Sweets for the Smart

Foraging made easy!       (Photo by Steve Hopson)

Have you heard that salads are good for you?  If we’re anything like primates, perhaps they’re not.

According to a study by lead author Alex DeCasien, there is a significant relationship between foraging and brain size.  Primates that forage primarily on leaves may find themselves “lying around for hours with their energy focused on digestion.”  Those who instead favor fruit “get a jolt of calories and denser amounts of nutrients, which benefit the brain more than any other body part.”

So grab an extra banana on your way out the door.  Who knows?  That might help to fire up some brain cells.  And candy?  It might provide the jolt, but not the nutrients.  Better to stick with fruit.     

Resources

http://www.scienceworldreport.com/articles/58077/20170329/primate-brain-sizes-proportional-fruit-intake-study-shows.htm

Copyright March 29, 2017 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved