https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/society/general-news/20220215-12383/

Sota Fujii eats for lunch and "wins all the games," a food that is too unexpected...!

But there is no need to be pessimistic. With the help of today's stars and celebrities, we can surely break through the "blur barrier.

Aggressive Selection of Local Cuisine

There have been many incredibly strong professionals like Zenji Hanyu, but I think Rokugan Fujii has something that surpasses even them," said Nobuo Mori, a professional Go player known as the mentor of the late Sei Murayama. 　On March 19, he became the youngest player in history to win the Sixth Crown by winning the "Kiou-sen," one of the eight major Shogi titles. 　On April 5, the Meijin Tournament will begin, and he is expected to be crowned as the winner of the seventh title in the near future. 　Not to be outdone by the heated battles between prodigies, the "Meishin" that attracts public attention every time a title game is held is the "Kachimeshi. It has become such a big news that all the media outlets are reporting on what Fujii ate at the time of the game. 　This cannot be underestimated as a mere incident. An analysis of Fujii's meals during title games reveals that they are beneficial to the brain.

Sota Fujii drinks a lot of coffee, but ......

For example, let's take a look at the meal he ordered on March 19, the day he won the Ki-o title. 　Morning snack: - Iced coffee - "Kinu no Seiryu" (a famous confectionery from Nikko, Tochigi, where the hotel where he played is located) <Lunch> - Kanuma chives with egg and pressed sushi with yashio trout <Afternoon snack> - Orange juice - Iced lemon tea Fujii is an extremely frequent drinker of iced coffee. This year, he has ordered iced coffee for 12 of the 16 games in which he took a snack in the morning. And coffee helps prevent dementia. 　According to a study published in '09 by a Finnish university and a Swedish research institute, people who drink three to five cups of coffee a day have about 60% less risk of developing Alzheimer's disease than those who did not drink at all. 　Caffeine has been reported to promote the removal of amyloid-β, a substance that causes dementia," said Yasuhiro Sonoda, director of Tokyo Memory Clinic Kamata.

Local specialties are also effective in preventing dementia!

As can be inferred from its name, the "Kanuma chives with egg and pressed sushi with yashio trout" for lunch is a dish using local ingredients. 　In many cases, prestigious local hotels and traditional Japanese inns are used as venues for title tournaments for the purpose of promoting Shogi and other activities. 　Regardless of the venue, many professionals eat light meals such as soba or udon at title tournaments. Among them, I have the impression that Ryuoh Fujii is very active in eating local specialties," said Mr. Teru Ogasawara, a Shogi-meshi (Japanese chess) researcher. He was a man who liked to eat local specialties from each region. This preference for regional specialties also has a brain-effecting element. 　Takeshi Nishi, a brain scientist and author of "What People Who Are 80 Do When Their Brains Aren't Aging," says, "Locally grown food is fresher and more delicious. 　Locally grown food is more likely to be fresh, so it is better suited to prevent dementia in that it is 'unoxidized. 　Conversely, if you eat oxidized foods, your blood is also more likely to be oxidized, increasing the risk of blood vessel rusting. This is not recommended because of the risk of leading to atherosclerosis, which increases the risk of cerebrovascular dementia." There are some concerns about the afternoon snack (orange juice and iced lemon tea) as well. Basically, other professionals eat snacks paired with drinks, but Fujii asks for two drinks without snacks. This year, he chose "2 drinks without snacks" in 9 out of 16 games where there was an afternoon snack. In addition, the pattern is often that both drinks ordered are citrus-based.

Lunch curry is "all win

Dr. Hidetoshi Endo, a dementia specialist, says, "People who frequently consume citrus fruits are less likely to develop dementia. 　The component in citrus fruits called nobiletin is known to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. However, grapefruit must be consumed with caution, as it may cause life-threatening side effects if taken together with antihypertensive Ca channel blockers. 　This is not the only hidden tendency in Fujii's winning meals. The winning percentage is unusually high when he eats curry. When Fujii plays games in eastern Japan and chooses curry for lunch, his winning rate is 100% (20 wins in 20 games). 　The spice used in curry, turmeric, contains an ingredient called curcumin. Curcumin prevents the aggregation of amyloid-β. In a study of elderly people living in Singapore, it was reported that those who ate curry at least once a month had half the risk of developing dementia compared to those who did not eat curry at all.

Activating the Brain with Food

Another characteristic of Fujii's staple diet is that there is no bias in his winning meals. Some professionals eat a certain dish before a game as a good luck charm, but this is not the case with Fujii. 　In an interview in March, Fujii said, "I choose what I want to eat according to my mood. In fact, this attitude is what helps the brain. Dr. Ayumi Okumura, neurosurgeon and chairman of the Okumura Memory Clinic, explains. 　The purpose of eating is not only to get nutrients. If we become stuck in a rut of eating the same foods all the time, the brain loses its stimulation. The act of eating whenever you find something that interests you stimulates your intellectual curiosity and activates your brain.

From the April 1 and 8, 2023 issues of Weekly Gendai

Source: https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/b23951a461713aaf7c03609005cfc87668956d40?