Bottom Of The Barrel

Brainiac

The Alliance for Aging Research recommends these 10 steps for improving your brain health:

Eat a Brain-Healthy Diet, Stay Mentally Active, Exercise Regularly, Stay Social, Get Plenty of Sleep, Manage Stress, Prevent Brain Injury, Control Other Health Conditions, Avoid Unhealthy Habits, and Consider Your Genes.

The last 9 seem pretty much like common sense, however the first one, a Brain-Healthy diet, is an interesting area for exploration. Cheryl Koch, a registered dietitian and director of the food and clinical nutrition programs at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, offers this list of "brain foods":

• Fish - omega-3 fatty the brightest colored fruits and vegetables
• Brightest colored fruits and vegetables - antioxidants found in them have been linked to improved memory
• Whole grain products - B vitamins or magnesium are crucial to ensuring normal brain and nerve function

While all of that sounds good, I would like to offer an alternative idea of how to improve your personal brain power based on some simple scientific facts:

1. The human brain stops growing at age 18 and is 80% water
2. The mature human brain consumes 25% of the energy used by the body
3. Heat must be continually removed to prevent brain damage
4. The blood-brain barrier blocks all molecules except those that cross cell membranes by means of lipid solubility (such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, ethanol, and steroid hormones) and those that are allowed in by specific transport systems (such as sugars and some amino acids)
5. During simulated alcohol “binges,” rats’ ability to create new brain cells was reduced. But after the animals no longer consumed alcohol they had a “huge burst” in new brain cell development. The study is the first to demonstrate that brain cell production can return after abstinence from alcohol abuse.

So what conclusion can be drawn from the above 5 facts about the brain? Simple - Alcohol + Candy = Healthy Brain. Some time ago 18 was the legal drinking age and that is the exact same time the brain stops growing - coincidence? I think not. Wine has been proven to help the heart and now we can see that after drinking several bottles of your favorite vino in a single night will lead to burst of new brain cells being created. Throwing back several pints will also lead to bursting and could help keep your head cool, which is a huge plus in the brain damage department. And Candy - what better to get across the blood-brain barrier than sugar in the form of Resse’s Peanut Butter Cups [note I strongly feel that Oreo's are an excellent substitute when placed in a large bowl of Ice Cream].

So there you have it, TheWino's recipe for a healthy brain Wine + Beer + Peanut Butter Cups + Oreos = Mensa Member!

Labels: Brain, Wine

posted by TheWino @ 7:57 AM