Brain and Behaviour
The body is mainly water, and I believe maintaining hydration is an important component of optimal health. I wrote most recently about this back in February (see here). This blog piece details some of the major roles that water has in the body (e.g. as a temperature regulator, carrier and building material). In practice, I […]
Brain and Behaviour
Fish is sometimes described as ‘brain food’ – why? Well, at least part of the explanation may rest in the fact the certain types of fish are rich in so-called omega-3 fats that appear to have benefits for the brain. There is some evidence, for instance, which suggests that omega-3 fats can normalise brain function […]
Brain and Behaviour
What we eat and drink can have a profound influence on our health. Not just of the body, but of the brain too. For example, certain foodstuffs (e.g. the artificial sweetener aspartame) can have toxic effects on the brain. Other foodstuffs appear to ‘feed the brain’ and help optimise its function. For example, so-called omega-3 […]
Brain and Behaviour
Iron is an essential nutrient for the making of haemoglobin – the component in red blood cells that carries oxygen and delivers it to the tissues. If iron is deficient in the body, haemoglobin levels can fall and eventually cause anaemia (pathologically low haemoglobin). Symptoms of this can include mental and physical fatigue and low […]
Brain and Behaviour
I was talking to a son of a friend of mine over the weekend. Mark (not his real name) is 18 and has been finding his energy and motivation can flag at times. Some of the time he can be energised and motivated. Other times he feels lethargic and “can’t be bothered with life”. Naturally, […]
Brain and Behaviour
Omega-3 fats generally get good press, on the basis of research linking them with benefits for the body and brain. As far as the brain is concerned, much has been made of the apparent ability omega-3 fats have to exert a natural anti-depressant action. Omega-3 fats are a key component in brain cells. They also […]
Brain and Behaviour
I’ve been attempting to catch up on some reading over the last few days, and this included skimming through the last couple of copies of New Scientist magazine. One article that caught my eye from the late December/early January issue concerned the effect of artificial sweeteners. In particular, the piece (by San Francisco-based writer Douglas […]
Brain and Behaviour
I believe that sleep is a much under-rated past-time. Two years ago, I wrote a blog post which punted getting more sleep as a worthwhile New Year resolution. And my recent post of 10 potential New Year resolutions also included one on getting adequate sleep. So, I was interested to see a recent study getting […]
Brain and Behaviour
Those of us who are now in the depths of winter may be suffering not just from the cold, but the relative lack of light too. Shortened days have the ability to depress the mood and precipitate ‘seasonal affective disorder’ (SAD) or ‘winter blues’. Back in October I wrote about this condition, and in particular […]
Brain and Behaviour
Most of us have an ambition of living to a ripe old age. At the same time, many of fear the loss of our mental faculties as we age. For at least some of us, the spectre of dementia looms large in our minds. One potential modifiable risk factor for dementia concerns derangement in blood […]