The latest scientific achievements on the energy consumption of the brain in different conditions
The brain is a very sensitive tissue. In other words, the body’s main priority for energy supply, to the extent that in the event of prolonged starvation, other tissues are destroyed to supply energy to the brain. And from what sources it provides will be discussed below. Stay with us.Energy is defined as the capacity or ability to do things. ), Fats, proteins and alcohol reach our body.
Most of the fuel and energy needed by the body comes from carbohydrates, the same sugars, so a balanced diet for a healthy person (and possibly a sick person or even a diabetic) provides more than half of the energy needed. It should be provided from carbohydrate sources. After carbohydrates, fats are one of the sources of energy and have a 15 to 30 percent share in providing the energy needed for the person, and finally proteins, which have the lowest share in energy supply and They are generally not a source of energy for the body, except in special circumstances when the body is facing hunger, famine or reduced intake of other nutrients. Alcohol is used as fuel in the body, but due to the need for detoxification in Liver and metabolic disorders Other substances are not preferred to other energy substances at all, as they may have destructive effects on the brain and its protective layers (especially the meninges).
Every tissue in the body has different energy needs in different situations, so it is possible to change the environmental conditions to achieve the desired goal during diets of weight loss or gain and exercise.
Rest
In tissues such as the brain, which is one of the body’s largest consumers of energy (20% of the body’s total energy needs), sugars are the preferred and definitive fuel for continued activity, and fat and protein play a very small role in energy supply.
In the resting state of the brain, since the body is the main priority for energy supply, no special change is needed for energy supply. But to maintain the health and high efficiency of the brain, daily intake of substances such as antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids is enough.
Stress, mental activity and exams
The energy supply to the brain during conditions such as exams or mental activities should be adjusted so that this energy is readily available, as well as from false appetite and weight gain or anorexia and weight loss in another group of people during this time. Avoid Periods One of the most important issues during the period of mental activity is false appetite / anorexia. In the case of nutritional activities, people’s response to stress and mental strain is mainly manifested in the form of anorexia or false obesity.
For people with anorexia
Increase your fiber intake in foods found. These foods include wholemeal bread, whole grain rice or brown rice, low-salt, oil-free popcorn, fruits and vegetables. named. These substances, if consumed with the main meals, in addition to reducing appetite, cause a slow and gradual increase in your blood sugar, so blood sugar and therefore the energy needed by the brain is stably available and there is no need to overeat. is not.
Do not mislead yourself by saying that your blood sugar is low and you need sugar. Symptoms of hypoglycemia include headache, cold sweats, dizziness, and so on. Delivery to the brain reduces your power and also causes drowsiness.
Avoid simple sugars and high-sugar foods such as unnatural and sweetened juices, chocolate and candies, whole-grain breads, puff chips and other junk snacks because they are short-lived. It causes high blood sugar and after the body responds to insulin, blood sugar drops rapidly and hunger again stimulates you to get more nutrients.
Eat healthy snacks such as fruits and nuts (unscented and unsalted) to keep your brain active.
It is recommended to take supplements of substances such as ginseng, omega 3, B-complex, ginkgo biloba at these times, and daily and balanced intake of coffee can help increase mental productivity.
For anorexic people
It is recommended to take appetite stimulants such as pickles and syrups such as pomegranate syrup as well as appetite supplements such as appetizer syrup during this period.
In addition to providing the sugar you need in this situation, adequate and proper intake of unsalted and odorless nuts can provide the energy you need between meals and prevent weight loss and maintain your current condition.
Taking omega-3 supplements in these conditions will improve your mood and mental state, as well as improve your brain power. B-supplement and ginseng supplements are also important in this condition to improve brain function.
Prolonged starvation
In certain situations, such as prolonged starvation, fasting, unbalanced and difficult diets, the brain’s energy supply becomes difficult and the brain is gradually forced to supply part of its energy from other foods. These foods include fats and more specifically ketones. Ketones are substances derived from the consumption of fats and are the main cause of acetone-like odor in the mouth during fasting.
Ketones due to their acidic properties reduce the pH of the blood and are one of the main causes of damage to hair follicles and hair loss in people under unprincipled diets. If this trend continues in the same way, cell activity The neurons are disrupted and their excitability decreases, sometimes leading to coma.
