Being praised for being “smart” is one of the highest compliments pursued by human beings, and with it comes the popularity of “brain-boosting”.
In order to help the brain and let the children win at the starting line, the parents are all eager: since there is no Einstein’s brain, then “the innate deficiencies will be made up for the day after tomorrow”, open A gluttonous feast for the brain:
Source: Tencent Medical Illustrator
For this reason, various “brain-boosting” health products are also used, but are these really reliable?
Source: Tencent Medical Illustrator
Can “Braining” Really Make People Smarter?
First of all, we have to make it clear that there is no precise definition of “Bunao”. Most people’s expectations for “Bunao” are more to improve intelligence, but from a scientific point of view,
strong>The meaning of “Bunao” is mainly to promote brain development and delay brain aging. So if you want to rely on a certain food or health supplement to supplement your IQ, you can only send you five words – all bubbles.
Source: Tencent Medical Illustrator
Also, let me tell you a sad fact: the adult brain is already mature. Therefore, it is basically impossible to obtain effects such as “improving memory and brightening your head” by means of dietary supplements.
So, are those magical foods that are considered “brain-boosting” really useless at all?
Walnuts: don’t think they’re useful
In the list of so-called “brain-boosting foods”, walnuts are well-known as “national nuts”, largely because the shape of walnuts is similar to the shape of the brain.
Source: Zhanku Hailuo
From the point of view of modern nutrition, walnuts are still very rich in nutrition. They not only contain calcium, phosphorus, iron and other trace elements and minerals necessary for the human body, but also rich in Ω- fatty acid. This fatty acid has many benefits. It is not only of great significance to the brain development of infants and young children and delaying the aging of the brain of the elderly, but also to a certain extent, it is beneficial to control blood lipids and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
But these nutrients are also found in other nuts (such as almonds, almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, etc.) or foods, and are not unique to walnuts. There is no need to pick walnuts. Moreover, even if you eat extra walnuts to supplement these nutrients, it will not improve your intelligence and make you smarter.
In addition, it is not advisable to eat more walnuts, because the fat content of walnuts is too high, and eating more is easy to gain weight. The fat content of each 100g of walnuts accounts for about 59g, and the calories are about 620 calories, while the calories of 100g of pork (fat and lean) are about 395 calories, and the calories of walnuts are 1.5 times that of pork!
According to the “Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents”, it is recommended to eat about 25g of beans and nuts per day. Therefore, walnuts should be eaten at most 2-3 per day, and long-term consumption will have certain health benefits.
Pig brain: fill the shape with the shape, do you want to make up the pig brain?
There has always been a doubt that eating pig brains can “replenish the brain”: when an important thing is not done well, we often laugh at ourselves: “I am a pig brain”, but When I heard that eating pig brain can nourish the brain, but I believed it again, what logic is this?
Source: Tencent Medical Illustrator
From a medical point of view, the claim that eating pig brain can “replenish the brain” is unfounded.
Saturated fat in 100g pig brain, The cholesterol content is not low, and the fat content accounts for nearly 10%. The cholesterol content of pig brain is about 2195mg per 100g,[1] higher than the high cholesterol food pig liver (288mg/100g) and eggs (585 mg/100g).
Therefore, it is possible for people who eat more pig brains to supplement their brains and gain a few more layers of fat, let alone live a healthy life.
Fish: What did you just say to nourish your brain?
“Eat more fish can nourish the brain” is still quite popular, the main basis is that fish is rich in DHA and EPA, both of which are essential fatty acids for the human body, and the human body is rich in DHA and EPA. They cannot be synthesized by themselves and need to be obtained from external food. They are indispensable in the growth and development of nerve cells and retinal cells [2].
DHA, also known as “brain gold”, does have certain benefits for the human body, especially for the growth and functional development of the baby’s brain[3], during pregnancy and breastfeeding Adequate intake of DHA during this period is beneficial to the development of the baby’s nervous system, visual cell development and long-term cognitive ability.
