Brainfood: Is there a brain-healthy diet?
It has long been known to be balanced nutrition positive on ours Health affect and prevent disease. But there is also Foodwho specifically healthy for that Brain are?
There are various Foods that keep the brain fit be able. Even that is possible with the right diet Minimize risk of Alzheimer’s, experts report. But which foods can have a positive effect on the brain? This is explained by the South Tyrolean Consumer Center in a current issue Message.
Healthy Whole Grains
Foods that contain certain nutrients and can therefore have a positive effect on brain performance are sometimes also referred to as Brainfood (Engl. Brain = brain, food = eating, nourishment).
First and foremost is probably water, because only if the brain is sufficiently involved liquid is taken care of, you can concentrate well. A fluid deficit, on the other hand, leads to difficulty concentrating, headaches and confusion.
It is also important that our brain cells have enough energy in the form of Glucose (Grape sugar) received. The brain uses about a fifth of the glucose used in the body.
However, it would be wrong to eat a lot of (grape) sugar, because a high sugar intake leads first to a rapid rise, but then to a rapid fall in the blood sugar level. The result is tiredness and hunger.
Whole grain cereal products (also from Oats, buckwheat, millet or Most), Legumes and vegetables, on the other hand, contain compound carbohydrates that are slowly broken down and released into the blood.
You leave that blood sugar levels fluctuate much less and thus supply the brain cells with food evenly.
Important protein suppliers
Nerve cells and neurotransmitters (messengers) are made up of proteins. Legumes are good sources of protein for the brain beans, lenses and chickpeas: in addition to larger amounts of protein, they also contain B vitamins and minerals such as iron and magnesium.
Fats, especially the polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, are required for the structure of the brain and nerve cell membranes. For example, you are in linseed oilrapeseed oil and hemp oil, in nuts and seeds as well as in fish.
“Above all walnuts are considered brain food, and perhaps it is no coincidence that the walnut kernel is shaped similarly to a brain”says Silke Raffeiner, the nutritional expert at the South Tyrolean Consumer Center. “In addition to omega-3 fatty acids, walnuts also provide B vitamins, vitamin E and antioxidant polyphenols.”
By the way, B vitamins are called nerve vitamins called because they are involved in building the myelin sheath, a layer that encloses the processes of certain nerve cells.
Antioxidants protect brain cells
Last but not least, so-called antioxidants, i.e. substances that protect the brain cells from aggressive oxygen compounds, play a role. Rich in antioxidants are among others blueberries, raspberries and other berries, but also other fruits and vegetables.
One brain healthy diet contains – in addition to other foods – about two liters of water or unsweetened tea daily, plenty of vegetables, legumes, whole grains and fruit and regularly small amounts of nuts, seeds and high-quality vegetable oils, the statement from the South Tyrolean consumer center concludes.
And this diet promotes good health in general. This is how Professor Dr. Tilman Grune, Scientific Director of the German Institute for Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbrücke (DIfE) and Head of the Department of Molecular Toxicology states in an interview that a diet that is healthy for the brain is no different from a diet that is healthy for the whole organism is, reports the German Society for Nutrition (DGE). (ad)
Author and source information
This text corresponds to the requirements of medical specialist literature, medical guidelines and current studies and has been checked by medical professionals.
Important NOTE:
This article contains general advice only and should not be used for self-diagnosis or treatment. He can not substitute a visit at the doctor.