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Medical Forum / General / Nutrition / August 2005mental challenges
Let's say I'll be participating in a competition of a mental challange like Scrabble. This competition will be ongoing for the whole day. I was wondering what I should eat for the period in between, which is lunch. My understanding is that digestion is a energy-consuming process and will draw blood supply and oxygen from the brain to the digestion system. That's why people can feel sleepy after lunch but I cannot afford that if I want to do well in the competition. So can anyone please tell me what I should take for lunch so that it will not affect me mentally but instead could even help me? Thank you. Kingsley >Let's say I'll be participating in a competition of a mental challange >like Scrabble. This competition will be ongoing for the whole day. I [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > >Kingsley I would take some raw vegetables and raw fruit, and some kind of protein like tuna or hard boiled eggs, etc. No bread or processed carbohydrates. No food with added sugar or other sweetener. Don't fill up too much. Ora >>Let's say I'll be participating in a competition of a mental challange >>like Scrabble. This competition will be ongoing for the whole day. I [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > > Ora I would also bring some snacks to eat throughout the day, like Goldfish crackers, candy, or granola bars. Jeff ::: Let's say I'll be participating in a competition of a mental ::: challange like Scrabble. This competition will be ongoing for the [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] :: carbohydrates. No food with added sugar or other sweetener. Don't :: fill up too much. Some supplements taken with breakfast might be useful in increasing mental performance: fish oils, ginkgo biloba, carnosine, lecithin, B-complex and alpha-lipoic acid. I suggest that you experiment with the supplements before the actual competition day. I have used these for the same kind of purpose.  SignatureJuhana > ::: Let's say I'll be participating in a competition of a mental > ::: challange like Scrabble. This competition will be ongoing for the [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > the actual competition day. I have used these for the same kind of > purpose. Look on the bright side: They probably won't help you, but they will help someone else's pocket. Jeff ::: nospam@aol.com wrote: ::::: [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] :: Look on the bright side: They probably won't help you, but they will :: help someone else's pocket. Please do some study before you post these ignorant comments. SignatureJuhana > ::: nospam@aol.com wrote: > ::::: [quoted text clipped - 31 lines] > > Please do some study before you post these ignorant comments. Please provide the peer-reviewed research that shows that these things will help someone if taken as you suggested. Jeff ::: Jeff wrote: :::::: nospam@aol.com wrote: [quoted text clipped - 35 lines] :: Please provide the peer-reviewed research that shows that these :: things will help someone if taken as you suggested. Here is one to start with: Stress. 2004 Jun;7(2):119-26. Related Articles, Links Effects of soy lecithin phosphatidic acid and phosphatidylserine complex (PAS) on the endocrine and psychological responses to mental stress. Hellhammer J, Fries E, Buss C, Engert V, Tuch A, Rutenberg D, Hellhammer D. Neuropattern, Trier, Germany. Phosphatidylserine, derived from cow brains, has been shown previously to dampen the ACTH and cortisol response to physical stress. Further research investigated the influence of soy lecithin phosphatidylserine supplementation on mood and heart rate when faced with an acute stressor. In this study, we investigated the effects of soy lecithin phosphatidic acid and phosphatidylserine complex (PAS) supplementation on pituitary adrenal reactivity (ACTH, cortisol) and on the psychological response (Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory stress subscale) to a mental and emotional stressor. Four groups of 20 subjects were treated for three weeks with daily dosages of either 400 mg PAS, 600 mg PAS, 800 mg PAS, or placebo before exposure to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Treatment with 400 mg PAS resulted in a pronounced blunting of both serum ACTH and cortisol, and salivary cortisol responses to the TSST, but did not affect heart rate. The effect was not seen with larger doses of PAS. With regard to the psychological response, 400 mg PAS seemed to exert a specific positive effect on emotional responses to the TSST. While the placebo