Matter in the Mind

Imagine that you are about to take your examination in Chemistry. You are confident that it will be a cinch since you know that you have studied well. Seated calmly on your chair, you received your examination paper. You then start to answer the first few questions. It was a breeze. After a while, you stumbled upon a question that was not so familiar. You can’t remember the answer! You struggled to think harder to remember the answer…
Thinking is always associated with the brain. Other than thinking, the brain also serves as the processor of all stimuli. When your hand touches a hot surface, the brain immediately tells your hand to remove it from that surface. The brain is also responsible for the bodily changes in you as you go through the adolescence stage. Also, when you find yourself in danger, the brain stimulates chemicals that will enable you to fight or flee.
Keeping the periodic table in mind
For the brain to properly function, there are some nutritional requirements that have to be met.
Sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium (groups IA and IIA elements) are important for sending messages to the brain. Iodine, a halogen, is needed for brain maturation, especially among newborns. The brain also needs transition metals such as iron, zinc copper and manganese. Iron found in hemoglobin, is responsible for oxygenating the different cells in the body, including the brain. Zinc is important in many chemical reactions in the brain that are related to behavior. Excess or deficiency of copper and manganese were found to be related to the deterioration of mental functioning.
Elements that are toxic to the brain include mercury and lead. Mercury poisoning has been a problem for a long time. It becomes even more poisonous in its organo-metallic form (such as methyl mercury). Lead has been removed from commercial gasoline because exhausts produced by gasoline-run vehicles pose health risks.
Neurotransmitter: The right chemistry
Neurotransmitters are another set of important chemicals in the brain. They transmit impulses across a synapse. Most of them are made from the same building blocks as protein – amino acids. Before neurotransmitters can be produced, vitamins and minerals are needed. Examples of neurotransmitters include serotonin, norepinephrine and acetylcholine.
Serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps us calm down, is produced using the amino acid tryptophan. Pasta and oatmeal, foods rich in carbohydrates, are good sources of tryptophan. This means that people who are easily agitated can be helped by a high carbohydrate diet. On the other hand, overproduction of serotonin is associated with depression. Prozac, a common antidepressant, is the first drug that regulates the production of serotonin.
Norepinephrine, is derived from the amino acid tyrosine. Tyrosine is present in high protein meals. Norepinephrine has a stimulating effect to the brain. Thus, a sleepy person t would benefit from a high protein diet, excluding the carbohydrates.
Acetylcholine is produced by the vitamin choline. A good source of choline is egg yolk. This neurotransmitter can help people who are under great stress.
As in other systems, a balance of these neurotransmitters is ideal. Too much or too little of one may lead to a person being too excited or to sluggish.
The brain and disorders
Studies have shown that learning disabilities in children are related to the malfunctioning of the brain. The cause of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), whose symptoms include inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity, is still vague but scientists agree that it is due to some wiring glitch in the brain. Several theories as to its cause have led to a dead end, but others have given scientists a ray of hope to pinpoint the possible cause.
Dyslexia, a reading disorder, is caused by a glitch in the neurological wiring of the brain. Here, the brain finds it difficult to decipher a written word because for a dyslexic, the letters appear to be jumbled.
Another disorder that is slowly unfolding is autism; an abnormality in brain functioning that impairs social communications and interaction. Its cause is still totally unknown to neurologists. Rain scans of autistic children show that the amygdala, the area of the brain responsible for social behavior, is oversized for their age.
The brain does a tremendous amount of processes, both known and unknown to scientists. Thus, it is but imperative to take good care of it. Despite the mysteries that it still hides, science has progressed to uncover others that have been helpful to man in understanding behavior and learning difficulties.
Going back to the question you failed to answer immediately, you decided to skip it first and proceed to the next ones. As you were answering the last few questions, you realized that you remembered the answer to the previous question without really thinking about it. It’s really amazing and puzzling, how the brain works.
James L. Lactao