Things That Lower IQ
Smoking may lower ones IQ, according to a recent study at
the University of Michigan. It is common for smokers to say that
they get a mental boost from a cigarette, and they probably do.
But the long-term use of tobacco may damage the brain.
A team from the U of M Medical School's Addiction Research
Center were looking at alcoholism's long-term effect on the brain
and thinking skills. Not surprisingly, they found, as others
have, that alcoholism is associated with thinking problems and
lower IQ scores. But they also found a similar link between long-term
smoking and reduced brainpower. No wonder most people now are
switching from conventional smoking to "vaping," due
to some health benefits they can get from it. To learn more go
to Davincivaporizer.com.
The results of the study, reported in the journal Drug
and Alcohol Dependence, showed that the negative effect on
memory, problem-solving and IQ was most severe among those who
had smoked for years.
Among the alcoholic men, smoking was associated with diminished
thinking ability even after alcohol and drug use were accounted
for. More studies will have to be done, and they did not establish
a cause-effect relationship between smoking and the diminished
mental function, but it seems likely that cigarettes will be
proven to cause such damage.
If you want maximum brain function then, and you are a heavy
drinker or a smoker, you might have to make some changes.
What else besides too much alcohol and smoking can reduce
your brainpower? Let's see...
Other Things That Cause Lower IQ Scores
There are foods which are bad for the brain, particularly
if they are eaten in larger quantities. These include artificial
food colorings, artificial sweeteners, colas, corn syrup (especially
high-fructose corn syrup), frostings, high-sugar drinks, hydrogenated
oils, white bread and other white-flour products. The artificial
colorings and flavorings negatively affect mental functioning
in children according to some studies.
Hydrogenated oils lead to heart disease and general clogging
of arteries. This results in diminished blood flow to the brain.
The other foods on this list are primarily bad because of the
unhealthy fluctuations in blood sugar levels they cause. This
results in "brain fog" short-term, and may contribute
to the development of diabetes as well. If you don't want to
memorize the list, just remember to stay away from all drugs,
refined flour and sugar products (potatoes aren't so good either,
if you overdo it).
I also think that there are many "personal problems"
that result in less-powerful thinking. These include arguing
excessively, which causes one to get "set" in ones
thinking. Egotism in general also limits ones thinking capacity,
as it makes proving ones ideas more important than looking at
new data and evidence for other ideas.
Some of you may have noticed that these personal factors may
be temporary. This is true of many of the bad foods as well.
If you stop letting your ego get in the way of clear thinking,
or eat less junk, your mind may return to normal. Unlike the
damage caused by alcoholism or smoking, then, these things don't
actually lower IQ, but just temporarily lower the efficiency
and effectiveness of the brain.
While that's true, the distinction may not be important. These
are foods that are commonly and regularly consumed after all,
and one can be egotistical and irrational for all of one's life.
If one always thinks in a limited way, or if every time one takes
an intelligence test the score is lowered because of bad diet,
is it really meaningful to say the lower IQ isn't permanent?
The effect is the same while it lasts, and it can be a
permanent deficiency if not changed.
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