group showed the expected increase in distress after the test, the group treated with 400 mg PAS showed decreased distress. These data provide initial evidence for a selective stress dampening effect of PAS on the pituitary-adrenal axis, suggesting the potential of PAS in the treatment of stress related disorders. PMID: 15512856 Jeff, I encourage to do some study in PubMed ( http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed ) by yourself. You will find plenty of studies of the substances I mentioned. SignatureJuhana > ::: Jeff wrote: > :::::: nospam@aol.com wrote: [quoted text clipped - 80 lines] > by yourself. You will find plenty of studies of the substances I > mentioned. Unfortunately, the OP asked for something to take on the day of the event, not something that had to be taken over 3 weeks. Plus, it has not been shown that this would improve performance. Stress is sometimes a good thing. Jeff :: Jeff wrote: :::: "Juhana Harju" <shantigiri@despammed.com> wrote in message [quoted text clipped - 75 lines] :: pituitary-adrenal axis, suggesting the potential of PAS in the :: treatment of stress related disorders. PMID: 15512856 To Kingsley: mackerel is a good source of phophatidylserine mentioned in the study above. Having a diet rich in mackerel for a week or two before the actual competition day might be beneficial. SignatureJuhana The sleepiness is directly related to the carbohydrate content of the meal. So peanut butter sandwiches, heavy on the peanut butter, and perhaps a nice can of King Oscar kippered fillet of herring, might be just the lunch you need. > Let's say I'll be participating in a competition of a mental challange > like Scrabble. This competition will be ongoing for the whole day. I [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > Kingsley These meals work great for me when I need brain power: (Make sure you chew it well, just so it blends with the saliva.) 1) 50-100g freshly harvested mung bean sprouts ( so the sprouted tip is about an inch ) eaten with 2-3 freshly chopped carrots and 15-25g raisins. I grow sprouts myself for maximum freshness. 2) 200-300g lean chicken breast with low carb vegetables like broccoli, a tomato and a cucumber. 3) The following is FAR better then the two above but do it at own risk. 300-400g of raw beef, must be at least hormone and antibiotic free. Organic is best. Grass fed beef is especially fantastic. Ground the beef if not already grounded, mix with chopped leeks(25-50g) and a very small onion. You may add spices if desired. Fantastic for long lasting mental alertness and well being. SignatureDawid Michalczyk http://www.art.eonworks.com - Art and Illustration >> Let's say I'll be participating in a competition of a mental challange >> like Scrabble. This competition will be ongoing for the whole day. I [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > onion. You may add spices if desired. Fantastic for long lasting mental > alertness and well being. One chicken breast filet (baked), 2 cups broccoli (steamed) , 1 red pepper (steamed) always gives me a mental boost and energy. Don't know why, but it is a perfect meal for me. >>> Let's say I'll be participating in a competition of a mental challange >>> like Scrabble. This competition will be ongoing for the whole day. I [quoted text clipped - 31 lines] > pepper (steamed) always gives me a mental boost and energy. Don't know > why, but it is a perfect meal for me. It's because of the tyrosine amino acid found in chicken (and other meats) and the low carb meal. Tyrosine stimulates production of the neurotransmitters that spark mental performance. Additionally, the low carb content of the meal keeps another amino acid, called tryptophan, from acting in the opposite way of tyrosine. Tryptophan (especially high in turkey meat) when combined with enough carbs in a meal, makes one sluggish and sleepy. So basically, a low carb meal like steamed vegetables combined with lean meat cuts gives a good mental boost. SignatureDawid Michalczyk http://www.art.eonworks.com - Art and Illustration >>>> Let's say I'll be participating in a competition of a mental challange >>>> like Scrabble. This competition will be ongoing for the whole day. I [quoted text clipped - 43 lines] > So basically, a low carb meal like steamed vegetables combined with lean > meat cuts gives a good mental boost. Thanks for the explanation! Dan Turkey is not higher in trytophan than any other meat. In fact it is lower than many. The sluggish feeling is overeating bad combinations. Protein with lost of starchy carbs and fats. > > Tryptophan (especially high in turkey meat) when combined with enough > > carbs in a meal, makes one sluggish and sleepy. