Diet Can Exacerbate Spring Fatigue
In early spring, gentle breezes bring warmth, and many people experience lethargy, lack of energy, and listlessness—commonly known as "spring fatigue." Eating more carrots, cabbage, oranges, and other vitamin-rich foods, along with sufficient protein, helps boost energy. However, certain foods can worsen fatigue—these three types should be consumed less:
1. Foods rich in tryptophan. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that promotes serotonin secretion in brain nerve cells. Serotonin inhibits brain activity, so high intake leads to drowsiness and sleepiness. Millet contains the highest level of tryptophan among grains; milk, shiitake mushrooms, sunflower seeds, sea crab, black sesame, soybeans, pumpkin seeds, meat floss, oil tofu, and eggs are also rich in tryptophan.
2. Seafood. These foods, like monosodium glutamate, contain sodium glutamate, which breaks down into glutamic acid during digestion. In brain tissue, glutamic acid converts into δ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)—a neurotransmitter that inhibits neural activity—under the catalysis of vitamin B6-dependent glutamate decarboxylase. Insufficient GABA causes central nervous system overexcitation (e.g., mania or convulsions), but excessive sodium glutamate intake leads to drowsiness.
3. Low-calorie foods. The brain requires ample energy to function normally, relying solely on glucose combustion. Long-term consumption of low-calorie foods (e.g., some diet products) prevents direct glucose intake and impairs gluconeogenesis, leading to insufficient brain energy supply, resulting in fatigue and drowsiness.
Additionally, overeating causes fatigue. After large meals, the gastrointestinal tract increases blood supply for digestion, reducing blood flow to peripheral tissues and the brain. Since the brain cannot store energy, reduced blood flow and oxygen deprivation impair normal brain function, causing drowsiness.