Brain+articles

Brain articles Emotion, Decision Making and the Amygdala []

Brain articles Emotion, Language and the Amygdala [] I include this information in my brain presentations. I refer to it as Lizard brain, Leopard Brain and Learner Brain. I focus on the evolutionary aspects of it. I am writing a book one day and using my cats as references to compare and contrast why some people get stuck in the Leopard Brain. In essence, some people live their lives in crisis mode and fail to develop their learner brains. They live on adrenaline (ie. emotions).

Brain articles Play and Affect in Language [] Here is an article which talks about the effects of play and emotion with language learning. Brain articles [] This is some of the information which I used when conducting research and utilizing myself as a single case study as well as with the small group study in Mexico.

This article was about ADHD in children but the information is relevant for anyone. I added some information and changed some information. Nutrition and the Brain Nutrition affects the brain in three ways. Brain cells, like other cells in the body, need proper nutrition to carry out their functions; the myelin sheath, which covers the axons of brain cells, as insulation covers electrical wires, needs the right levels of nutrients to speed transmission of the electrical signals between brain cells; neurotransmitters -- dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine -- are dependent on diet for their production. If the right nutrients aren’t accessible to the brain, its circuits misfire. Nutrients a brain needs to function well are discussed in this article. Carbs affect brain function and mood. The rate at which sugar from a particular food enters brain cells, and other cells of the body, is called the “glycemic index” (GI). Foods with a high glycemic index stimulate the pancreas to secrete high levels of insulin, which causes sugar to empty quickly from the blood into the cells. Insulin regulates the ups and downs of blood sugar, and the rollercoaster behavior that sometimes goes with them. Low-glycemic foods deliver a steady supply of sugar, helping a person control behavior and improve performance. Foods with the best brain sugars include: Fruits**:** grapefruit, apples, cherries, oranges, and grapes. Fruits have a lower glycemic index, or Gi, than fruit juices, because fiber in fruit slows the absorption of fruit sugar. A whole apple is more brain-friendly than apple juice; a whole orange better than orange juice. Grapes have a higher GI than apples or pears. Cereals and grains**:** oatmeal, bran, higher-fiber cereals and pastas also have a low Gi. Corn flakes and sugarcoated breakfast cereals have higher Gis. Vegetables and legumes**:** legumes, such as soybeans, kidney beans, and lentils have the lowest glycemic index of any food. Dairy products**:** Milk and yogurt have low Gis, slightly higher than legumes, but lower than fruits. Plain yogurt has a lower glycemic index than yogurt with fruit preserves or sugar added. Fat, Fish Oil, and Brain Power “Fats make up 60 percent of the brain and of the nerves that run every system in the body,” says William Sears, M.D., an associate clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine. “The better the fat in the diet , the better the brain will function.” <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Most important to <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">brain function <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> are the two essential fatty acids found in <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">fish oil <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">, linoleic (or omega- 6) and alpha linolenic (or omega-3). These are the prime structural components of brain cell membranes, and an important part of the enzymes that allow cell membranes to transport nutrients in and out of cells. Western diets contain too many omega-6 fatty acids and too few of the omega-3s, which are found in <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">coldwater fish <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">(primarily salmon and tuna), soybeans, walnuts, wheat germ, pumpkin seeds, and eggs. Flaxseed and canola oils are good sources of omega-3s. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Children who have low levels of omega-3s will show the biggest improvement in mental <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">focus <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">and cognitive function when they add more of these healthy fats to their diet,” says Richard Brown, M.D., associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Protein Brain Power <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">Proteins <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">affect brain performance by providing the amino acids from which <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">neurotransmitters <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">are made. Neurotransmitters are biochemical messengers that carry signals from one brain cell to another. The better you feed these messengers, the more efficiently they deliver the goods, allowing your <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">child <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">to be alert at <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">school <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">and you to be more on top of things at <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">work <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Two amino acids, tryptophan and tyrosine, are precursors of neurotransmitters, the substances from which neurotransmitters are made. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid. The body does not make it; it must be supplied by the <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">diet <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">. The body can make tyrosine if there is not enough in the diet. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">These amino acids influence the four top neurotransmitters -- serotonin, which is made from the amino acid tryptophan, as well as <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">dopamine <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">, epinephrine, and norepinephrine, which are made from the amino acid tyrosine. “Because the body makes brain-awakening neurotransmitters when you eat protein, start your day with a <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">breakfast that includes protein <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">,” says Laura Stevens, M.S., a nutritionist at Purdue University “Also look for ways to slip in lean protein during the day, as well.” “Protein helps keep blood sugar levels steady, and prevents the mental declines that come from eating a meal containing too many simple carbs,” says Ned Hallowell, M.D., author of //Driven to Distraction//. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Vitamins and Brain Power <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Studies indicate that <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">children in grade school <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">whose diets are supplemented with vitamins and minerals, to insure the standard recommended dietary allowances, scored higher on intelligence tests than those who took no <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">supplements <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">. Here are some specific vitamins and minerals that affect behavior and learning in <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">children <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">and <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">adults <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">: Vitamin C is required by the brain to make <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">neurotransmitters <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">. In fact, the brain has a special vitamin c “pump,” which draws extra vitamin c out of the blood into the brain. Vitamin B6 deficiency causes irritability and <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">fatigue <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">. Adequate levels of the vitamin increase the brain’s levels of the neurotransmitter <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">dopamine <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">, increasing alertness. <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">Iron <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">is also necessary for making dopamine. One small study showed ferritin levels (a measure of iron stores) to be low in 84 percent of children<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">, compared to 18 percent of a control group. Low iron levels correlate with severe inattention. <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">Zinc <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">regulates the neurotransmitter dopamine, and may make methylphenidate more effective by improving the brain’s response to dopamine. Low levels of this mineral correlate with <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">inattention <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">. More of these nutrients is not necessarily better. Studies using megavitamin therapy in <span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">children  <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">showed no effect. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">5 Balanced Breakfasts <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 9pt;">A nutrition-packed breakfast should contain a balance of complex carbohydrates and protein. Think grains, plus dairy, plus fruits. For example: **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">1. **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> Granola cereal, yogurt, sliced apple **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">2. **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> Scrambled eggs, whole-grain toast, orange **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">3. **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> Veggie omelet, bran muffin, fresh fruit with yogurt **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">4. **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> Whole-grain pancakes or waffles topped with berries and/or yogurt, milk **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">5. **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> low-fat cheese melted on wholegrain toast, pear

