By Laetitia Satam, General Member
I’m sure we’ve all heard the age-old saying that “You are what you eat”. Turns out this is true!
What you eat can impact various aspects of your physical and mental health, and this includes your brain health. Your diet can influence how you feel, and your mood, and even change your gut-microbiome to affect your mental health. If diet can affect your brain in so many different ways, how do you know what to eat?
It turns out that eating to support your brain health is eating a diet that supports your overall health, and no, there is no magic pill that can supplement a full healthy diet or magically improve your brain health. Harvard Medical School (2021) recommends eating a diet full of green, leafy vegetables, fatty fish, berries, walnuts, and tea and coffee. These specific recommendations are backed by science, with these foods containing specific nutrients that especially help power your brain. Even outside of brain health, this is an extremely healthy and balanced diet for your overall health. It has healthy fats, fibre, and protein! Fatty fish are recommended here for two major reasons: the presence of omega-3 fatty acids and the general phospholipid content. omega-3 fatty acids are crucial for maintaining the structure and function of brain cell membranes. They also possess anti-inflammatory properties, which can help protect the brain from oxidative stress and age-related cognitive decline. Phospholipids, such as phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine, are integral components of cell membranes and are crucial for signal transmission between brain cells. Other dietary sources include eggs, soybeans, and organic meats. Another recommendation is that it is always best to spread your healthy choices out over the day if you can, as opposed to eating all at one meal. So while a salad topped with salmon and walnuts with a cup of berries and tea on the side might be a great (and delicious!) dinner for one night, if you split up when you eat these different foods you can feel satisfied all day long, and incorporate some more variety.
Now if you’re a student maybe you want to optimize your brain health during all those long study sessions. In a world that seems increasingly anti-carbohydrate, it might be surprising to learn glucose is the brain’s preferred source of energy. The brain is so demanding of glucose, a simple monosaccharide sugar, that it is responsible for half using almost half of all the sugar in the body, and up to 20% of your total daily energy expenditure (Edwards 2016). The tea, coffee, and fresh produce mentioned above can be especially useful here due to the presence of polyphenols. Polyphenols are plant compounds. I also recommend tea, coffee, and fresh produce due to the presence of antioxidants and phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are plant compounds that exhibit neuroprotective effects by reducing inflammation, enhancing blood flow to the brain, and promoting the formation of new neurons. So, when you’re studying and before reaching for an easy snack like a doughnut, remember that the type of carbohydrates you consume matters a lot as well. You want to pick options that are rich in fibre, such as whole wheat bread, or sourdough for gut health!
But why am I talking about gut health in a blog post about brain health? Let me introduce to you: the brain-gut connection! If you’ve ever felt tired or lethargic after a big dinner, you know there is no denying that what you eat has a huge impact on your brain and how you feel. And it goes beyond that, on a microscopic level. In your large intestine, you host billions of bacteria and microbes, all of which are working to break down anything that enters the large intestine. That can include things like fibre, especially since your small intestine is unable to digest fibre. The gut microbiome synthesizes short-chain fatty acids which can then move through your gastrointestinal tract, and are even responsible for synthesizing some vitamins like vitamin K. Two terms people often use when discussing their gut microbiome are prebiotics and probiotics. Prebiotics are the dietary fibres we just discussed, it is food for your pre-existing gut flora. Probiotics, which are found in fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, and even sourdough bread are when you introduce new organisms into your gut microbiome, so they can join the party! But how do these little critters influence your mood? Studies have found that some patients with mood and anxiety disorders have low levels of diversity in their gut microbiome. This may mean they are not eating healthy gut healthy foods, or that they eat a diet with little variety so only not as many different types of organisms can survive. Current research also explores how changing the gut microbiome can change mental health outcomes!
Finally, I want to end off with a reminder to fuel your body in a way that is meaningful to you. As we discuss brain health, it is impossible to not mention your mental health as well. Food is so much more than a vesicle of nutrients, it is something that brings together people and cultures. Make sure to enjoy everything you want in a balanced way, and eat foods that make you feel good. Everyone’s needs and bodies are different, so don’t be afraid to experiment and find out what your optimal diet is! These tips support and supplement what works best for you, your brain, body, and lifestyle!
References
Edwards, S. (2016). Sugar and the Brain. Hms.harvard.edu.
https://hms.harvard.edu/news-events/publications-archive/brain/sugar-brain#:~:text=Brai
n%20functions%20such%20as%20thinking
Harvard Medical School. (2021, March 6). Foods linked to better brainpower. Harvard Health.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/foods-linked-to-better-brainpower