According To Research, Breathing Properly Can Improve Memory

JAKARTA - Have you ever tried to focus by inhaling long and deep breaths through your nose and exhaling them through your mouth? A recent study shows that this way of breathing can ease the mind and improve memory, Xinhua.

Research conducted by researchers from Northwestern University, shows that inhaling air through the nose can affect brain activity and in particular can help people to remember. 100 young adults were recruited to participate in the study and asked to make quick judgments about facial expressions or objects that flashed across a computer screen.

The results showed that people who breathed in through their noses were able to recognize or remember things faster than if they breathed out through their noses. However, when they breathe through their mouths, their memory declines.

The study is the first to show that rhythmic breathing can generate electrical activity in the brain, according to a report published earlier this week in "The Journal of Neuroscience."

One of the big discoveries is that nose-breathing can cause "dramatic differences" in areas of the brain associated with emotion processing and memory, according to lead researcher Christina Zelano.

The study is "introductory but exciting," says Zelano because it "has the potential to lead to several regulated breathing strategies to enhance cognition."

"If you're in a dangerous environment with a frightening stimulus, our data indicates you can respond more quickly if you breathe through your nose," she says.