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 14pt; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> <span style="background: #fff9ee; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 4;">**<span style="color: #1e59a5; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">8 Brain Foods to Power Your Life ** <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;"> //<span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">From berries to oysters, these 8 brain foods are proven to boost memory, help us think clearly, and contribute to overall good ////health////<span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">. //<span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;"> **<span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">By Pamela Harding **<span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;"> <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">The old maxim "You are what you eat," turns out to be true. New research on so-called "brain <span style="color: #023d89; font-family: 'inherit!important','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">foods <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">" shows that some chemicals in the foods we eat go right to our brain cells. Sounds pretty powerful. <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">But can <span style="color: #023d89; font-family: 'inherit!important','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">food <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;"> really make us more intelligent, give us smarter kids, improve memory, help us think more clearly, and maybe even forestall those so-called "senior moments," or worse, dementia? <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">The answer is a qualified "yes." Although no one "miracle" food is going to boost your brain power instantly, make <span style="color: #023d89; font-family: 'inherit!important','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">your kid <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;"> a genius, or cure Alzheimer's, regularly adding certain foods to your diet will help you function at your personal best, both physically and mentally, throughout your lifetime. [|**Discover the first brain food.**]<span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;"> //<span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">Pamela Harding enjoys writing about food, health, pets, and anything else that contributes to happiness and well-being. //<span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;"> <span style="background: #fff9ee; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 4;">**<span style="color: #1e59a5; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">Brain Food #1: Berries ** <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;"> <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">Berries are full of memory-boosting <span style="color: #023d89; font-family: 'inherit!important','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">nutrients <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">. Here's how they work: When we talk about getting "rusty" at certain tasks, we may not be far off. Oxidation, the process that causes metal to rust, can also damage brain cells. This oxidative stress as it's called, plays a part in many diseases associated with aging from dementia and Alzheimer's to Parkinson's.  <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">Getting beneficial anti-oxidative compounds like vitamins C, E, beta-carotene and other nutrients through <span style="color: #023d89; font-family: 'inherit!important','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">food <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;"> may help prevent, or at least curtail, the damage, because they can disarm potentially cell-injuring free radicals circulating throughout the system. <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">Research has shown that <span style="color: #023d89; font-family: 'inherit!important','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">beneficial <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;"> chemicals called ellagatannis in raspberries, strawberries and blueberries are also found right in the hippocampus, the brain's memory control center. Talk about a direct hit! <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">Blueberries also contain proanthocyanins, which gravitate toward the striatum, which is more closely related to spatial memory. Scientists believe that that these compounds may enhance the performance of those parts of the <span style="color: #023d89; font-family: 'inherit!important','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">brain <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">, and indeed, actual animal studies have substantiated the evidence that they do improve memory. <span style="background: #fff9ee; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 4;">**<span style="color: #1e59a5; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">Brain Food #2: Cherries ** <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;"> <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">Oxidation is not the only process associated with diseases of aging. <span style="color: #023d89; font-family: 'inherit!important','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">Inflammation <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;"> also plays a big role in everything from heart disease to dementia. <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">Cherries are nature's own little anti-inflammatory pills. They contain Cox 2 inhibitors similar to those found in pain medications such as Vioxx and Celebrex, but they also contain compounds called polyphenols that keep platelets in the blood from clumping together, so they don't produce undesirable side effects— like heart attacks and strokes—which are risks associated with the manufactured drugs. Isn't <span style="color: #023d89; font-family: 'inherit!important','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">Mother <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;"> Nature clever? <span style="background: #fff9ee; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 4;">**<span style="color: #1e59a5; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">Brain Food #3: Apples ** <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;"> <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">That old adage about "an apple a day" is right on target. Turns out that apples contain a group of chemicals that could protect the brain from the type of damage that triggers neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's and <span style="color: #023d89; font-family: 'inherit!important','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">Alzheimer's <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">. One of those compounds, a flavonoid called quercetin, has been shown to protect the brain from oxidative injury in animal