This is a post from Mansal Denton, the manager and co-founder of Nootropedia, a nootropics and brain health brand that produces content and software tools to improve mental performance. He is also fascinated with psychedelics but won’t tell if you don’t.

When you’re enjoying an iced butter coffee with MCT oil and vanilla bean, the furthest thing on your mind is how helpful the whole concoction can be for your brain. Most people enjoying these drinks consider the great taste of Wild Foods ingredients and the overall health benefits of well-sourced, organic products.

While it might be a hidden benefit or afterthought, many of your daily ingredients from Wild Foods are cognitive enhancers that can help you increase concentration, focus, and memory and even prevent signs of age-related decline (like Alzheimer’s and senile dementia).

Given that humans rely more on our brains than ever before, it is excellent to combine great-tasting ingredients with brain-boosting options that can help you achieve more of what you want.

3 Ingredients with Mind Altering Effects

An entire community uses synthetic and natural drugs called “nootropics,” which are meant to improve cognitive abilities. While some pills have plenty of risks, you can still see nootropic effects from ordinary ingredients.

1. Fish Oil

Thousands of years ago, our ancestors lived near streams and rivers to have a constant stream of water. Of course, living near these regions, they consumed high quantities of fish and, as a result, have adapted to need fish oil and its constituents. The primary benefit of fish oil is for the omega-3 fatty acids, specifically DHA and EPA.

Even if you aren’t eating the standard American diet, you have a good chance of consuming more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3s, which causes brain inflammation. By reducing inflammation and providing the brain with DHA and EPA, there are a host of downstream effects. Children with ADHD given fish oil were able to reduce their attention-deficit symptoms, and over 20 studies show a reduction in depression.

While new and not wholly researched, a fatty acid called DPA may be even more helpful for the brain than DHA and EPA. As of now, menhaden fish oil is one of the only sources of this added feature.

2. MCT Oil

For medium-chain triglycerides, MCT oil has many health benefits similar to coconut oil (even better in some cases). MCT is an excellent energy source for your brain as it only requires three steps to convert into ATP versus 26 for glucose.

Because of this, many people in the nootropic community use MCT oil (in combination with other ingredients) to replace coffee and caffeine. This might be a great option to cycle off caffeine every few weeks or months and still have mental alertness and concentration.

Beyond attention and focus, MCT oil can help prevent symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases. One study in Neurodegenerative Disease Management showed that MCT alone could help prevent signs of Alzheimer’s disease.

Check the two quality MCT oils. Wild Foods offers a 32oz Bottle of C8/C10 blend and a 16oz MCT with Lauric Acid.

3. Lemon Balm

Native to the Mediterranean region, this herb has been used for thousands of years as a calming agent. The ancient Romans and Greeks used to take lemon balm to relax and remove stress. Today, it is used as a calming tea due to the brain-altering properties of the plant.

Lemon balm is full of a bioactive ingredient called rosmarinic acid. This acid inhibits a particular enzyme in the brain that breaks down a brain chemical called GABA.

When you have more GABA, you feel more relaxed and calm, which is a side effect of the plant. It’s only fitting that Lemon Balm Calm is the name for such a product!

Conscious Food Choices

In some way or another, every choice you make impacts your brain. It couldn’t be an immediate effect, like drinking lemon balm tea, or it could have more downstream effects, like the neuroprotection from eating MCT oil.

Either way, it’s vital to make conscious food choices so that you can be informed how your brain will react. If the ingredients you put into your body are your fuel, it’s best to maintain a high-quality fuel for your brain.