Does eating meat make you stupid?

Recently, there is a saying that "long-term meat consumption reduces IQ" is circulating on the Internet. The rumors claimed that British scientists found an interesting phenomenon in 8,170 participants and said that eating meat often leads to a decline in IQ. This argument has surprised many netizens. Some people have raised questions. It turns out that they are not smart enough because they love meat.

In fact, this statement is not the result of recent research. The relevant news was seen on the Internet in 2008. The report said that scientists at the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom conducted an investigation of adults after the age of 30 to understand their IQ and diet at the age of 10 (when human intelligence is basically mature). Among them, 4.5% were accustomed to eating vegetables and 123 subjects liked eating meat such as fish and chicken. After measuring their IQ, the researchers found that people with higher IQs at the age of 10 had a 15% increase in IQ after adulthood if they had a diet that favored meat, and those who loved eating vegetables were 10%. IQ increased by an average of 38% after the age.

The scientists suggested that children eat less meat, eat more soy products and dairy products, eat more fruits and vegetables, eat fewer greasy foods, and eat less sweets. Healthy eating habits help improve IQ, especially for children in development.

In fact, diet and intelligence and thinking ability are not new news.

Even if the genetics are exactly the same, the brain's thinking ability will show differences due to differences in physical conditions. The thinking of the brain requires a sustained and stable supply of energy, which requires a stable level of blood sugar; the transmission of signals between the nerve cells of the brain requires the help of neurotransmitters, and the manufacture of neurotransmitters requires related amino acids, and more The B vitamins are involved in the synthesis; the oxygen supply to the brain's nerve cells requires good blood circulation, the blood vessels cannot have stenosis, cirrhosis, and blockage; the brain cells contain large amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids such as DHA, requiring dietary omega-3 fatty acid supply , also need a variety of antioxidant substances to protect it from aging, and so on.

The above-mentioned maintenance work related to brain activity is closely related to people's long-term eating habits. Even when they were young, they took the same three-hour exam. Some people were able to complete the exam from head to toe, and Others felt that it was difficult to concentrate, or they felt mental fatigue when the exam was not completed. These are not so much differences in heritability as the effects of physical conditions.

With age, the influence of diet on thinking ability will be more and more clearly reflected. At the age of 20, people were active in thinking. By the age of 40, some people have been hard to learn new things. By the age of 60, some people have even faced the threat of senile dementia.

The matter is very clear. Good genetics are of course important, and healthy eating habits are vital to people's ability to maximize their brainpower.