Editorial: Food for the brain
I love fruits and vegetables: my favorites include berries, apples, broccoli, and tomatoes. For me, the fact that health promotion also needs to be done is just a secondary aspect – although an important one. Some of these foods are also said to have a positive effect on our brain. The omega fatty acids, flavonoids and B vitamins contained in it aim to maintain the efficiency of our thinking system: real brain food that is no less important than mentally stimulating activities.
However, evidence for this is still missing in many cases, as Frank Loerwig describes in our cover story starting on page 12. Many studies therefore rely on associations recorded through surveys. For example, those who said they ate a lot of berries performed better on tests of brain performance years later. However, no true causal relationship can be drawn from this. Anyone who likes to eat blueberries, raspberries and strawberries probably places great importance on a balanced diet and perhaps exercise and mental stimulation. On the other hand, the results of animal studies cannot be easily transferred to us humans.
“There is no single nutrient that prevents mental decline or other diseases,” says Veronica Witte of the Max Planck Institute for Cognitive and Neuroscience in Leipzig. Targeted introduction of capsules or pills that aim to provide the body with the mentioned ingredients in a concentrated manner may not have any benefit. I avoid it anyway and prefer to eat a balanced and varied diet – which also tastes better than supplements.
I personally find our article on young people’s sleep rhythms particularly interesting. With two kids at home, I can easily notice how the waking phases shift more and more into the evening. On weekends or during holidays, it takes much longer to get out of bed in the morning. Let’s see which of the tips in the article I can implement at home – and with what success.
I wish you a good night’s sleep at all times
Daniel Lingenhall
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