Food for the brain

Get gray cells going with proper nutrition

08/17/2013

Tired? Stressed out? Difficulty concentrating? Those who struggle with such problems can often improve their situation through proper nutrition. It is important to ensure a consistently high energy supply, as well as a good start to the day with a healthy breakfast. Here are some tips.

Dietary supplement as brain food
Pills and capsules to increase intelligence or better memory. Such or similar promises are made by some manufacturers of certain dietary supplements and refer to their products as Brainfood. Prof. Barbara Plecko, President of the Society for Neuropediatrics, says: „Wisdom can not be eaten with spoons. "However, proper nutrition can help make the brain metabolism work well.

Drink a lot!
Physicians, consumer advocates and nutritionists agree in this case. For example, the University of Applied Sciences in Kufstein, Austria recently organized its first Brain Food Day. Sara Neubauer, Team Leader Healthy Nutrition at the University of Applied Sciences, sees as the most important basic rule: drink a lot! The added liquid ensures that the head and body are adequately supplied with oxygen and bleed through. „Two to three liters of water, unsweetened juice spritzers or tea should be eaten, "says Neubauer.

Grape sugar is not necessarily helpful
Our brain burns 20 grams of glucose each day (glucose). Because the glucose in the brain can not be stored, as in the muscles, it is dependent on a stable blood sugar level. If this falls off, concentration and ability to think disappear. If we take simple sugars, for example in the form of chocolates or grape sugar sweets, this will greatly increase the blood sugar level. This in turn alerts the pancreas to an increased secretion of insulin, which accelerates the incorporation of the sugar into the cells. The result is an even greater decrease in the glucose content in the blood and thus the mental capacity. On the other hand, too high a blood sugar level has a demonstrably negative effect on brain performance.

Brain needs a lot of energy
More than a fifth of the daily energy requirement is consumed by the brain. Therefore, a consistently high energy supply is important to be able to work concentrated for a longer time. This requires complex, long-chain carbohydrates, which the body gradually dissects into individual components and thus reach the brain over a longer period of time. „Whole wheat bread or even oatmeal supply many complex carbohydrates. That's why they should not be missing in breakfast, "explains the FH team leader, who also includes whole grains, potatoes, fruits and vegetables.

Fat as an energy supplier
Fats are the number two energy suppliers. Favorable to the sheaths of the nerve cells and their interplay are polyunsaturated fatty acids. „Omega-3 fatty acids, for example, play an important role in brain function, "says Angela Clausen from the Consumer Affairs Center of North Rhine-Westphalia. „Rapeseed oil or walnut oil, fatty fish, nuts and dried fruits should be on the menu regularly. "

Important proteins
The smallest building blocks of the proteins, the amino acids, ensure that information flows quickly from one cell to the next. Among other things, proteins are so important to us humans. In addition to fish and seafood, lean meat and lean dairy products, but especially legumes, whole grain cereals and nuts are good sources of protein. Consumer advocate Clausen explains that those who already eat a well-balanced daily diet did not increase their performance by eating extra foods or their ingredients or by taking preventative measures. Prof. Plecko confirms: „The brain is not an organ like the liver, which can stock up on something. It is entirely dependent on the supply of nutrients from the blood. "Therefore, it is beneficial to eat regularly.

Good start with healthy breakfast
However, choosing the right food and the timing of the meal can have an impact. „A breakfast with self-mixed muesli with oatmeal, nuts, lean dairy products and fruit or even a wholemeal bread with quark or lean ham, with tomatoes or peppers and a fruit juice - this is a great basis for a hard day ", says Neubauer. „An ideal snack between exams and stressful situations is a banana. It contains a lot of magnesium, and that is a nerve strength. "Basically, however, for each snack, it should not be too large, because then the stomach is too heavily loaded and the blood is no longer available in the brain. (Ad)

Picture credits: Dieter Schütz