergic signalling only when cocaine is self-administered). This sensitization contributes to the intractable nature of addiction and relapse."

I glanced at this thread back in the beginning of June and didn't give it much thought.

Then around two weeks ago I was having a bad review day, missing cards left and right. So, I took a break and went to the kitchen for some lunch. There wasn't really anything good around. Then I find a can of sardines. I remember this thread, and eat them with my lunch. Go back to reviewing, and wham, I'm hardly missing any cards.

So for the last two+ weeks I've been eating a can of Moroccan sardines with my breakfast and have noticed considerable improvement in my performance. It takes less time to learn new facts, my recall has drastically improved, I get worn out slower (if at all), and I have a ton more energy.

I can't say if fish oil will produce the same effects. I have read articles on the absorption of vitamin supplements and found that they are highly dependent on the overall diet and the quality of the product.

Now, I'm not saying that the sardines are acting like speed (meth). But, I can safely testify that when I ate them I had no preconceptions of expectations. I continue to eat them because I have noticed considerable results. I have no idea if others will have the same results.

Few more side notes:
Overall, I eat quite healthy, maintaining a balanced diet. I also started doing the yoga routine from p90x. There is probably some inter-effects between this, eating sardines, and performance...

oregum Wrote:So for the last two+ weeks I've been eating a can of Moroccan sardines with my breakfast

What about the salt?? As far as I now these canned fish foods have a lot of added salt to them...

Raschaverak Wrote:What about the salt?? As far as I now these canned fish foods have a lot of added salt to them...

Never gave it much thought. Looked it tho (select 'can' from drop down)
http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/finfi...cts/4114/2

Calories 191
Carbohydrates 0
Total Fat 10.5g
Total Omega-3 fatty acids 1362mg
Total Omega-6 fatty acids 3260mg
Protein 22.7g
Sodium 465mg

As a comparison, I looked up a double cheeseburger from McD
Calories 440
Carbohydrates 34g
Total Fat 23g
Protein 25g
Sodium 1150mg

oregum Wrote:

Raschaverak Wrote:What about the salt?? As far as I now these canned fish foods have a lot of added salt to them...

Never gave it much thought. Looked it tho (select 'can' from drop down)
http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/finfi...cts/4114/2

Calories 191
Carbohydrates 0
Total Fat 10.5g
Total Omega-3 fatty acids 1362mg
Total Omega-6 fatty acids 3260mg
Protein 22.7g
Sodium 465mg

As a comparison, I looked up a double cheeseburger from McD
Calories 440
Carbohydrates 34g
Total Fat 23g
Protein 25g
Sodium 1150mg

Iteresting statistics, but doesn't tell me much... why? Because I don't know them
as of /100g of the corresponding product.... How much does a cheeseburger from McD weigh? And how much does your Moroccan sardines??? The only valid comparison when it comes to food is weight. How much does it conatin of the aforementioned supplements per 100g? That's the key. Anyway, carful with salt. Furthermore eating sea food, can be unhealthy apparnetly, because of mercury and such things in it....Take omega-3 tabletts from a drug store or something, if you feel that much of a difference bacause of it....

Not sure why 100g matters. I was talking about eating 1-can-of-sardines and compared it to 1-dble-cheeseburger. Besides, my post was about improving brain function not nutrition.

Sardines are very low in mercury. The issue with mercury is with big fish, that eat other fish, and are up the food chain.

As far as omega-3 on other vitamins. I am not a nutritionist, but based on half a dozen articles from Men's Health and a few medical journals that I've read absorption of supplements is heavily based on complex interdependent system. This can be as low as 10%.

Anyways, I looked it up just in case.

McD dble cheeseburger (100g)
http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/fast-...ric/9371/2
Calories 265
Fat 15
Protein 14.9
Sodium 657

Atlantic sardines (100g)
http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/finfi...cts/4114/2
Calories 208
Fat 11.5
Protein 24.6
Sodium 505

Sounds like I need to buy some fish oil supplements.

I have been eating salmon sashimi for Omega 3

http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/finfi...cts/4102/2

100g
Calories 142
Carbs 0
Protein 20g
sodium 44mg
Omega 3 2018mg
Omega 6 172mg

If you're vegetarian you can eat almost any oily seed for Omega3 and 6 oils. Hemp seed, flax seed, linseed, even sunflower seed are all high in Omegas. Eat a handful of them every day with a few brazil nuts for a source of selenium and you'll notice an increase in alertness and general brain function, assuming (which is very likely) you weren't already getting peak selenium and omega oils.

Shellfish are also a good source of selenium.

@Oregum

That's interesting. Lately I have been making big breakfasts before I do my reviews. I noticed that I feel more motivated to review and that I retain much more information than normally when I don't have a big breakfast. Kikkoman soy sauce on eggs sunny side up, really does the trick

LegionOfDeicide Wrote:

Sardines ain't got nothing on this... rofl
SHOW ME, SHOW YOU
キッコーマン、キッコーマン

lmao @ 籠女 vs キッコーマン