GIVE YOUR BRAIN A BOOST (PART 1)
Living healthy means more than simply keeping your body free of illness. Keeping your brain healthy is every bit as important. What are some of the ways to ensure that your brain stays healthy? This month, we will examine the nutrients your brain requires and everything from how to effectively get those nutrients to lifestyle changes. We will teach you these and other little-known secrets to energize your brain and increase your memory power.
BRAIN-ESSENTIAL VITAMINS AND MINERALS: BOOSTING YOUR BRAIN WITH VITAMIN E AND ZINC
All of us would like to be smarter, sharper, and think lucidly all the time. We asked Dr. Kiyoshi Oshima of Kyoto University about ways to give the brain a boost. “As far as nutrients are concerned, we should try to get as much vitamins as we can since our bodies cannot synthesize them. Vitamin E, in particular, is known as a powerful antioxidant, and has been called the ‘rejuvenator’ vitamin. Vitamin E not only helps keep us young and healthy, it improves memory and thinking ability and gives your brain a boost.
“Because of its ability to help prevent blood clots, vitamin E improves the flow of blood through even the most peripheral blood vessels of the body. This benefit is also believed to extend to inside the brain, as well.
“Vitamin E is found in abundance in unprocessed grains such as brown rice, soybeans, nuts such as peanuts and almonds, pork and beef liver, and vegetables such as spinach and cabbage.
The mineral zinc has recently attracted attention for being able to make people smarter. It has long been known that zinc deficiency adversely affects one’s sense of taste. More recently, zinc has been found to have an effect on the development of intelligence,” says Dr. Oshima, who is also keeping an eye on zinc research.
Zinc is found in liver, eggs, seafoods and is especially abundant in oysters.
(Translated by Roy Mashima from Kokiku Magazine’s February 2003, volume 29, number 2 issue.)
(The information provided should not be construed as medical advice or instruction. Consult your physician before attempting any new program. Readers who fail to consult appropriate health authorities assume the risk of developing serious medical conditions.)
