Nutrition and Brain Health

Overview

In my last post, I am going to talk about the relationship between nutrition and brain health. Nutrition and cognitive health, essential Ingredients for brain, foods for improving brain function and unhealthy foods for brain are the topics that I will be covering during this post. Although everyone generally knows that healthy diet is crucial for better health of our most complex organ, brain, importance of some nutrition and how they boost the brain is something beneficial yet to be known and studied.

Nutrition and Cognitive Health:

There is a direct relationship between the foods we eat and the functioning of our brains. Proper, healthy nutrition can benefit the brain in several positive ways. A healthy diet can increase the production of new neurons (neurogenesis) in hippocampus and increase the level of a special brain factor called BDNF (Brain-derived neurotrophic factor) which protect neurons from death, increase neurogenesis, and improve our cognitive abilities. The things we eat can also affect the synaptic plasticity of the brain which is simply a measure of the number of connections between neurons. The more the connections between neurons the better they can communicate, and the better we can think, and memorize. Generally, it has long been known that the relative abundance of specific nutrients can affect cognitive processes and that dietary factors can influence specific molecular systems and mechanisms that maintain a better mental function.

Essential Ingredients for Brain:

Our brain is greatly fueled by energy that comes from carbohydrates. These are considered healthy carb sources and are broken down by the body into glucose and used by our brain as energy, so without an adequate intake, the brain cannot function correctly and one may experience brain ‘fog’, lack of focus and irritability. This Glucose also plays an important role in relieving anxiety and depression by helping in production of serotonin which is responsible for balancing our mood. Some special fats (foundational fats) are also imperative for the function of neurons. Omega-3 fats are essential for brain development in the womb and early childhood. The majority of brain cells are developed before birth, with the remaining being laid down in the first year of life. Accordingly, it is important to include sources of omega-3 fats during pregnancy and early childhood. Some studies show eating a plentiful amount may be associated with a reduction in the development and progression of dementia. However, larger studies are needed before we can determine the exact relationship between fat intake and cognitive health. Vitamins including B, C, D and E can also lower the risk of developing cognitive problems. Vitamin B1 and vitamin E are important for cells that transmit messages from the nerves, whilst B6, B12 and vitamin C play an important role in how the nerves work and are formed. Probiotics are other beneficial gut bacteria responsible for health of our gut and the function of our brains. It is believed that probiotics change the processing of information in the gut that is strongly linked to anxiety and depression. Lastly, Caffeine which is widely accepted to be one of the most commonly used psychoactive substance worldwide, in small doses, is a performance-enhancing substance, acting on the central nervous system to delay tiredness and increase alertness. The caffeine found in tea may be beneficial for cognition in older adults, but may be problematic for those who have trouble sleeping.

Foods for Improving Brain Function:

The followings are the list of foods that researches have shown to be effective in brain health and improvement, most of which include the key ingredients mentioned above.

• Green, leafy vegetables: Some vegetables such as kale, spinach, collards and broccoli are rich in brain-healthy nutrients like vitamin K and lutein.

• Fatty fish: Salmon, trout and sardines, are full of omega-3 fatty acids, major building blocks of the brain, so they play a powerful role in sharpening memory and improving mood, as well as protecting the brain against decline.

• Berries: They contain flavonoids, the natural plant pigments that give berries their brilliant hue. These help improve memory.

• Nuts: Nuts are also high in omega 3 fatty acids, specifically alpha linoleic acid, which also help with improving memory.

• Turmeric: Its active compound curcumin have strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits, which is helpful for the brain.

• Dark chocolates: Dark chocolates and cocoa powder are packed with brain-boosting compounds, including flavonoids, caffeine and antioxidants.

Unhealthy Foods for Brain:

On the other hand, there are some foods that might raise the risk for mood or memory problems, especially as one gets older. The followings are the list for adverse foods for brain and brief explanation why they are considered worst.

• Margarine and Frosting: These foods, along with many packaged snack foods, are high in trans fats which are not good for blood vessels. Even a study from the journal Neurology found that older adults who had the highest levels of elaidic acid (a common type of trans fat) in their blood were the most more likely to develop dementia.

• Alcohol: Alcohol directly affects the brain’s communication pathways and more drinking is linked to more difficulty to process new information or remember things.

• Soda and Other Sugary Drinks: Researches have found that people who drink a lot of soda, sweet tea, and other sugary beverages are a lot more likely to have memory trouble.

• Fried Foods: This will contain potato chips, French fries and other fried products. A research has shown people who eat a lot of fried foods tend to fare worse on tests that measure their thinking skills.

• Red Meat: It’s high in saturated fat, which is bad for heart as well as brain.

• Doughnuts: Both fried and loaded with sugar, a bad combo when it comes to brain health.

• Butter and Full-Fat Cheese: These dairy products are full of saturated fat and for a healthier choice low-fat dairy must be generally considered.

Adding Up

Maintaining health of our brain, one of the most important organs, requires carefulness when choosing what to eat, since our diet can have a huge impact on brain health. In this day and age, there are tons of information about what you should be eating and what food items are deemed good or bad. Thus, it can be difficult to sort through all the noise and identify what are myths or facts. Moreover, when it comes to brain there are many advertisements and ‘diet programs’ presenting “super foods” and “brain foods.” Keeping your brain healthy is not easy as it may seem.