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Dan > Turkey is not higher in trytophan than any other meat. In fact it is lower > than many. Turkey is one of the meats that has the highest content of trytophan of all the regularly available meats westerners commonly eat. trytophan content per 100g of food and RDI (extracted from USDA National Nutrient Database) 0.545 Gms 194.6% elk 0.436 Gms 155.7% rabbit 0.431 Gms 153.9% pumpkin_seeds 0.421 Gms 150.4% cheese_gruyere 0.401 Gms 143.2% cheese_swiss 0.388 Gms 138.6% sesame_seeds_dried 0.386 Gms 137.9% chicken_light_meat 0.371 Gms 132.5% sesame_seeds_roasted 0.358 Gms 127.9% almonds 0.352 Gms 125.7% cheese_gouda 0.351 Gms 125.4% beef_liver 0.348 Gms 124.3% sunflower_seeds 0.342 Gms 122.1% turkey_breast_meat 0.340 Gms 121.4% turkey_light_meat 0.339 Gms 121.1% chicken_breast_meat 0.329 Gms 117.5% chicken_dark_meat 0.327 Gms 116.8% buffalo 0.325 Gms 116.1% turkey_dark_meat 0.315 Gms 112.5% cheese_monterey 0.312 Gms 111.4% cheese_blue 0.303 Gms 108.2% pinenuts 0.293 Gms 104.6% cocoa 0.289 Gms 103.2% cheese_limburger 0.288 Gms 102.9% lamb_sirloin 0.288 Gms 102.9% beef_liver_raw 0.285 Gms 101.8% salmon 0.283 Gms 101.1% pistachio_nuts_dried 0.271 Gms 96.8% mozzarella_cheese 0.271 Gms 96.8% cheese_mozzarella 0.266 Gms 95.0% chicken SignatureDawid Michalczyk http://www.art.eonworks.com - Art and Illustration > The sluggish feeling is overeating bad combinations. Protein with lost of > starchy carbs and fats. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >> >>Dan :: Pizza Girl wrote: ::: Turkey is not higher in trytophan than any other meat. In fact it ::: is lower than many. [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] :: 0.545 Gms 194.6% elk :: [...] It does not work like that. The *relative* amounts of tryptophan count, not the absolute amounts. That is why the highest tryptophan content in brain can be achieved with a lactovegetarian diet or a diet close to it. ::: The sluggish feeling is overeating bad combinations. Protein with ::: lost of starchy carbs and fats. [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] :::: :::: Dan SignatureJuhana Looks like turkey is lower than most meats, even of the few that were mentioned. Read your own posted stats. > > Turkey is not higher in trytophan than any other meat. In fact it is lower > > than many. [quoted text clipped - 48 lines] > >> > >>Dan >>>> Let's say I'll be participating in a competition of a mental challange >>>> like Scrabble. This competition will be ongoing for the whole day. I [quoted text clipped - 43 lines] > So basically, a low carb meal like steamed vegetables combined with lean > meat cuts gives a good mental boost. Would it make sense for me to take a tyrosine supplement pill in the morning when I can't eat lean meat? Dan always take amino acids without any other intake. They are too expensive to just combine them into peptide and other bonded amino proteins only to have your digestion redigest them to break them apart again. It's just a waste. > >>>> Let's say I'll be participating in a competition of a mental challange > >>>> like Scrabble. This competition will be ongoing for the whole day. I [quoted text clipped - 48 lines] > > Dan :: Would it make sense for me to take a tyrosine supplement pill in the :: morning when I can't eat lean meat? Carnosine would give you more mental boost that tyrosine. SignatureJuhana >>>>> Let's say I'll be participating in a competition of a mental challange >>>>> like Scrabble. This competition will be ongoing for the whole day. I [quoted text clipped - 47 lines] > Would it make sense for me to take a tyrosine supplement pill in the > morning when I can't eat lean meat? Personally I always prefer to rely on quality food rather then a supplement pill. Perhaps tyrosine relies on several unknown factors to make it work. Like certain nutrients that are always part of the same food tyrosine is naturally part of. Human body is extremely complex, so much is going on inside of us every single second. Nobody knows for sure how things work and why. Which is one of the reasons there is so much confusion, due to conflicting information, in the nutrition today. I would take tyrosine (or foods high in tyrosine) on occasions - when you really need it. Like a school test or some other mentally challenging work. If one starts taking it every day, one could become addicted to it. Foods high in tyrosine per 100g of food: (extracted from USDA National Nutrient Database, not all foods are included only the ones that interested me) 1.776 Gms cheese_gruyere 1.693 Gms cheese_swiss 1.454 Gms cheese_gouda 1.295 Gms cheese_blue 1.197 