TEXTO:
[1] According to a study published in the Journal of
Nutrition, the caffeine in coffee might offer not just a
momentary mental boost but also longer-term effects on
thinking skills.
[5] In the study, researchers compared scores on
various tests of thinking skills and memory with caffeine,
alcohol, and nutrient intake in 727 men and women. The
reason you get a quick wakeup call after chugging a
mug of coffee has to do with the way caffeine tricks your
[10] brain. Not only is caffeine a brain stimulant, but it also
blocks receptors for a chemical called adenosine, which
normally prevents the release of excitatory brain
chemicals. With adenosine out of the way, these
brain-sparking chemicals can flow more freely — giving
[15] you a surge of energy and potentially improving mental
performance and slowing age-related mental decline.
The study showed that people—particularly those
who were ages 70 and over—who took in more caffeine
scored better on tests of mental function, but not on
[20] memory tests or other measures of mental ability.
When it comes to alcohol, its effects on memory
and thinking skills may depend on how they are measured
and how much you’re drinking. In this study, moderate
alcohol use appeared to improve working memory and
[25] attention — especially in women and in those ages 70
and over. But those benefits could come at the expense
of declines in skills like executive function and global
thinking.
Excessive drinking, defined as more than two drinks
[30] a day for men or more than one a day for women, is
known to harm the brain. Over time, excessive drinking
can cause everything from short-term memory lapses to
more permanent problems.
The study also looked at the connection between
[35] diet and mental performance. People who ate foods with
plenty of healthful nutrients had better attention and
memory than participant with poorer diets. A healthy diet
was also linked to good thinking skills in women and
participants under age 70. In particular, foods that are
[40] part of the Mediterranean diet — fruits, vegetables, nuts,
fish, olive oil, and whole grains — show promise for
preserving memory and preventing Alzheimer’s and other
forms of dementia.
WATSON,Women’s health watch.Disponível em: . Acesso em:12 out. 2016.
The study points out that a healthy diet
