Brain Food: The Ultimate Guide to Nourishing Your Neurons

Many of us have heard people call one food or another brain food, but what does this actually mean? How does our diet ultimately affect our brains? I hope to answer these questions and provide you with some applicable diet changes you can make to better fuel your brain.

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The Building Blocks of the Brain

The human brain is a spectacularly complicated organ composed of many different structures. They contain a diverse group of building blocks, including carbohydrates, proteins, water, and, possibly most importantly, lipids. Of course, all of these will be critical for proper brain function, but recent studies show that some might be more important than others.

Hydration and Brain Health

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Studies have shown that around 75% of Americans likely suffer from chronic dehydration. This number is not only staggering from a general health perspective but may also spell trouble for brain health. Multiple studies agree that even slight dehydration can lead to drastic decreases in IQ, short-term memory, and general cognitive performance. Studies have also shown that proper hydration can help improve our mood.

So how much water do you need? Unfortunately, the answer isn’t as straightforward as you might expect. If you want a personalized answer, it's probably best to speak to your doctor. For the average person, however, you should drink around ten to fifteen cups of water. For the best results, divide this throughout the day to ensure constant and consistent hydration. Also, be aware of how weather and other dietary factors can affect these numbers. For example, if you've been sweating and drinking alcohol, you can expect to need a bit more water than you would on a cool day.

Why Our Brains Need Fats

Lipids make up about 60% of our brains. This makes it understandable why fats are a critical part of our diet. While many people think they’re bad for you, what is more relevant is the type of fats. Unsaturated fats, for example, are much healthier than saturated fats for many reasons. However, omega-3 fats may actually be the most critical of all lipids when it comes to brain health.

The Many Uses of Fats

Fats can be used for many specific roles, such as

1. Forming the Structure of Brain Cells — Much of our neurons are actually made of fats. This is especially true of the membranes that allow our neurons to function properly.
2. Forming the Myelin Sheath — The myelin sheath protects and insulates the axons of our neurons. This helps ensure our brain can reliably and quickly send signals from one neuron to the next. This sheathing is comprised of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as omega-3 and omega-6 fats.
3. Producing Neurotransmitters — We use neurotransmitters to send chemical signals throughout our brains. Many of these neurotransmitters are derived from fats that we get from our diet.
4. Protection Against Inflammation — High levels of inflammation within the brain and body have been shown to have detrimental effects on brain health. Thankfully healthy oils such as omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to reduce inflammation, leading to improved cognitive outcomes.
5. Energy Source — Under normal circumstances, our brain uses glucose as an energy source. However, when glucose levels are low, our body can use a process known as ketosis to produce energy from fats.

How to Incorporate More Healthy Fats Into Your Diet

There are many ways to incorporate these fats into your diet. One of the best ways is to try and replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats. Also, make sure you're incorporating plenty of omega-3 and omega-6 fats. This can be accomplished by adding fatty fish to your diet. Some great sources of healthy fats include

1. Salmon — This fatty fish is a great way to add plenty of omega-3 and omega-6 oils.
2. Olive oil — This is an excellent source of monounsaturated fat and may help reduce the risk of heart disease. It also can make an excellent replacement for other less healthy fats in many dishes.
3. Avocado — This is another excellent source of monounsaturated fat but also boasts many healthy vitamins and minerals.
4. Chia Seeds — Chia seeds are a very nutritious source of a type of omega-3 oil called ALA. This may not be as beneficial as omega-3 from fish but it can still have many benefits. In addition, chia seeds are also an excellent source of fiber.
5. Walnuts — These are one of many types of nuts that offer a pretty healthy lipid profile. Walnuts, in particular, contain predominately ALA and polyunsaturated fats.

Other Beneficial Foods for Brain Health

Blueberries

Commonly touted as a very brain-healthy food, blueberries provide many benefits to our brain and body. One of their many benefits is their high density of antioxidants. These compounds prevent a type of cell damage known as oxidative stress. This can wreak havoc on many parts of our body but can be especially damaging to brain health. Some studies also show a compound in blueberries known as anthocyanins may benefit the brain by increasing cerebral brain flow.

Broccoli

Also containing a high density of antioxidants, broccoli is a great way to improve both brain and gut health. This is in part due to its high quantity of soluble fiber. Which is known to help promote a healthy gut microbiome. Lastly, broccoli also contains vitamin K, which can benefit our brain health.

Turmeric

Many studies have shown that curcumin, a core component of the spice turmeric, can improve various aspects of brain health. These studies usually used more concentrated forms and higher doses than you'd be getting at the grocery stores. However, it may still be worth adding to your food as it has many potential health benefits.

Green Tea

Containing caffeine as well as L-theanine, green tea can promote alertness without causing too much jitteriness and anxiety that can come from other sources of caffeine. This effect is often attributed to the L-theanine, which is believed to have a calming effect. Green tea also boasts many other health benefits from some of the other compounds it contains. Making it great for not only alertness but also general brain health.

In Conclusion

Our brain health can be drastically affected by our diet. While this article gives insight into popular brain healthy choices, it does not constitute medical advice. The best way to ensure your diet is right for you is to consult your physician. It's also important to remember that diet is not the only factor when it comes to brain health. Exercise is also crucial for not only our brain but our overall health.

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