Reviewed by: Zhengli Shi (Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University)
Being praised as "smart" is one of the highest praises that human beings pursue, and with it, it is the popularity of "brain replenishment".
In order to help the brain and let the children win at the starting line, parents are riveting: since there is no Einstein's brain, then "congenital deficiency, the day after tomorrow to make up", open a feast of brain supplementation:
Image source: Tencent Medical Code
To this end, a variety of "brain supplementation" health products are also used, but are these really reliable?
First, can "brain replenishment" really make people smarter?
First of all, we must be clear that there is no accurate definition of "brain supplementation", most people's expectations for "brain supplementation" are more to improve intelligence, but from a scientific point of view, the significance of "brain supplementation" is mainly to promote brain development and delay brain aging.
So if you want to supplement your IQ with some kind of food or health supplement, you can only send you five words - it's all bubbles.
In addition, tell you a sad truth: the adult brain has long since matured.
Therefore, it is basically impossible to rely on food supplements to obtain the effect of "memory rubbing up and improving, and the head glows".
So, are those magical foods that everyone thinks of as "brain replenishment" really useless?
Second, walnuts: Don't think it's useful to look like it
In the list of so-called "brain supplement foods", walnuts can be regarded as "national nuts", in large part because the shape of walnuts is similar to the shape of the brain.
From the perspective of modern nutrition, walnuts are still very rich in nutrition, not only containing essential calcium, phosphorus, iron and other trace elements and minerals, but also rich in Ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.
This fatty acid has many benefits, not only for infant brain development and delay the aging of the elderly brain, to a certain extent, it is also beneficial to control blood lipids and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
However, these nutrients are also found in other nuts (such as almonds, almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, etc.) or foods, and are not unique to walnuts, and there is no need to pick walnuts to eat.
Moreover, even if you eat extra walnuts to supplement these nutrients, it will not make people intellectually more intelligent and smarter.
In addition, walnuts should not be eaten more, because the fat content of walnuts is too high, and it is easy to gain weight when eating more.
The fat content of each 100g walnuts is about 59g, and the calories are about 620 kcal, while the calories of 100g of pork (fat and lean) are about 395 kcal, and the calories of walnuts are 1.5 times that of pork!
According to the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents", eating beans and nuts per day is about 25g, so walnuts can be eaten up to 2 to 3 per day, and long-term consumption has certain health benefits.
Third, pig brain: to form a complement, to make up a pig brain, are you willing?
For the problem that eating pig brain can "supplement the brain", there has always been a doubt: when an important thing is not done well, we often laugh at ourselves: "My pig brain", but when we hear that eating pig brain can supplement the brain, but I believe it, what logic is this?
From a medical point of view, the claim that eating pig brain can "replenish the brain" is unfounded.
The saturated fat and cholesterol content contained in the 100g pig brain is not low, and the fat content accounts for nearly 10%.
The cholesterol content per 100 g of pig brain is about 2195 mg[1], which is higher than that of high-cholesterol foods such as pork liver (288 mg/100 g) and eggs (585 mg/100 g).
Therefore, people who eat more pig brains, the brain is not supplemented, it is possible to supplement a few layers of fat, let alone healthy life.
4. Fish: You just said what to eat to supplement the brain?
The saying that "eating more fish can supplement the brain" is still quite popular, mainly based on the fact that fish are rich in DHA and EPA, both of which are essential fatty acids of the human body, and the human body itself cannot synthesize, need to be obtained from external food, and 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], and adequate intake of DHA during pregnancy and lactation is beneficial for the baby's nervous system development, visual cell development, and long-term cognitive ability.
To this end, in the 2015 guidelines of the Chinese Consensus Expert Group on Maternal and Infant Supplementation DHA[4], it is recommended that pregnant women consume at least 200 mg/day.
DHA is mainly found in marine fish such as salmon, yellow croaker, striped fish, etc., and also has a certain content in freshwater fish such as sea bass and mandarin fish.
Image source: Stand Cool Helo
DHA intake can be increased by eating 2 to 3 meals of aquatic products (fish, shrimp and scallops, etc.) per week.
Seeing this, do you think that eating more fish will become smarter?
Unfortunately, the adult brain has long ceased to develop, so this healthy effect of DHA on the brain does not have much effect on us.
It should be noted that although DHA is good fat, it is not the more you eat, the better. The FAO Expert Committee recommends a maximum DHA intake for pregnant and lactating women at 1 g/day [4].
In the "Standards for the Use of Food Nutrition Enhancers" issued by the China Health and Family Planning Commission in 2012, there is a clear upper limit on the addition of DHA to formula milk powder for children, and the content accounts for ≤0.5% of total fatty acids[5].
For the average adult, there is currently no single recommendation for DHA, but binding DHA to EPA (which also belongs to polyunsaturated fatty acids) is such that the WHO recommends that the total daily intake of DHA and EPA for the average adult should be no less than 250 mg [6], and the FDA states that the total daily intake of EPA and DHA should not exceed 3 grams [7].
In general, for the matter of improving the IQ of adults, even if you eat a pair of whales, it is not enough...
Fifth, health care products "brain tonic"? It's also quite embarrassing
The State Food and Drug Administration has issued such a consumer tip: the state has never approved health foods with functions such as brain supplementation and IQ improvement.
(Source: Screenshot of China's Drug Regulatory Weibo)
Therefore, if you still encounter the so-called "intelligence-enhancing" health products business, you ask him: Is it embarrassing?
The health food approved by the state to improve memory, relieve physical fatigue, enhance immunity and other functions is not a concept with our "brain supplement" expectation of improving IQ and relieving mental fatigue.
So, don't believe those bad old men, they're bad.
Is there really no food for "brain replenishment"?
The brain is a complex hub, it has a certain demand for a variety of nutrients, long-term lack of a certain nutrient, may affect the operation of the brain.
For example, the brain needs glucose, which is the driving force; the brain also likes vitamins, especially B vitamins, and insufficient supply in a few days may have an impact on the brain... [7]
Therefore, relying only on a certain food to "supplement the brain" is no way to meet the needs of the brain, want to strengthen the brain, or the mother often nagging the three magic weapons to work: balanced diet, healthy exercise, work and rest rules.
That is to say, the appropriate intake of fish, eggs and milk, grains and cereals, fresh vegetables and fruits and nuts, diversified diet, dietary balance, can ensure the normal operation of the brain.
bibliography:
[1] 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.
China Maternal and Infant Supplementation DHA Consensus Expert Group. Expert consensus on maternal and infant supplementation of DHA in China[J]. Chinese Journal of Reproductive Health, 2015(2).
Ministry of Health of the People's Republic of China. Q&A of "Standards for the Use of Food Nutrition Enhancers" (GB14880-2012)[J]. China Food Additives, 2012, 7(6):508-513.
[6] https://academic.oup.com/advances/article/7/6/1139/4616696
[7] https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Omega3FattyAcids-HealthProfessional/#h8
[8] Langlais PJ et al. Behav Brain Res, 1995.68(1):75-89
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