Sam Neill and Dennis the orangutan launch latest Meat and Livestock Australia campaign
Have you seen the new TV campaign starring Sam Neill and Dennis the orangutan? Were you more surprised that the orangutan could ride a bike or that red meat contains critical nutrients that help nourish your brain so that you can think clearly, concentrate, keep alert and stay happy?
While we associate food with what it can do for our bodies, it is equally important to understand which foods contribute to our everyday mental performance. Emerging research suggests food plays a role in keeping our minds healthy and it is foods rich in nutrients that are key. Red meat is one of these key foods, containing five critical nutrients required for healthy brain function: iron; zinc; amino acids, vitamin B12 and omega 3s.
Being low in iron is associated with the physical symptoms of tiredness and lethargy, but increasing evidence suggests that it has impacts on everyday mental performance. Even mild iron deficiency, a common state among Australian women, can adversely affect cognitive performance required in daily activities including memory and mental alertness.
But more than one nutrient is required to nourish our brain, studies looking at the performance of school children found that when their diets were fortified with a range of nutrients (iron, zinc, folate and vitamins B12, B6, AS and C), they showed improvements in verbal learning and memory , even in adequately nourished children.
And foods, such as red meat, may be an effective way of supplying these nutrients. A two-year study compared the effect on cognitive development of Kenyan school children from supplementing their diet with either meat, milk or oil. While all children whose diet was supplemented showed improvements, those supplemented with meat showed significantly greater increases in general problem-solving ability than any other group. The authors concluded that meat provides a more bio-available source of micronutrients.
While the role of food in maintaining physical health is well documented, these studies provide a new and interesting insight into the role food plays for a healthy mind. They suggest that nutrient-rich foods, such as red meat, which provide a number of important nutrients, can help to improve brain function. Combine this with the social aspects of preparing and enjoying a healthy red meat meal with family and friends and food contributes more than just nutrients to the health of our minds.
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