Switching between your phone and TV might lower your IQ

I like to think of myself as a productive person. I scheduled everything, from my work, to what and when the children eat. Yes, I’m a control freak.

I’m one of those people who even ensures that I am productive while relaxing: I for instance watch TV while checking my messages or browsing.

Imagine my dismay therefore when I came across research that showed switching between your phone and your TV trains your brain to become disorganised. Control freaks do not like any disorganisation, you should see my sock drawer.

According to a study conducted at the University of Copenhagen, when we switch between screens, we’re essentially rewiring the brain to try to store information in the wrong place. Normally, when we focus on one task at a time, and take in information in the way it should be, it is stored in the hippocampus.

Known as the ‘library of the brain’, this is where data is organised in a way that makes it easy to recall.

However, when we keep switching between gadgets, the information is sent to another part of the brain called the striatum. This area of the brain is responsible for planning movement and motivation, as opposed to storage, making any information it receives more difficult to recall.

Furthermore, every time you switch between gadgets, the scientists found that you release a chemical called L-dopa, which converts to dopamine in the brain.

'WORSE THAN BEING STONED'

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is normally released when you do something pleasurable, (eat food, have sex, or exercise), but elevated levels of dopamine have been associated with addictive behaviour.

In fact, the scientists have compared the effect of flicking between gadgets on cognitive ability as being “worse than being stoned” on cannabis.

Perhaps more interestingly, the study asked people to use their smartphone/tablet while watching TV, and then quizzed them to see how much information they could think about at once.  Even though most thought that multi-tasking made them feel more productive, a little over half could remember what had been on TV. It is no wonder then that researchers have indicated that this ‘flicking’ behaviour lowers IQ.

At the clinic, I’ve found that people trying to quit addictive behaviour, whether it’s Candy Crush or smoking, their dopamine levels suffer.

As a 2008 study showed, your brain uses dopamine to tell your body when to stop eating – this explains why some former ‘addicts’ put on weight.

Worse still, over-eating eventually causes loss of dopamine in the brain, and a decrease in receptors in charge of satiety – so ultimately, you crave more and more and never feel satisfied.

So what’s a natural way to boost dopamine levels? Eat foods that are high in the amino acid tyrosine, the natural building block of dopamine.

These include fava beans, chicken, oats, ricotta cheese and wheat germ. The temptation to overeat should diminish with time, as the dopamine receptors in the brain reactivate. Eventually, you will be able to derive increased pleasure from smaller amounts of food.

While supplementing with L-tyrosine is another option, I would strongly advise you to consult a qualified health practitioner prior to taking it. It should be used with caution especially if you are using drugs to treat heart disorders, if you have hypertension, or are taking anti-depressants.