For this reason, according to the 2015 guidelines of the Chinese maternal and infant DHA consensus expert group [4], it is recommended that pregnant women consume at least 200 mg of DHA per day. DHA mainly exists in salmon, large yellow croaker, hairtail and other marine fish, and also has a certain content in freshwater fish such as sea bass and mandarin fish. The intake of DHA can be increased by eating 2-3 meals of aquatic products (fish, shrimp, shells, etc.) per week.
Seeing this, don’t you think it’s quite reliable to say that eating more fish will make you smarter?
Source: Zhanku Hailuo
Unfortunately, the adult brain has long since stopped developing, so this brain-healthy effect of DHA doesn’t do us much for us.
It should be noted that although DHA is a good fat, it is not better to eat more. The FAO Expert Committee recommends that the upper limit of DHA intake for pregnant and lactating women is 1 g/d. [4] In the “Standards for the Use of Food Nutrition Fortifiers” issued by the Chinese Health and Family Planning Commission in 2012, there is a clear upper limit for the addition of DHA to children’s formula milk powder, and the content of DHA is ≤0.5% of the total fatty acid. [5]
For the average adult, there is currently no recommended daily intake for DHA alone, but binding DHA and EPA (also a polyunsaturated fatty acid) together has The WHO recommends that the total daily intake of DHA and EPA for ordinary adults should not be less than 250mg [6], and the FDA pointed out that the daily intake of EPA and DHA should not exceed 3 grams. [7]
In general, even eating a pair of whales is not enough to improve the IQ of adults…
Source: Tencent Medical Illustrator
Health products “Benao”? It’s embarrassing too
The State Food and Drug Administration once issued such a consumer reminder: the state has never approved health food with functions such as brain-enhancing and IQ improvement.
Source: Screenshot of China Drug Administration Weibo
So, if you encounter a so-called “intelligence-enhancing” health care product business, ask him: Are you embarrassed?
The state-approved health food with functions such as improving memory, relieving physical fatigue, and enhancing immunity is not a concept with our expectation of improving IQ and relieving mental fatigue. So, don’t believe those bad old men, they are very bad.
Source: Tencent Medical Illustrator
Is there really no “brain-boosting” food?
The brain is a complex hub, which has certain requirements for a variety of nutrients. Long-term lack of certain nutrients may affect the operation of the brain. For example, the brain needs glucose, which is the driving force for operation; the brain also likes vitamins, especially B vitamins, and a lack of supply for a few days may have an impact on the brain…[7]
Therefore, relying only on certain foods to “replenish the brain” cannot meet the needs of the brain. If you want to strengthen the brain, it is still the three magic weapons that mothers often nagging about: a balanced diet. , healthy exercise, regular work and rest.
That is to say, proper intake of fish, meat, eggs, milk, grains, fresh vegetables, fruits, and nuts, as well as a varied and balanced diet, can ensure the normal operation of the brain.
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References
[1] https:https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168264/nutrients
[2]Suzanne M, Karen S. Docosahexaenoic acid and neurodevelopmental outcome of term infants. Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism 2016;69(suppl 1):23-28.
[3]Lagarde M. Health benefits of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)[J]. Pharmacological Research, 1999, 40(3):205-206.
[4] Expert Group on DHA Supplementation for Maternal and Infant and Young Children in China. Expert Consensus on DHA Supplementation for Chinese Maternal and Infant and Young Children [J]. Chinese Journal of Reproductive Health, 2015(2).
[5] Ministry of Health of the People’s Republic of China. Questions and Answers on “Standards for the Use of Food Nutrition Fortifiers” (GB14880-2012) [J]. China Food Additives, 2012, 7(6):508- 513.
[6]https:https://academic.oup.com/advances/article/7/6/1139/4616696
[7]https:https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Omega3FattyAcids-HealthProfessional/#h8
[8]Langlais PJ et al. Behav Brain Res, 1995.68(1):75-89