Let’s Maintain Brain Health by Consuming Dairy Products
Modern lifestyles combined with unbalanced diets are believed to be closely related to the increasing anxiety experienced by many people in various countries. Why is this phenomenon of anxiety so widespread?
In unraveling this mystery, a team of researchers from the University of California Davis found that low levels of choline in the brain cause anxiety. Choline plays an essential role in the brain and is directly related to mood regulation, thinking, and emotions.
People with anxiety disorders consistently show lower levels of choline in the main areas of the brain that regulate thinking and emotions. These biochemical differences may help explain why the brain reacts more intensely to stress. The results of this study also reveal that nutrition can play a role in restoring the brain’s nutritional balance.
The Importance of Choline
Choline plays a vital role in memory, cell health, and emotions. Choline can be found in various foods, but its primary sources are animal products such as milk, meat, and eggs. However, the mechanism by which choline levels reduce anxiety needs further research.
Stress caused by a challenging modern lifestyle has been proven to be linked to an increased need for choline in the brain. This condition can lower brain nutrient levels, especially in the parts that play a role in responding to stress. However, this finding does not mean that choline deficiency is the only cause of anxiety experienced by many people.
The Importance of Consuming Dairy Products
As explained earlier, dairy products such as milk, meat, and eggs are foods rich in choline, which is essential for health. Naturally, our bodies can only produce very small amounts of choline, so milk, meat, and eggs can be relied upon as sources of choline in our daily diet.
It is common knowledge that both adults and children often do not consume enough nutrients to meet the recommended daily nutritional standards. Improving nutrition can be supported by consuming affordable and easily accessible livestock products. For example, eggs can be relied upon as a source of choline because they are not only high in choline but also a source of omega 3.
It is important to understand that the decrease in brain choline levels, which triggers chemical stress signals, is a complex phenomenon. It is not solely caused by nutritional deficiencies but also involves complex metabolic processes occurring in the brain.
Various studies show that anxiety experienced by a person is not only caused by a lack of choline in their daily diet, but is also determined by genetic factors, life experiences, and brain chemistry.
Nevertheless, balancing one’s diet by consuming milk, meat, and eggs rich in choline, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and various nutrients needed by the brain is essential in maintaining brain health. (IAAS/RWA)
By: Prof Ronny Rachman Noor
Professor of Genetics and Animal Breeding
Faculty of Animal Science, IPB
