Eating breakfast is good for you. That is undisputed. Breakfast provides the fuel to start your day. It helps kids learn, and it helps adults function at work. What you eat lays the groundwork for the rest of the day. After fasting all night, a developing body (and brain) needs a fresh supply of glucose (blood sugar) – the brain’s basic fuel.
“Without glucose,†explains Duke University Professor of Pediatrics, Terrill Bravender, “our brain simply doesn’t operate as well. People have difficulty understanding new information, [they have a] problem with visual and spatial understanding, and they don’t remember things as well.â€
When it comes to brain food, oatmeal is at the top of the list of foods recommended by top health and fitness experts. It provides the glucose you need to fuel your body, but it spreads it out over a longer-period, as opposed to the short-term roller-coaster effects of other sugary foods.
Oats are good for your brain for numerous reasons. Eating well contributes to brain longevity, as well as short-term benefits like learning new test material and behaving well. According to National Public Radio, kids who eat breakfast perform better in school than those who don’t. Sugary foods, in contrast, cause a sudden spike followed by a crash in blood-sugar levels. Start your day with a breakfast of oats, and you are already on the way to a healthy self.
Known as “grain for the brain†since ancient times, oats are a storehouse of energy and nutrition and provide for excellent balance of sugar in the blood. Fiber rich oats can be used to energize throughout the morning, as these are rich in vitamins B, vitamin E, potassium, and zinc, which help the brain and body to function at its optimum levels.
Due to oatmeal’s soluble fiber, it is among the top five cholesterol-lowering foods recommended by the Mayo Clinic. Soluble fiber helps lower the “bad†low-density lipoprotein and reduces the absorption of cholesterol in the bloodstream that can lead to brain damage similar to Alzheimer’s disease. This is primarily due to the buildup of fatty deposits in the blood vessels, which in turn lead to brain damage over time by cutting off the oxygen supply to the brain. Fatty deposits build up in your blood vessels, which decreases the blood supply, and that includes the supply of oxygen getting to the brain.
Oats many have other cognitive-fighting properties as well, according to researchers at the University of South Australia. Although the research is preliminary, it is important. According the an article in the February 2010 online edition of ScienceAlert.com, “Mental disability due to age-related cognitive decline is a major public health issue that has a large social and economic impact,†says research professor Peter Howe.
By being able to pinpoint the brain-boosting benefits in food, many nations – including Australia and the United States, which have a growing population of aging adults and a rising percentage of dementia and related diseases that affect them, can find some solutions to their problem.
About the author:
Ron White is a two-time USA Memory Champion and memory speaker. He speaks at seminars and to large groups all over the world on how to improve memory, speed-reading and memory techniques.
Sources:
LiveStrong.com – Is Oatmeal Good for Your Brain? http://www.livestrong.com/article/531680-is-oatmeal-good-for-your-brain/