The brain ... the great gourmand

The brain ... the great gourmand
Maestro. Hugo A. Contreras Avendaño
Collaboration for the weekly "News Item"

It is very likely that, like me, you happen to when night you feel extremely tired despite not having made a remarkable physical effort.

While we can understand that the workloads tire a person, I wanted to investigate why a person feels tired, as if she had run a marathon, even though his work was perhaps more of a concentration of an intellectual .

While I found myself with the need to be adequately hydrated-topic board on another occasion I found interesting information I share in this column because it could help solve some of the problems of fatigue or chronic fatigue.

I'm no doctor, I clarify. But I gave myself the task of retroalimentarme with medical professionals and found information that serves to everyday life.

The brain contains a huge number of neurons, more than 50 billion!. These cells are active both day and night. Therefore require a continuous supply of energy and high. It is noteworthy that the brain represents only 2% of total body mass, requires 20% of all energy in our body at rest. Glucose uptake by the brain is about 120 grams per day (about 24 teaspoons of honey, as an example).

It should be noted that glucose is the only fuel that can be used neurons. The brain is almost totally dependent on their continued contribution by blood circulation.

Exists in the brain (hypothalamus) sensors that capture fluctuations in blood glucose. When this down, a condition known as hypoglycemia, a hormone released that favor the production of glucose by the liver, where glucose is stored as glycogen. So at night when we do not eat, the glucose is permanently stable.

Glucose to the brain, from the food we eat. This is important for an adequate supply of carbohydrates (bread, cereal, fruits, rice, noodles) in food. A portion of the glucose was used as immediate energy, and the rest is stored as glycogen in the liver and muscle. Each glycogen molecule contains tens of thousands of glucose molecules.

During periods of fasting between meals and other glucose comes from the reserves of glycogen that is stored in the liver. When glycogen stores are depleted, the liver can produce glucose from protein and fat. The perpetrators of these adjustments, are chemicals that are released into the blood when glucose levels drop. These hormones include glucagon, adrenaline, cortisol and growth hormone.

At cerebral level, when the glucose falls, this body adjusts to reduce consumption, reducing their metabolism. This leads to a slowing of certain brain functions, where learning ability is the first to be affected.

But glucose is not only important for good brain function. So are a number of other nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids (omega 3 and omega 6), which are the raw material for the repair of damaged structures of neurons and the manufacture of chemicals (neurotransmitters) These perform the functions of the brain, including memory, learning ability, problem solving and even emotional state.

With all this I tell you, it's worth that you go regularly to a doctor or a professional nutritionist.

Do not abuse the long periods without eating food. Hence the recommendation to eat a healthy portion at least every four hours.

The next time you feel tired, analyzes that You provided many nutrients to your brain. We get very little attention, but as time, never rests so you need to be fed continuously. Take care of him.