Originally published September 27 2005
Multitasking may lower your IQ, according to study
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
People learn to multitask through necessity, usually while juggling work, family and social interactions, but researchers from the University of California have found that multitasking can actually lower your IQ because the lack of focus prevents information from reaching the brain's memory stores.
For many people, juggling too many things at once is standard practice.
But did you know that multi-tasking can actually make you stupid?
New studies have shown that the more we juggle, the less productive we become.
Multitasking can make you forgetful, anti-social, and even lower your IQ.
"When we're multi-tasking, we don't focus our attention.
So information never gets into our memory stores, and so we think we don't remember.
We just never learned the information to begin with," said Dr. Gary Small, a memory specialist at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Multitasking puts stress on the brain and can actually shrink memory receptors.
Michele Rubin, a 46-year-old mother of three, started having trouble with her memory four years ago.
"I'd be talking and my husband would say, 'Who stars in that?'
and I couldn't bring it up like I used to."
The doctor put her on a 14-day plan that included diet, exercise, relaxation and memory techniques.
He taught her how to focus on one thing at a time.
"After two weeks on the program, her scores were about average for a woman in her mid 20s.
And in a way, her brain had become ten years, 20 years younger," adds Dr.
Small says not all multi-tasking is bad; just use moderation.
To boost your memory, eat a diet rich in anti-oxidants and boost your intake of Omega-3 fatty acids commonly found in fish like salmon.
You can also pick up a copy of Dr. Small's book The Memory Prescription at your local bookstore.
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