[건강한 가족] The brain that influences health and happiness in the age of 100

Both quantity and quality of life are important. In the past, how long lived the key was, but now it is meaningful to live long and healthy. This is why’healthy lifespan’ is prioritized over average lifespan. Getting old healthy is also a basic human need. In particular, as the age of 100 becomes a reality, the most important thing in a healthy old age is brain health. Although new treatments are being developed, dementia is still the most difficult medically controlled disease. It’s important to keep your brain healthy and prevent it for as long as possible.

As you get older, your brain eventually ages as well. The function of the brain cells begins to decline, and the memory begins to decline little by little. It’s a sign that your brain is getting old.

The brain is an organ that uses 20% of the body’s energy consumption. Compared to muscles of the same weight, it uses about 10 times more blood and oxygen. Because all the fuel required for this brain activity is carried through blood vessels, the most important thing for the brain to function properly is smooth blood circulation. In particular, after the age of 30, the brain cells begin to decline. When brain cells become fatigued due to constant stress, excessive alcohol consumption, lack of sleep, and depression, memory is further reduced.

Therefore, in order to improve brain health and memory, it is necessary to smooth blood circulation, supply nerve cells and oxygen and nutrients necessary for normal brain activity, and reduce factors that cause damage to nerve cells.

The most important nutrient for brain health is omega 3. It is also known as a’dementia prevention drug’ known to prevent the accumulation of beta-amyloid in the brain, which is said to be the causative agent of Alzheimer’s dementia.

DHA, which makes up omega 3, is a major component of the brain. DHA facilitates the smooth connection between cells, promotes neurohormone transmission, and improves learning by helping the brain work. Omega-3’s EPA lowers blood cholesterol levels and prevents blood clots from forming. In particular, taking omega 3 can help improve memory by increasing blood flow to the brain and filling the brain components.

Studies show that omega 3 is the key to brain health. According to a study at Oxford University, the more you consume DHA, a component of your brain and retina, the better your ability to read and learn. Brain cells, which are responsible for memory, begin to decline from the age of 30, so as you age, you need to consume DHA consistently. In general, the DHA in the brain gradually decreases after age 20.

Meanwhile, in 2012, Dr. Zaldi Tan’s team from the University of California Medical School in the United States wrote in the American academic journal Neuromedicine. A study published that showed low scores. The researchers also found that in the lower 25% of the DHA group, brain aging progressed about two years faster. This is the result of a study conducted on 1575 people with an average age of 67.

In the French PAQUID Study, 1600 people aged 68 years and older were observed, and those who ate fish at least once a week had a 35% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. On the other hand, a follow-up study of 899 elderly people aged 76 years and over for 9 years found that the risk of dementia in the upper group with blood DHA levels was half that of the lower group, according to the Framingham Study.

Omega 3 is famous not only for promoting brain health, but also for preventing vascular disease. It lowers cholesterol levels and prevents the formation of blood clots to facilitate blood circulation. Omega 3 intake is also considered a rare reason for cardiovascular disease, even though the Arctic Inuit (Eskimo) intake is quite high in fat.

Omega 3 cannot be synthesized by itself in the body, so it must be supplemented with food. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety recommends taking 500 to 2000 mg of omega 3 (the sum of DHA and EPA) per day. However, it is not easy to consume as much as the standard through food.

Health functional foods alleviate this difficulty. You can easily fill the recommended daily amount. However, if you are thinking about brain health, omega 3 with high DHA content is good when choosing a health functional food. When the sum of DHA and EPA meets 900mg, it is considered to be effective in’improving memory’. Another method is to check the functional phrase’improving memory’ along with the DHA content.

Reporter Ryu Jang-hoon [email protected]