Strategies to boost your IQ are all around you — but the key is, do any of them really work? We’d like to share several approaches that research and science has demonstrated to be effective and useful.
This way, you can improve your IQ test scores without wasting your time!
There’s plenty of debate about the nature of intelligence. Is your IQ test score carved in stone, or is it something you can change over time? We tend to believe the answer is a bit of yes and a bit of no.
We are all born with a certain intellectual capacity, one that’s shaped by a number of factors, like our environment, heredity, and the like. Some of those factors are our of our control. But other factors, like education and diet, are within our ability to manage.
This article from Huffington Post has some interesting suggestions for ways of boosting your IQ. In a nutshell, getting more exercise, meditation, constantly learning new skills and trying brain games and puzzles can help you make the most of your natural intelligence.
That sound like too much work? Other experts suggest that watching thought-provoking movies like A Beautiful Mind or Good Will Hunting can help you boost your intelligence. Even if that approach isn’t effective, it sounds like more fun.
There’s a brief 1.5 minute video at Inc.com that gives some great suggestions for ways to make yourself a little smarter. It’s a quick view and some of the tips — like increasing your amount of exercise, following a mind-expanding podcast, etc. — are sound advice. The video is nestled at the bottom of the page, after a list of IQ scores by states that’s also worth a read.
[wpinsertshortcodead id=”ucdkg640b7815e46ae”]
Most of the experts agree that much of our intellectual potential is in place by the time we are in our teens. Some studies suggest that marijuana use in young people can lead to lower IQ in the long term, but the jury is still out on that. There’s no doubt though that there is room for improvement in our cognitive abilities when we are older, particularly when we begin to manage the impacts of aging.
Some of our favourite strategies for boosting your IQ include:
Let’s Get Caffeinated
Besides being utterly delicious, coffee (and the caffeine it contains) can actually be good for you. Studies have shown that consuming caffeine in coffee or a soda beverage can boost your performance on tests.
This effect is linked to caffeine’s ability to make you more alert, and more focused.
You can learn more about the link between caffeine, memory and IQ here.
Practice Makes Perfect
It’s possible to boost your IQ simply through practice. You’re not likely to hit a home run your first time at bat — and you’re also unlikely to achieve your best results the first time you take an IQ test. By taking a few practice tests you can get comfortable with the process, the pressure and the deadlines.
This process of training yourself to be at ease with IQ testing can go a long way to increasing your IQ test scores.
There are several free IQ tests available right online that can help you get started with your practice regimen. Men’s Health magazine promises methods designed to boost your IQ in just 20 minutes. They suggest playing games on websites and trying teasers and tests that encourage memory and information processing can make a huge difference in IQ — in fact, 100 minutes of brain training a week has been linked to a 15% increase in intelligence.
What have you got to lose? Check out Men’s Health’s take on boosting your IQ here.
Consider Some Supplements
Attempting to enhance your IQ through supplements is nothing new. Science long ago figured out that certain herbs and vitamins go a long way toward improving your intellectual performance.
Today, there’s a wide range of vitamin and nutritional supplements that claim to help boost your IQ. Some of the claims stand the test of time — options like B Vitamins or Gotu Kola are pretty well respected.
You can learn more about brain vitamins and brain herbs right on this site.
A recent study is demonstrating the importance of B12, particularly as it relates to brain function and IQ. A Chicago-based study of individuals 65 years and older showed that those with the lowest levels of B12 performed more poorly on tests that measured their intellectual abilities and memory performance. They also had smaller brain mass — something to consider!
You can read more about the link between B12 and brain function here.
Boost Your IQ: IQ and Diet
Choosing the right foods to eat can contribute a lot toward your efforts to boost your IQ. We call fish brain food for good reason — the nutrients and minerals in certain foods are shown to increase performance and overall outcomes.
Science is also showing a link between IQ test scores and exercise. A recent study from Harvard University has shown a negative link between IQ test scores and heavily fluoridated water, especially in children. If you live in an area that adds fluoride to the water…you might want to consider investing in a filter! Your IQ test scores might well thank you.
You can read about the link between fluoride and significantly reduced IQ scores here.
Turns out there are some things that expectant moms can do to help boost the IQs of their children. Recent studies have shown that excess consumption of licorice candies can reduce a child’s IQ by more than seven points. You can read about the impact of licorice and IQ test scores here.
You can learn more about ways to enhance your IQ with diet and exercise, and find out if these approaches might work for you.
Pump Up Your Memory Muscles
Like it or not, a lot of your success with IQ tests will depend on your memory. Your ability to recall facts, word meanings, patterns and the like will go a long way toward increasing your IQ test scores. Again, practice is key.
Trying your hand at brain teasers to keep your mind active and alert will help. But you might also want to consider memory vitamins, and the role they play in helping you boost your IQ. These short IQ tests also offer a great way for you to put your brain power to the test, without having to invest a ton of time.
With your intelligence, like many things in life, there’s truth in the old saying: use it or lose it!
Is Your Job Making You Dumber?
There’s no question that work stresses most of us out — but a recent study suggests that it might also be dumbing us down! A study courtesy of The University of California is suggesting that the way we work may be affecting our ability to concentrate and perform. No big surprises there!
In a nutshell, the researchers suggest that the constant demands of email — checking it, responding to it — is stressing us out and making us, well, dumber. Researchers say that constant email interruptions can reduce your IQ test scores by as much as 10 points. They suggest that checking and responding to your email less frequently can be an effective way to boost your IQ.
They also suggest that working together in groups causes our IQ to fall even further.
You can read more about how work is affecting your IQ test scores here.
Fitness and Better IQ Test Results
More studies are finding a link between physical activity and higher scores on IQ tests. Turns out an active body translates to a more active mind. Trying new experiences also leads to higher IQs — read about these techniques and others for achieving better results on IQ tests here.
Looking for more ideas on ways to perform well on an IQ test? This site offers seven tangible tips that will have you performing to the best of your abilities.