We know that the foods we eat affect the body. But they may have
even more of an influence on how the brain works—its general tone
and level of energy and how it handles tasks. Mood, motivation and mental
performance are powerfully influenced by diet.
The brain is an extremely metabolically active organ, making it a
very hungry one, and a picky eater at that. It’s becoming pretty
clear in research labs that the right food, or the natural neurochemicals
that they contain, can enhance mental capabilities—help people
concentrate, tune sensorimotor skills, keep us motivated, magnify memory,
speed reaction times, defuse stress, perhaps even prevent brain
aging.
The Right Fats Evidence is accumulating that a diet that draws
heavily on fatty food and only lightly on fruits and vegetables
isn’t just bad for your heart and linked to certain cancers, it may
also be a major cause of depression and aggression. Such a diet is
particularly common among men.
The health of your brain depends not only on how much (or little)
fat you eat but on what kind of fat. Intellectual performance requires
the specific type of fat found most commonly in fish, known as omega-3
fatty acids. Even diets that adhere to commonly recommended levels of
fats, but the wrong kind, can undermine intelligence. What makes this
finding awkward is that certain oils widely touted as healthy for the
heart are especially troublesome for the mind.
Omega-3s are known to be particularly crucial constituents of the
outer membrane of brain cells. It is through the fat-rich cell membrane
that all nerve signals must pass—think of it as a kind of
gatekeeper of the mind.
In addition, as learning and memory forge new connections between
nerve cells, new membranes must be formed to sheathe them. All brain cell
membranes continuously need to refresh themselves with a new supply of
fatty acids. A growing amount of research suggests that the omega-3s are
best suited for optimal brain function.
Yet, here is one of the central ironies of the American diet: While
consuming too much fat overall and too much saturated fat, many North
Americans fail to consume enough omega-3s.
Further, the polyunsaturated oils widely recommended as healthful
for the heart and widely used in cooking, frying and in prepared
foods—corn, safflower and sunflower oils—have almost no
omega-3s. Instead they are loaded with omega-6s. You need a proper
balance of omega-6 and omega-3 intake for cells to function optimally.
Canola oil and walnut oil are highly recommended because of their fat
make-up.
Other Nutrients
It’s possible to boost alertness, memory and
stress resistance by supplying food components that are precursors to
important brain neurotransmitters. One of them is choline, the fat-like B
vitamin found in eggs.
Studies show that choline supplementation enhances memory and
reaction time in animals, especially aging animals. It also enhances
memory in people. Choline supplementation also minimizes fatigue. In one
study, choline given during a 20-mile run improved running time by a
significant amount.
B vitamins influence mood and mental performance. Unfortunately,
marginal deficiency in many B vitamins is widespread in North
America.
Research has identified other ways to influence mental performance:
• Sugar can make you sharp—although no one can figure out
what is the right dose at the right time. •
Carbohydrates—especially when eaten with no protein or
fat—may indeed be mentally soothing. Muzak for the mind. There are
times when we all need some of that.
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