Page 45 - FoodFocusThailand No.182 May 2021

STRATEGIC R & D

• Maintain normal levels of cholesterol and blood sugar. to avoid incurring large expenses associated with treatment and care.
• Avoid excessive consumption of alcohol and get a minimum Support equipment for stabilization, such as cane or handrail, is thus
7 hours of sleep. essential to this aim. Regular physical activities and maintenance of
• Reduce stress by engaging in stress-alleviating activities such cardiovascular health may, therefore, temporarily keep cognitive
as socialization, yoga, meditation, exercise, and non-smoking. neurodegeneration at bay.
In the United States, 14% of the 71-year-old population and 50% Additionally, social withdrawal, high stress, long working hours, sleep
of the over 85-year-old population suffer from dementia, which deprivation, shift working, extreme cold, or loud noises give rise to
encompasses losses of learning ability and motor skills and inhibits accumulated physical lassitude and heighten the risks of cardiovascular
daily routines. This condition, if caused by cerebral embolism, is called diseases and stroke, which may, in turn, lead to cognitive neurodegeneration
vascular dementia and will lead to progressive cognitive decline. and eventually dementia.
Vascular dementia is the second most common cause of dementia Participating in social activity helps mitigate the progress of cognitive
after Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most common cause. decline. It is reported that regular social activities and new experience
Alzheimer’s disease is caused by intracerebral formation of beta acquisition can slowdown the functional regression of the brain for up to
amyloid plaques and tau tangles, which disrupt the cerebral neural 6 years, and those who keep away from social activities run 60% more
network, cause cerebral cellular death, and induce mild cognitive risks of suffering from cerebral neuronal degeneration because social
impairment (MCI) – an early sign of degenerative cognitive loss that activities help keep many cognitive processes such as memorization,
occurs in 1-2% of the population of over 65 years of age and may thought processing, and visuospatial ability activated.
progress into dementia.
Fifteen percent of type-2 diabetic patients over 80 years old are Important Nutrients for Brain Health
found to be afflicted with dementia deriving from inflammation, oxidative Magnesium: Magnesium can also come in the forms of magnesium
stress, and arteriosclerosis-inducing condition called endothelial citrate, magnesium chloride, and magnesium oxide
inflammation. The cause of these conditions is insulin resistance, which Vitamin B: Vitamins B6, B9, and B12 are essential nutrients in almost
induces heightened blood sugar levels. Well-regulated blood sugar all food supplement formulas for brain health. Vitamins promote the brain’s
levels will, therefore, ensure healthier brain in diabetic patients. A strict signal transmission and the synthesis of new brain cells.
control of blood sugar levels has been reported to be more effective Choline: Choline is particularly vital to adults and pregnant women.
than other approaches to delay the progressive loss of learning ability There is evidence that choline plays an important role in the development
and amnesia. of the cerebral region that involves memory, and it also improves long-
term memory. Choline deficiency may contribute to higher risks of learning
What Is Cognitive Functioning? impairment. Choline is also important for long-term memory improvement.
Cognitive functioning refers to overall mental abilities that span learning, Vitamin E: Vitamin E assists in cognitive and learning functions as
thinking, reasoning, memory, problem-solving, decision-making, its antioxidant properties can help eliminate oxidation in the brain.
concentration, and attention. These functions are categorized under GABA: A sufficient amount of GABA is beneficial to memory,
general intelligence (g), fluid intelligence (Gf), and crystallized concentration, stress alleviation, and sleep quality.
intelligence (Gc): general intelligence (g) encompasses general learning Amino acids: Amino acids such as creatine and leucine promote
abilities; fluid intelligence (Gf) involves logics, processing speed — the cerebral functions as they serve as neurotransmitter precursors. These
time it takes to learn, understand, and react to any given data such as amino acids are used as ingredients in the food supplements designed
visual information (sentence and number) and auditory information for short-term memory improvement.
(language) — and problem-solving abilities in unfamiliar circumstances; Omega-3: Omega-3 fatty acid, EPA, and DHA play an important role
crystallized intelligence (Gc) concerns the knowledge and experience in the development of brain and heart health. Omega-3 is especially
accumulated during a lifetime, which can be measured by the size of beneficial when brain health is affected by air pollution. In an experiment,
vocabulary memorized during one’s lifetime. Gf reaches its peak in the 1,315 female participants of average age of 75 years who lived in areas
early adult stage, around 20 years of age, and will gradually decrease with extremely high air pollution regularly ingested fish-derived omega-3:
until the later stages of life. Gc, on the other hand, will increase in it was revealed that none of them showed any sign or symptom that may
proportion to age as long as new knowledge and experience are afterward develop into dementia.
continuously acquired. However, there is also evidence that learning The aging population is gradually expanding. Monitoring and taking
and cognitive abilities will, in general, diminish with age. care of the elderly’s health are essential but can also incur large long-term
Neurology researchers reveal that age can negatively affect the expenses. Maintaining good physical, mental, and brain health in the later
reasoning ability and processing speed under the influence of Gf due stage of life can extend life expectancy and improve life quality, thus
to the age-related degeneration of white matter, which is a vital reducing the elderly population’s needs for assistance. Longevity and
substance that oversees effective cerebral neuronal network. Elderly healthy brain are more pleasant than and take priority over physical
individuals are more likely to be afflicted with lower Gf due to the rise wellness.
of anomalies in aging white matter. The skills under the influence of
Gc, however, can still retain their stability and even become more
refined in proportion to increasing age and experience. เอีกสารอี้างอีิง/References
A hypothetical method to retain learning ability involves engagement Brain Health: A Mysterious Frontier. Available from: www.nutraceuticalworld.com
or participation in an activity or an environment conducive to mental Gerald J. and Dorothy R. 2020. Preserving brain health through a heart-healthy diet.
stimulation and neuronal development. In addition, lack of physical Health & Nutrition Letter. Available from: www.nutritionletter.tuft.edu
Gwenith G. Fisher. 2019. Theory of Cognitive Aging and Work. Work Across the
activities, such as brisk walking or grasping exercise, may contribute Lifespan. Available from: http://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-812756-8.00002-5
to cognitive decline. An elderly with cognitive impairment is more prone Sonja Spitzer. 2019. Reporting biases in self -assessed physical and cognitive health
status of older
to injury and accident, such as tripping, as the motor skills that regulate Europeans. PLOSS ONE. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0223526
balanced walking gait depend on cognitive resources such as Yuri Jang. 2021. Cognitive health risks posed by social isolation and loneliness in
concentration and posture stabilization. Slipping or tripping injuries in older Korean
Americans. BMC Geriatrics. Available from: https://doi.org/10.11861/s12877-021-
the elderly are attributed to progressive cognitive impairment, and 02066-4
these patients tend to suffer from partial amnesia as well. Therefore, Zachary A. Marcum. 2020. Beliefs about benefits and harms of medications and
priority should be given to the prevention of tripping or slipping injuries supplements for brain health. Preventive Medicine Reports. 17(22020)101060.
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