Be hungry: Scientists have found that hunger is to protect the brain from old age
You think better on an empty stomach? Then you will be delighted to know that the hormone of the gastrointestinal tract that stimulates appetite, and also activate the growth of new brain cells and protects them from the effects of aging.
A team of scientists from Swansea University (UK) found evidence that the peptide hormone ghrelin can stimulate neurogenesis — the growth of brain cells.
This is probably due to the fact that some people feel more savvy on an empty stomach, reports New Scientist.
When ghrelin was first discovered, it was called the hunger hormone. It is produced in empty stomach and whenever we spend a few hours without food, the level of ghrelin in our blood rises. However, it is now known that this hormone improves cognitive abilities. Animals with a poor diet have a higher mental capacity, and the reason for this may be ghrelin.
Tests with laboratory mice showed that injections of the hormone increase the success of the animals in the tasks for development of memory and learning and stimulate the development of neurons in their brain. When the researchers added the hormone to the cells of the mouse brain grown in a Petri dish, “included” gene that stimulates neurogenesis.
Dr. Jeffrey Davis, is engaged in the research, noted that ghrelin probably has an impact on memory
In the future, the team of Davis plans to benefit from this work and send the results to the find a cure neurodegerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease caused by loss of brain cells.
Known beneficial effect of reducing the level of calories 25% daily value on human health, particularly on blood sugar levels. Practicing a moderate diet people also report that their mental powers are improved from this practice. Despite this, there are a number of studies claim the opposite.