When it comes to diet, most people’s concerns involve weight loss, fitness, heart health,
and longevity. But what we eat affects more than our bodies ; it also affects our brains.
Hi viewers and welcome back to another Bestie video!
Most people probably don’t equate a healthy diet with a good mood or better memory. But,
like an expensive car, our brains require premium fuel to function at its best. This
includes managing our emotions and mood disorders. The old saying “You are what you eat”
certainly applies when it comes to the brain. There are so many foods that promote a healthy
brain and many that can actually damage it’s performance. In today’s video, we will tell
you how different foods affect your brain function. From processed food, carbohydrates,
fats, sugar to caffeine and more, watch till the end to learn about all of them.
Processed and Junk Food:
Gets You High: The brain has a reward system that hardwires us to engage in behaviours
we find pleasurable – like eating tasty food. When we eat junk the reward circuits
activate and release the chemical dopamine.
Our brains can become overwhelmed by the pleasure from these rewarding foods and in response,
the brain adapts and makes more receptors for dopamine. This means a greater amount
of junk food is needed to get the same “kick”, making us eat more. This is the same way that
an addict develops a tolerance to drugs. So, our brains seek out and want rewarding foods,
making us crave sweet and fatty foods.
What is that one junk food you can’t resist? Tell us quickly down below in the comments
section!
Causes Brain Inflammation: Junk food is highly refined and contains very high levels of sugars
and fats, more than many natural foods. In the same way allergies can inflame your mouth;
junk food can cause a similar reaction in the brain.
This is called neuroinflammation, and it sets off a self-perpetuating series of events leading
to more inflammation that can damage brain cells called neurons. Researchers found that
as little as five days on a diet of junk foods caused increased levels of inflammation in
the hippocampus. People with damage to the hippocampus report being hungry all the time.
The hippocampus receives fullness messages from the gut. So eating junk can create a
vicious cycle of damage to the hippocampus, and wanting to eat more.
Shrinks the brain’s learning capabilities: As mentioned earlier, the hippocampus is the
memory centre of the brain. Researchers have found that people who eat lots of junk food
don’t perform as well as those who eat healthy in simple memory tests.
Our experiences are stored as memories, which are formed in the brain through connections
between neurons. These are constantly being reorganized in response to the environment.
This process can be described by the term neuroplasticity – or “neurons that fire
together, wire together”. Junk food laden diets have been shown to reduce neuroplasticity
– which is essential for us to form new memories and learn new things rapidly.
2. Mediterranean Diet: The Mediterranean diet is one of the planet’s healthiest options.
This diet can reduce heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic diseases, including dementia.
Studies show that even a lax approach to the Mediterranean diet can show improvements in
executive function and memory, and a lower rate of cognitive decline. It has also been
shown to lower brain disease risk factors, diabetes, and stroke. Achieving a healthier
brain and reducing your risk of developing dementia can be as straightforward as adopting
a healthier lifestyle, including the mediterranean diet.
Key ingredients of Mediterranean cuisine include plant-sourced oils such as olive, avocado,
sunflower, or canola oil; fresh fruits and vegetables; nuts and seeds and protein-rich
legumes. It also has fiber-rich whole grains, nuts, and seeds; and modest amounts of seafood
like omega-3-rich fish, shrimp, scallops and lean meats like poultry, pork, or beef. Dairy
products like aged cheese, yogurt, and low-fat milk are also an integral part of this diet.
You can also make wine, maximum one glass per day for women, one to 2 glasses per day
for men as a part of this diet.
3. Carbohydrates: The brain accounts for about 2% of our body weight, but consumes almost
20% of glucose-derived energy. This means that nutrition is key for brain function.
Glucose forms the building blocks of carbohydrates and plays a role in the production of serotonin.
Serotonin is a chemical responsible for balancing mood and anxiety. The greatest source of energy
comes from carbohydrates such as wholegrains, vegetables, fruit, rice, potatoes and lactose.