In the first place, be sure to try to lose weight under the supervision of a nutritionist and do not start losing weight spontaneously or under the supervision of non-specialists just because they are doctors (such as Dr. Kermani or Faradi like Mr. Ravazadeh). During the diet Unprincipled diets such as the Canadian diet, the carnivorous diet, or Dr. Atkins diet are mainly produced by ketones, and these diets are harmful and dangerous to health.
In case of these conditions, consumption of carbohydrates is recommended, but these substances should be provided to the body slowly and gradually. Then, at the first opportunity, contact your nutritionist and refer him to the request for diet modification. Heavy exercise Make these conditions worse, so do not want to continue this process in any way. Continuation of this procedure is harmful and causes side effects such as hair loss, poor eyesight, muscle wasting and muscle weakness, especially the face, rough skin and..
Sport
During exercise and physical activity, finding sugars, in addition to providing a percentage of muscle needs, is very important in supplying the sugar needed by the brain and nervous system, and ignoring this need causes mental fatigue and, consequently, physical fatigue.
To meet the needs of the nervous system during exercise, the last meal before the race or training, waiting meal, food intake during the race and after the race is very important and these meals should be recommended by a nutritionist. That unprincipled diet by incompetent people (bodybuilding and professional trainers) who prepare recipes experimentally causes irreparable complications.
The amount of sugar intake during exercise delays mental and physical fatigue and maintains a person’s athletic ability in these conditions. The percentage of carbohydrates and sugars of substances received during training and competitions should be such that it eliminates Need to be.
If this amount is not adjusted by a specialist, complications such as diarrhea, heartburn, cramps, etc., which are caused by high intake of cannabis, or the need for exercise will not be met due to low carbohydrate content.
In athletes, protein intake is also very important in the health of the nervous system and brain due to its structural role and the transport of amino acids (protein components) in nerve cells, and the percentage of protein required is better during exercise and consumed with carbohydrates. To be.
Receiving low amounts of salt along with these carbohydrates increases their absorption rate and also provides a better supply of salts lost in sweat.
Deficiency of salts and electrolytes such as sodium in salt due to their functional importance in the nerves causes sodium fever and nervous weakness.
It is recommended for people to take omega-3, ginseng, B-complex, ginkgo biloba and taurine supplements and should avoid taking supplements such as caffeine, amphetamines and stimulants that are prohibited and considered doping.
Scientists have discovered the cause of high energy consumption by the brain even at rest
When a brain cell sends a signal to another neuron, it does so through a “synapse,” or a small gap between them.
First, the presynaptic neuron sends clusters of “vesicles” to the end of its tail, the closest part to the synapse. These vesicles then suck neurotransmitters out of the neurons and act as envelopes that hold messages that need to be mailed.
These packets are then transported to the edge of the neuron, where they attach to the membrane and release their neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft.
When we reach this point, these transmitters connect to the receptors of the “postsynaptic” cell and thus continue to transmit the message.
We already know that the steps of this basic process require a significant amount of energy, especially when it comes to vesicle fusion. Terminals close to the synapse can not store energy molecules. In other words, they must synthesize them to conduct electrical messages in the brain.
To answer this question, scientists conducted several experiments. They found that vesicles needed large amounts of energy even when the neural message was not transmitted. The pump responsible for sucking the transmitters never rests and needs a constant flow of energy.
Due to the large number of synapses in the human brain and the presence of hundreds of terminals, each of which is in constant need of energy, the cost of fuel consumption increases even in sleep mode.
Scientists believe that this may be just one of the ways the brain uses energy in sleep. They are also interested in studying different types of neurons that consume different amounts of energy with different ways of responding to the process.
The brain is the most important part of the body and the commander of other organs. All the data received by different organs from the environment is sent to the brain in the shortest possible time and is processed in this vital organ.
Although all body activities are controlled by the brain, scientists have little information about this organ. One of the reasons humans are unaware of the functions and processes going on in the brain is the complexity of the body commander. The brain, like the size of the body, needs energy to perform various activities, and a significant portion of this energy is provided by food entering the body. Among the various organs of the body, the brain receives the most energy, and according to studies, 20% of the total energy is sent to the brain and consumed in this part, and it is not clear to which process 90% of this amount of energy is spent.
Experts compare the amount of energy received by the brain with a 10-watt lamp, so it is always recommended to the general public to eat nutritious foods to help the brain function better and to spend a certain amount of time daily exercising. till many questions about the brain.
