Mom was right!
Growing up Catholic, we were served fish every Friday. As we pecked and picked at the crusty rectangles of fish sticks on our plate, our mom would say, "Eat your fish. It's brain food." It turns out that she was right. Thanks Mom!
The benefits of fish are attributed to nutrients known as omega-3 fatty acids, found in small amounts of some plants, and in abundance in oily, cold-water fish such as salmon, albacore, trout, herring, halibut, and sardines. Recent studies have shown that brain-wise "you are what you eat." Foods such as fish, and a curry spice called curcumin (turmeric) can give your brain an added edge to stay healthy in the face of injury or disease. Similarly, high-fat and starchy foods take your brain health down a peg or two.
Omega-3 fatty acids contribute to higher concentrations of a protein in our brain called "brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)...a compound that encourages nerve cells to grow and make new connections. Although the connection between omega-3 fatty acids and BDNF is unclear...there is little doubt that BDNF is good for us. When neuroscientists sprinkle a dilute solution of BDNF onto neurons in a lab dish, the cells grow like crazy. It's like brain fertilizer.
It is also interesting to note that physical exercise contributes to the development of BDNF. In a 1999 study at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, CA...scientists studied two groups of mice on the in the laboratory. The two groups had identical living circumstances except for one factor...one group had running wheels in their cages. Over a course of several weeks, the researchers kept track as the 'running mice' voluntarily logged up to 3 miles on their wheels every night. When the study was complete, the researchers dissected the brains of the mice and found more neurons and stronger connectivity (which is evidence of learning) than did the mice who didn't have the wheels. Additionally, the running mice had consistently higher activity in the gene that codes for BDNF than the non-running mice did.
Ironically, the physical fitness of Americans is in a downward spiral. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 20% of persons, eighteen years and older, exercise for less than 10 minutes each week.
For more on this, consult this edition of Science News, February 25, 2006.
Also, here's a recipe for curried fish. As noted before, curcurmin is a yellow polyphenol that's a component of turmeric...a curry spice that, like fish oil, prevents neurodegenerative diseases.
As a note, for those of you who check into The Prospecting Professor for 'sales nuggets'...Sorry Charlie!...you got FISH NUGGETS instead.
I simply wanted to help you with your brain-power. Tomorrow...back to the sales nuggets.
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