If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Eating smart is good for your brain
http://www.healthsentinel.com/news.p...rint_list_item
It's a well-known fact that the foods we eat influence our health. But foods do more than affect our waistline and our heart. It seems that what we eat can also impact the way our brain performs its tasks. Researchers are learning that the right foods, and the nutrients they contain, can help you concentrate, keep you motivated, improve your memory, and possibly stop premature brain aging. The foods you eat affect brain function in a number of ways. Some foods contain nutrients that are used to manufacture brain chemicals, or neurotransmitters, that enhance memory, concentration, and reaction time. The brain uses other foods for energy. And still other foods are needed for the development and repair of healthy brain cells. To keep your brain at peak performance, research suggests there are a few foods worth adding to your plate. Let's start with breakfast. A number of studies have found that memory and school performance suffer when the morning meal is skipped. The memory-enhancing effect of breakfast is thought to be due to glucose, a simple sugar supplied to the brain from carbohydrate-rich foods. Without it, the brain's fuel tank would be drained within 10 to 15 minutes. Eating for brainpower means eating at regular intervals during the day -- three meals plus midday snacks to keep a steady stream of glucose feeding your brain. An increased supply of glucose to the brain is thought to enhance the production of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that allows nerve cells to transmit memory messages. There's another good reason to start your morning with a bowl of whole-grain cereal. Enriched breakfast cereals (along with other grain foods) are good sources of iron, a mineral that plays a role in concentration and learning. Studies suggest that children with mild to moderate iron deficiency, even without anemia, show poor attentiveness, memory and academic performance in vocabulary, reading and knowledge. Iron helps transfer oxygen to the brain and it's also used to make neurotransmitters that regulate the ability to pay attention. The best sources of iron include lean beef, liver, breakfast cereals, whole-grain breads, raisins, dried apricots, beans, lentils, tofu and nuts. A multivitamin and mineral supplement will help menstruating females and vegetarians meet their daily iron requirements. (The recommended dietary allowance for iron is 1.8 times greater for vegetarians.) A multivitamin also boosts your intake of B vitamins, nutrients that play a critical role in brain function, from manufacturing neurotransmitters to assisting energy release in brain cells. A recent Australian study found that getting adequate folate, B12 and B6 from foods and a vitamin supplement improved memory, speed of mental processing, recall and recognition in healthy women. Supplementation with B vitamins lowers levels of artery-damaging homocysteine in the blood. Some studies suggest that a high homocysteine level increases the risk for Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. If you eat a balanced and varied diet, you're probably getting plenty of B vitamins. To boost your intake of Bs, reach for enriched breakfast cereals, whole grains, wheat germ, lean meat, fish, poultry, dairy products, legumes, nuts and seeds. To keep your brain cells healthy, you might want to toss a handful of blueberries in that bowl of iron-enriched breakfast cereal. Researchers from the USDA's Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tuft's University fed aging rats food pellets made with the Top 10 antioxidant fruit and vegetables, including blueberries, strawberries and spinach, for two months. The rats' motor function and memory improved significantly, with the most dramatic change observed in the rats fed blueberries. The blueberry diet also appeared to slow mental decline in mice genetically engineered to develop Alzheimer's disease. Berries are loaded with antioxidants called anthocyanins that combat inflammation and free radicals, molecules that can harm brain cells and brain function. Blueberries may also enable brain cells to send and receive messages more easily. To preserve memory as we age, some experts feel the most important antioxidants are vitamins C and E. Earlier this year, researchers reported in the Archives of Neurology that the use of vitamin C and E supplements in combination was linked with protection from Alzheimer's disease among older adults. It's thought that these two vitamins work together to fight brain-cell damage caused by free radicals. The health of your brain depends not only on how much fat you eat, but what type it is. Gorging on foods high in saturated fat -- fatty meats, cheeses, and rich desserts -- can hinder brain function. Studies find that rats fed diets loaded with saturated fat perform poorly on memory and learning tests. Epidemiological studies also suggest that people who eat plenty of saturated fat have an increased risk of dementia. But not all fat undermines intelligence. Omega-3 fatty acids, especially DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) found in fish, make up a large portion of the communicating membranes of the brain. These fats help keep the lining of brain cells flexible so memory messages can pass easily between cells. All brain-cell membranes continuously need to refresh themselves with a new supply of fatty acids. To help keep your brain cells healthy, eat foods rich in omega-3 fats every day. A study published last year revealed that among 815 adults aged 65 to 94, those who consumed the most omega-3 fats had a lower risk of Alzheimer's. What's more, those who ate fish at least once per week had a 60-per-cent lower risk of Alzheimer's compared to non-fish eaters. Choose salmon, trout, herring, sardines, and liquid eggs enriched with fish oil. Also flaxseed oil, canola oil, walnuts, soybeans, omega-3 eggs, and Natrel's Omega-3 milk, which contain ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), another member of the omega-3 family that's linked to a healthy brain. A steady diet that includes these foods won't make you a genius, but it just might bolster your thinking power and slow down brain aging -- not to mention guard against heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and even arthritis. |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
(peterb) wrote in message . com...