These are considered healthy sources of carbohydrates that are broken down by the body into glucose
and then used by your brain to function. Without an adequate supply of glucose, the brain cannot
function correctly.
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4. Vitamins and Minerals: Vitamin B, C, D & E plus magnesium are all essential in brain
health and development. Research shows that a diet rich in vitamins and minerals from
fruit and vegetables is associated with a lower risk of cognitive problems during aging.
Thiamine and vitamin E in particular are important for cells that transmit messages from the
nerves, while B6, B12 and vitamin C play an important role in how the nerves work and
are formed. Magnesium, which is found in avocados, spinach, brown rice and nuts, improves neural
plasticity, meaning the nerves are able to adapt and avoid damage. As a result, it may
improve memory, help fight stress and depression and play a crucial role in the production
of energy and neurotransmitters.
Vitamins and minerals are also associated with lower risk of developing cognitive deficits.
The B vitamins and vitamins E, C, and D all play important roles in maintaining normal
brain function. Members of the B and C vitamin family also are essential to energy production
in the brain.
5. Fats: Specific fats are very important to the brain as they are a key component in
the structure of cell membranes. They also play a key role in the structure and function
of neurons. Approximately 60% of the brain is made up of omega-3 fats found in fish responsible
for eye and mental development. Omega-3 fats found in olive oil and oily fish like salmon,
herring and sardines 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.
For this reason, omega-3 fats are key during pregnancy and early childhood. There is also
evidence to suggest dietary deficiency in omega-3s can have an adverse effect on cognition.
Also, a high intake of these fats can reduce the development and progression of dementia.
6. Sugar: When you need your brain working 100%, avoid overindulging in sugar. Your brain
strongly depends on your blood sugar levels, since glucose is normally the main fuel. While
too much sugar does not harm your brain directly, it releases high levels of insulin. Insulin
affects the access of different amino acids to your brain and blocks the transport of
most amino acids, except a compound called tryptophan.
This compound passes the blood-brain barrier and gets transformed into serotonin and melatonin—the
sleep hormone. This is why sugary foods can literally put you in a carb coma.
There are many reasons why you should give up on sugar. Learn more about what they are
by watching “13 Reasons Why Sugar Is Very Bad For You”
Now, back to How Different Foods Affect Your Brain
7. Probiotics: Probiotics are the bacteria that live in your gut and keep your body healthy.
They are the key to maintaining balance between good and bad bacteria. Our brains consistently
communicate with our stomach. For example, your stomach sends a signal to the brain to
help you know when to eat. The stomach also communicates with your brain when you’re
sick and need to go to the doctor. It’s important to maintain your probiotics as the
good bacteria will fight disease and keep you healthy all day long.
Think about it: when your body undergoes stress, your brain sends messages to your gut. This
explains why you might end up with an upset stomach or have digestive problems when you’re
feeling ill.
Many of the same chemicals in the brain like dopamine and serotonin are also found in your
stomach. These chemicals influence how you feel and can impact your overall mood.
For this reason, many experts see the enteric nervous system or ENS as a “second brain”.
The ENS system is a lining of nerves that controls your digestive system and talks to
your brain whenever you’re bloating or have an upset stomach.
8. Caffeine: Caffeine is widely accepted to be one of the most commonly used psychoactive
substances worldwide. It is found in a wide variety of foods and drinks. In small doses
it 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.
Studies have reported better cognitive function amongst tea and coffee drinkers for years.
Caffeine has consistently been associated with a lower risk of Parkinson’s disease,
depression and cognitive disorders for Alzheimer’s disease.
Apart from eating the right types of foods and avoiding the bad ones for good brain health,
there are other things you can do to keep your brain in top shape . The most important
ones being reducing stress and anxiety. Learn more by watching:
Reduce Stress & Anxiety By Training Your Brain Not To Worry
Or
9 Natural Ways To Relieve Stress and Anxiety
So go ahead and watch one or both videos if you want to get better at handling stress
and anxiety. Which harmful brain food would you give up completely? Let us know in the
comments section below!