There are various foods that provoke the release of serotonin,
dopamine, and opioids. Some interfere with the processes (i.e. caffeine)
while others promote or enact the production of such compounds.
An apple is one of the best foods in the world. Researchers publish their
results of the recent study done at the Society of Neuroscience in Atlanta
on apples. Queretin is an antioxidant found in apple and the researchers
G. Bureau and M. Martinoli from the University of Quebec a Trois-Rivieres
discovered that the compound helped to reduce cellular death caused by oxidation
and inflammation of neurons. Eric Eric Gershwin, M.D., with the University
of California supported this finding when he published in the May 2006 issue
of Experimental Biology and Medicine which discussed a way in which flavonoid-rich
apples and apple juice protect cells from damage. The researchers first
exposed the humans cells to a apple mash a various varieties and then exposed
cells to a tumor necrosis factor (TNF), a protein-like compound found in
the body that usually triggers cell death and promotes inflammation. Their
findings were that the apple extract helped to form a barrier that protected
the cells from the normally lethal dose of tumor necrosis factor. Apple
juice helps to boost neurological health by increasing the production of
acetylcholine which is an essential neurotransmitter in the brain. This
was supported by the findings of a study from the University of Massachusetts
Lowell (UML), published in the August 2006 Journal of Alzheimer's disease.
Green Tea is also one of the foods
found to promote neurological health. Green Tea contains substances called
polyphenols, especially catechins. These may help protect against neurodegenerative
diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Drinking two cups of green
tea daily may help reduce your risk of cognitive decline by 54 percent,
suggests a study of 1,003 Japanese men and women published in the American
Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Even a cup a day can reduce the risk by 38
percent.