studies. <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">Other chemicals such as phenolic acids and different flavonoids protect the apple itself against damage by bacteria, viruses and fungi—and if they protect the fruit, just imagine what they can do for us! Studies suggest that <span style="color: #023d89; font-family: 'inherit!important','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">eating <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;"> apples not only may help reduce the risk of cancer, but diminish the risk of neurodegenerative disorders too. <span style="background: #fff9ee; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 4;">**<span style="color: #1e59a5; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">Brain Food #4: Curry ** <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;"> <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">Turmeric, the yellow spice found in many curries, contains curcumin, which also has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It may even prove useful in treating Alzheimer's; one study showed a reduction in beta amyloid deposits, the plaques associated with the disease, in the brains of animals fed curcumin-enhanced <span style="color: #023d89; font-family: 'inherit!important','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">food <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">. In another study, elderly people who ate curry often or very often did better on tests of mental performance than those who never or rarely ate curry. <span style="background: #fff9ee; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 4;">**<span style="color: #1e59a5; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">Brain Food #5: Eggs ** <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;"> <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">The egg has gotten bad press because of its cholesterol-rich yoke and the associations between dietary cholesterol and <span style="color: #023d89; font-family: 'inherit!important','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">heart disease <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">. However, that same yolk contains one of the most important nutrients for building better brains: choline. <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">Getting adequate amounts of <span style="color: #023d89; font-family: 'inherit!important','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">choline <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">, especially early in life—during fetal development and early childhood—may help us learn more readily and also help us retain what we learn. What's more, sufficient choline intake early on may give us the mental building blocks we need to help keep memory intact as we age. <span style="background: #fff9ee; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 4;">**<span style="color: #1e59a5; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">Brain Food #6: Sardines ** <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;"> <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">We've all heard that fish is "brain food," and there's good reason for it. Fatty fish like budget-friendly sardines contain <span style="color: #023d89; font-family: 'inherit!important','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">omega-3 <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;"> fatty acids, which are thought to be instrumental in maintaining brain function from early development throughout life. DHA, an omega-3, is present right in the brain, so having those good-for-you omega-3s in your diet is thought to boost brain function. <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">In addition, components of fatty acids in fish go straight to the synapses of nerve cells, so they play an important role in how neurons communicate with one another, which may have a <span style="color: #023d89; font-family: 'inherit!important','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">positive <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;"> affect throughout life on learning and memory. <span style="background: #fff9ee; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 4;">**<span style="color: #1e59a5; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">Brain Food #7: Oysters ** <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;"> <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">Speaking of seafood as brain <span style="color: #023d89; font-family: 'inherit!important','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">food <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">, consider the oyster, which is one food rich in both iron and zinc. If your mind wanders or you have memory lapses here and there, you may need more of the minerals zinc and iron in your diet. <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">A lot of research has linked decreased iron and zinc levels with poorer mental performance <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;"> <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;"> <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">in <span style="color: #023d89; font-family: 'inherit!important','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">children <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">, but newer studies on adults suggest these elements help keep grown-ups' minds sharp as well. In those studies, marginally low iron reserves reduced adults' ability to concentrate, and lower levels of zinc slowed test participants' ability to recall words. <span style="background: #fff9ee; line-height: 18pt; margin: 0in 0in 12pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 4;">**<span style="color: #1e59a5; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">Brain Food #8: Cocoa ** <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;"> <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">When it's time for a treat, chocolate is not a bad way to go, for your brain as well as your taste buds. Several studies have shown that eating flavonol-rich cocoa can improve <span style="color: #023d89; font-family: 'inherit!important','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">blood vessel <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;"> function, boosting circulation throughout the body and blood flow to the brain. The beneficial compounds found in cocoa may even reduce the formation of damaging clots, which may cause heart attacks and strokes. <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;">However, while cocoa, the ingredient that carries "chocolate" flavor, is rich in beneficial compounds, it's often combined with high-fat ingredients in chocolate bars and other desserts, so it's best to keep chocolate treats to a <span style="color: #023d89; font-family: 'inherit!important','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt; text-decoration: none; textunderline: none;">healthy <span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Georgia','serif'; font-size: 11.5pt;"> minimum