Marmite may help stave off dementia – and boost brain power
Love it or hate it, eating a spoonful of the popular bitter breakfast spread every day can do a lot of good for your neurological health.
According to new research, Marmite has a calming effect on the brain. The spread contains a much higher level of vitamin B12 than other breakfast spreads – about 100 times more than peanut butter – which fuels the production of the neurotransmitter gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA).
“We wanted to find a food that boosts the brain’s main neurotransmitter. Deficiencies in it have been linked with a host of neurological disorders,” paper senior author Dr. Daniel Baker told the Daily Mail. Some of the disorders linked with GABA levels include Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
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The brain activity of 28 men and women were tracked by EEG scans with the test subjects looking at flickering patterns on a computer screen. After just one month of eating a teaspoon of the spread every day, patients had a 30 per cent decrease in response to the visual stimuli as opposed to those who had peanut butter. The decrease is a good thing as it’s a sign of a healthy brain that isn’t hyperactive.
This is also the first time that dietary changes have been proved to affect GABA levels.
“This is a really promising first example of how dietary interventions can alter cortical processes and a great starting point for exploring whether a more refined version of this technique could have some medical or therapeutic applications in the future,” said first author Anika Smith.
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The researchers are hoping to use their findings to study patients with brain disorders to see what effect eating Marmite has on their condition.
Marmite lovers, carry on. Marmite haters — it might be time to embrace the bitter, salty, smelly spread.
What do you think of Marmite? Let us know by tweeting @YahooStyleCA.