Gms cheese_limburger 1.188 Gms turkey_breast_meat 1.182 Gms turkey_light_meat 1.182 Gms cheese_monterey 1.176 Gms rabbit 1.129 Gms turkey_dark_meat 1.123 Gms mozzarella_cheese 1.123 Gms cheese_mozzarella 1.115 Gms chicken_light_meat 1.081 Gms elk 1.077 Gms buffalo 1.069 Gms deer 1.049 Gms peanuts 1.019 Gms pumpkin_seeds 0.978 Gms chicken_breast_meat 0.967 Gms beef_liver 0.950 Gms chicken_dark_meat 0.914 Gms bison 0.878 Gms pinenuts 0.859 Gms salmon 0.828 Gms lamb_sirloin 0.794 Gms beef_liver_raw 0.771 Gms cod 0.769 Gms chicken 0.746 Gms eggs_raw_yolk 0.743 Gms sesame_seeds_dried SignatureDawid Michalczyk http://www.art.eonworks.com - Art and Illustration :: Dan wrote: ::: On 6/16/2005 5:46 AM, Dawid Michalczyk wrote: [quoted text clipped - 74 lines] :: National Nutrient Database, not all foods are included only the ones :: that interested me) Yes, you forgot to mention the highest sources: http://www.nutritiondata.com/foods-000087000000000000000-w.html :: 1.776 Gms cheese_gruyere :: 1.693 Gms cheese_swiss [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] :: 0.746 Gms eggs_raw_yolk :: [...] These are mostly animal foods and high insaturated fat, and they are definitely not good for good mental performance as saturated fats make cell membranes more stiff. Pinenuts, salmon and sesam seeds are fine. The tyrosine content of mackerel is 869.1 mg/ 100g and mackerel is also high in phosphatidylserine, which has been found to increase cognitive functions. http://www.degussa-bioactives.com/bioactives/html/e/products/brands/lecips/phosp hat_dietary.htm Stress. 2004 Jun;7(2):119-26. Effects of soy lecithin phosphatidic acid and phosphatidylserine complex (PAS) on the endocrine and psychological responses to mental stress. Hellhammer J, Fries E, Buss C, Engert V, Tuch A, Rutenberg D, Hellhammer D. Neuropattern, Trier, Germany. Phosphatidylserine, derived from cow brains, has been shown previously to dampen the ACTH and cortisol response to physical stress. Further research investigated the influence of soy lecithin phosphatidylserine supplementation on mood and heart rate when faced with an acute stressor. In this study, we investigated the effects of soy lecithin phosphatidic acid and phosphatidylserine complex (PAS) supplementation on pituitary adrenal reactivity (ACTH, cortisol) and on the psychological response (Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory stress subscale) to a mental and emotional stressor. Four groups of 20 subjects were treated for three weeks with daily dosages of either 400 mg PAS, 600 mg PAS, 800 mg PAS, or placebo before exposure to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Treatment with 400 mg PAS resulted in a pronounced blunting of both serum ACTH and cortisol, and salivary cortisol responses to the TSST, but did not affect heart rate. The effect was not seen with larger doses of PAS. With regard to the psychological response, 400 mg PAS seemed to exert a specific positive effect on emotional responses to the TSST. While the placebo group showed the expected increase in distress after the test, the group treated with 400 mg PAS showed decreased distress. These data provide initial evidence for a selective stress dampening effect of PAS on the pituitary-adrenal axis, suggesting the potential of PAS in the treatment of stress related disorders. PMID: 15512856 Nutr Neurosci. 2001;4(3):169-78. The influence of phosphatidylserine supplementation on mood and heart rate when faced with an acute stressor. Benton D, Donohoe RT, Sillance B, Nabb S. Department of Psychology, University of Wales Swansea, United Kingdom. There have been previous reports that supplements of phosphatidylserine (PS) blunted the release of cortisol in response to exercise stress and that it improved mood. The present study extended these observations by considering whether PS supplementation influenced subjective feelings of stress and the change in heart rate when a stressful mental arithmetic task was performed. In young adults, with neuroticism scores above rather than below the median, the taking of 300mg PS each day for a month was associated with feeling less stressed and having a better mood. The study for the first time reports an improvement in mood following PS supplementation in a sub-group of young healthy adults. PMID: 11842886 SignatureJuhana > ... competition of a mental challange ... what I should eat ... Nibble on fruit throughout the competition. Fruit sugars will supply the brain with energy. Beware of the recommendations for concentrated proteins (nuts/seeds, ...), as they will diminish intellectual clarity. Laurie |
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