Good article, though I have reservations about some of the dietary suggestions made. Grains are problematic for many people due to Celiac disease, whereas enriched breakfast cereals often use highly processed flours and sugars, and produce significant blood sugar response. Processed dairy (not raw) is also implicated in heart disease, so the question, as always, is whether such foods provide more benefit, or harm. PB (Roman Bystrianyk) wrote in message . com... http://www.healthsentinel.com/news.p...rint_list_item It's a well-known fact that the foods we eat influence our health. But foods do more than affect our waistline and our heart. It seems that what we eat can also impact the way our brain performs its tasks. Researchers are learning that the right foods, and the nutrients they contain, can help you concentrate, keep you motivated, improve your memory, and possibly stop premature brain aging. The foods you eat affect brain function in a number of ways. Some foods contain nutrients that are used to manufacture brain chemicals, or neurotransmitters, that enhance memory, concentration, and reaction time. The brain uses other foods for energy. And still other foods are needed for the development and repair of healthy brain cells. To keep your brain at peak performance, research suggests there are a few foods worth adding to your plate. Let's start with breakfast. A number of studies have found that memory and school performance suffer when the morning meal is skipped. The memory-enhancing effect of breakfast is thought to be due to glucose, a simple sugar supplied to the brain from carbohydrate-rich foods. Without it, the brain's fuel tank would be drained within 10 to 15 minutes. Eating for brainpower means eating at regular intervals during the day -- three meals plus midday snacks to keep a steady stream of glucose feeding your brain. An increased supply of glucose to the brain is thought to enhance the production of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that allows nerve cells to transmit memory messages. There's another good reason to start your morning with a bowl of whole-grain cereal. Enriched breakfast cereals (along with other grain foods) are good sources of iron, a mineral that plays a role in concentration and learning. Studies suggest that children with mild to moderate iron deficiency, even without anemia, show poor attentiveness, memory and academic performance in vocabulary, reading and knowledge. Iron helps transfer oxygen to the brain and it's also used to make neurotransmitters that regulate the ability to pay attention. The best sources of iron include lean beef, liver, breakfast cereals, whole-grain breads, raisins, dried apricots, beans, lentils, tofu and nuts. A multivitamin and mineral supplement will help menstruating females and vegetarians meet their daily iron requirements. (The recommended dietary allowance for iron is 1.8 times greater for vegetarians.) A multivitamin also boosts your intake of B vitamins, nutrients that play a critical role in brain function, from manufacturing neurotransmitters to assisting energy release in brain cells. A recent Australian study found that getting adequate folate, B12 and B6 from foods and a vitamin supplement improved memory, speed of mental processing, recall and recognition in healthy women. Supplementation with B vitamins lowers levels of artery-damaging homocysteine in the blood. Some studies suggest that a high homocysteine level increases the risk for Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. If you eat a balanced and varied diet, you're probably getting plenty of B vitamins. To boost your intake of Bs, reach for enriched breakfast cereals, whole grains, wheat germ, lean meat, fish, poultry, dairy products, legumes, nuts and seeds. To keep your brain cells healthy, you might want to toss a handful of blueberries in that bowl of iron-enriched breakfast cereal. Researchers from the USDA's Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tuft's University fed aging rats food pellets made with the Top 10 antioxidant fruit and vegetables, including blueberries, strawberries and spinach, for two months. The rats' motor function and memory improved significantly, with the most dramatic change observed in the rats fed blueberries. The blueberry diet also appeared to slow mental decline in mice genetically engineered to develop Alzheimer's disease. Berries are loaded with antioxidants called anthocyanins that combat inflammation and free radicals, molecules that can harm brain cells and brain function. Blueberries may also enable brain cells to send and receive messages more easily. To preserve memory as we age, some experts feel the most important antioxidants are vitamins C and E. Earlier this year, researchers reported in the Archives of Neurology that the use of vitamin C and E supplements in combination was linked with protection from Alzheimer's disease among older adults. It's thought that these two vitamins work together to fight brain-cell damage caused by free radicals. The health of your brain depends not only on how much fat you eat, but what type it is. Gorging on foods high in saturated fat -- fatty meats, cheeses, and rich desserts -- can hinder brain function. Studies find that rats fed diets loaded with saturated fat perform poorly on memory and learning tests. Epidemiological studies also suggest that people who eat plenty of saturated fat have an increased risk of dementia. But not all fat undermines intelligence. Omega-3 fatty acids, especially DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) found in fish, make up a large portion of the communicating membranes of the brain. These fats help keep the lining of brain cells flexible so memory messages can pass easily between cells. All brain-cell membranes continuously need to refresh themselves with a new supply of fatty acids. To help keep your brain cells healthy, eat foods rich in omega-3 fats every day. A study published last year revealed that among 815 adults aged 65 to 94, those who consumed the most omega-3 fats had a lower risk of Alzheimer's. What's more, those who ate fish at least once per week had a 60-per-cent lower risk of Alzheimer's compared to non-fish eaters. Choose salmon, trout, herring, sardines, and liquid eggs enriched with fish oil. Also flaxseed oil, canola oil, walnuts, soybeans, omega-3 eggs, and Natrel's Omega-3 milk, which contain ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), another member of the omega-3 family that's linked to a healthy brain. A steady diet that includes these foods won't make you a genius, but it just might bolster your thinking power and slow down brain aging -- not to mention guard against heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and even arthritis. To Get Really a Power to Brain The use of herbs Comes in remedy.we recomend the use of herbs from our site that is www.herbalglobal.com Thank you peter Gabreil |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
misc.kids FAQ on Nursing Strikes | [email protected] | Info and FAQ's | 0 | July 29th 04 05:17 AM |
misc.kids FAQ on Breastfeeding Past the First Year | [email protected] | Info and FAQ's | 0 | July 29th 04 05:16 AM |
misc.kids FAQ on Good things about having kids | [email protected] | Info and FAQ's | 0 | June 28th 04 07:42 PM |
| Most families *at risk* w CPS' assessment tools broad, vague | Kane | General | 13 | February 20th 04 06:02 PM |
A Good Man | chillin' | Child Support | 83 | September 28th 03 05:37 AM |