Sudoku, puzzles and a busy social life as fitness for the mind is now widely known. A healthy diet, however, or even temporary fasting as a form of "brain doping" will consist of experts of view often too little attention.

"Calorie restriction and many unsaturated fatty acids such as fish or linseed bow declining well before the brain functions," said Prof. Hansdetlef Wassmann from the University Hospital Münster. The dementia or stroke risk can be contained with proper nutrition.

Basis of the findings were mainly in animal studies. These have shown that fewer calories and regular fasting, the resilience of the brain compared with energy-deficiency increases: "Such deficiencies are usually vascular, and may trigger some of strokes and brain dysfunction be. The brain is not getting enough oxygen and glucose, because the blood vessels is not sufficient to transport. "

The presumption is close to that in humans this is so, said the physician and director of the Department of Neurosurgery. Observations in healthy elderly and memory tests had already shown that low-calorie diet and one of omega-3-fatty acid-rich diet, the signal transduction in the brain stimulate: "The learning ability in old age remains a longer time, or the age-related brain degradation is countered." Further evidence of whether and how people benefit from fasting, they also promise of studies in countries where the Islamic month of fasting Ramadan and output is standard practice.

It is clear, according to Wassmann now that healthy and low calorie diet, the brain and keeps blood vessels elastic for a better overall cerebral perfusion provides: "And thus increase the efficiency, the thinking and memory ability of the brain," said the expert. The Association of Neuro-medicine at the University of Munster, which belongs Wassmann, offers regular public lectures in the neurosciences, it most recently on "Less is (s) t over - fasting for the brain."

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