Brain-Enhancing Foods

To keep your brain healthy, a good balance of nutrients- proteins, fats and carbohydrates, plus vitamins and minerals – is essential. The right balance in your diet can protect your mental faculties.

Proteins:

Proteins are vital for the brain since neurons, like all our cells, are made from them. Proteins are made from chains of small molecules called amino acids. There are 22 amino acids, of which 8 – the essential amino acids – cannot be produced by the body and they must be obtained from foods.

Fats:

Fats insulate nerve cells in the brain and other vital organs – in fact, about one third of the brain is made from fats. The two types of dietary fats, saturated and unsaturated, are classified according to their chemical structure. Vegetable fats are mostly unsaturated, and are particularly important because some of them are used to make essential messenger molecules. On the other hand, animal fats are mainly saturated and, in excess, can contribute to heart disease and other problems.

Carbohydrates:

Carbohydrates provide energy and as the brain uses up around a fifth of the body’s energy requirements, they are very important for mental functioning. People should try to eat more complex carbohydrates – found in foods such as grains and pulses – and minimize the intake of simple carbohydrates, especially refined sugar.

As complex carbohydrates take longer to digest, they release their energy gradually, providing ongoing energy and stamina, whereas, simple carbohydrates are digested quickly and cause too much sugar to be released into the bloodstream. The brain is thus alternately flooded and starved of essential glucose, which may lead to unpleasant and potentially dangerous symptoms, including dizziness, anxiety, headaches and sleepiness.

Vitamins:

Vitamins are essential for many chemical reactions in the body, so vitamin deficiencies can cause illness. While all vitamins are necessary, some are particularly important for mental functions, especially the B Vitamins.

• Vitamin B1 (thiamine) is vital for maintaining an efficient nervous system. Prolonged deficiency of B1 is associated with lower levels of intelligence.

• Supplements of Vitamin B3 (niacin) are effective for migraines and headaches.

• Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) is believed to boost memory. It is also sometimes known as an ‘anti-stress vitamin’.

• Vitamin B12 is needed to make DNA and helps to form a myelin sheath that insulates nerves.

Dietary Minerals:

Many minerals are needed for a healthy brain. Minerals are derived from the earth and so, like most vitamins, can be obtained directly from plants or indirectly by eating meat.

• Calcium and magnesium, usually associated with healthy bones, are needed by nerves, muscles and blood.

• Potassium and sodium work together to maintain water balance and nerve and muscles impulses.

• Zinc – one of the ‘trace elements’ is necessary for good mental functioning.