Peeling apples good for the brain

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Peeling apples good for the brainTSUKUBA, Ibaraki -- Peeling apples helps activate the brain, according to an experiment conducted by a governmental research institute.Cutting the skin of the fruit apparently stimulates part of the frontal lobe that controls logical thinking, imagination and judgment.Researchers at the Tsukuba-based National Food Research Institute said the complicated actions of controlling a dangerous knife while moving the apple stimulates the prefrontal cortex."It's impossible to immediately conclude that if you peel apples, it will improve your brain's functions. However, you should peel fruits and vegetables rather than buying already peeled ones, and cook food rather than buying cooked food so as to better use your brains," Ippeita Dan, one of the researchers, said.In the experiment, the research team used infrared rays to gauge the amount of blood flow in the brains of 14 people aged between 23 and 52 while they were peeling apples.The experiment results have shown that the volume of blood flow in their prefrontal cortex sharply increased when they were peeling apples.After analyzing the results of the experiment, the research team concluded that simultaneously taking two complicated actions of skillfully operating a dangerous knife and peeling apples while moving the fruits activated the working memory of the prefrontal cortex.The prefrontal cortex, part of frontal lobe, is situated just below the forehead, and controls emotion, memory, and such high-level activities as calculation. Numerous researchers have pointed to the causal relationship between its functions and senility as well as the behavior of bad-tempered children. (Mainichi Shimbun, Japan, Jan. 3, 2004)http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/news/20040103p2a00m0dm013000c.html