How to Optimize your Brain Through Nutrition

Most people associate diet and nutrition with weight loss and keeping your body healthy. However, diet has just as much influence on how well the brain functions. The brain is the most important organ in the body, it’s the control center. What we put into our body directly effects our ability to retain and process information. With class recently starting up I wanted to take a deeper look into what foods we should stay away from and what foods we should be consuming to tap into our brains true potential.

Before I dive into what we should eat to help our brain flourish, let’s look at the foods that have a negative impact on our cognitive ability. High fructose corn syrup has a reputation linked to obesity, diabetes and heart disease, but what about its effects on the brain? A study done by UCLA found that a diet high in high fructose corn syrup had a significant impact on the subject’s memory and ability to learn. A diet high hydrogenated oils and refined carbohydrates may also be detrimental to brain health. A study done by Beilharz and colleagues found that just 1-3 days of a diet rich in unhealthy fats and carbs such as white bread, pasta and cereal caused slight inflammation of the hippocampus (the area of the brain that is responsible for memory). Inflammation of the hippocampus can lead various cognitive issues such as memory deficits.

Getting the most out of your brain and staying away from unhealthy food is integral, however, it’s also critical to consume specific nutrients that protect and improve our cognitive function. There are certain nutrients that I found to be exceptional for this. Docosahexaenoic acid, otherwise known as DHA, is an omega-3 fatty acid that protects the brain from cognitive decline and inflammation. DHA is abundant in many fatty fish, eggs, nuts, and chia seeds. Flavonoids have also been shown to have some serious benefit to improving brain health. Flavonoids are a neuroprotective compound that enhance memory, learning and cognition. They have also been shown to promote new nerve cell growth in the hippocampus, this will result in sharper memory and focus. Flavonoids work by eliminating free radicals that are responsible for causing cognitive decline. Foods that contain high levels flavonoids include blueberries, dark chocolate, red wine and green tea.

I find it fascinating how we can optimize our brain simply through nutrition. i've gone through periods in my life where I've teeter tottered from having an ok diet to one thats full of clean nutrient rich foods. My food choices this year compared to last year is considerably improved and I've notice a significant difference. I’m able to process and retain information regarding school better than ever. I’ve experimented with many different “cognitive enhancing supplements” and I can honestly say there is no better way to improve cognition than a diet chock full of nutrient dense foods. I challenge everybody that reads this to add some of these brain power foods to your diet to see how much better your brain operates.

Sources

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4555146/pdf/nutrients-07-05307.pdf

Flavonoids. (2019, August 5). Retrieved from https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/dietary-factors/phytochemicals/flavonoids

News Releases. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.uclahealth.org/high-fructose-diet-sabotages-learning-memory

Pearson, K. (2017, December 5). How Omega-3 Fish Oil Affects Your Brain and Mental Health. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/omega-3-fish-oil-for-brain-health