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    Your Brain On Food

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    Russo Dalmasso
    Your brain is made up primarily of fats called lipids, as well as proteins, amino acids, micronutrients and glucose. The specific nutrients in food, such as omega-3 and 6 fatty acids, proteins, vitamins and minerals, directly impact brain functions like mood, attention, and memory. Different types of carbohydrates, like those in white bread versus oats, can also affect blood sugar levels and subsequently brain activity levels. In summary, the foods you eat provide the building blocks and fuel for optimal brain health, function, and protection against cognitive decline.

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    Your Brain On Food

    Uploaded by

    Russo Dalmasso
    2K views2 pages
    Your brain is made up primarily of fats called lipids, as well as proteins, amino acids, micronutrients and glucose. The specific nutrients in food, such as omega-3 and 6 fatty acids, proteins, vitamins and minerals, directly impact brain functions like mood, attention, and memory. Different types of carbohydrates, like those in white bread versus oats, can also affect blood sugar levels and subsequently brain activity levels. In summary, the foods you eat provide the building blocks and fuel for optimal brain health, function, and protection against cognitive decline.

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    Your Brain on Food

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    Your brain is made up primarily of fats called lipids, as well as proteins, amino acids, micronutrients and glucose. The specific nutrients in food, such as omega-3 and 6 fatty acids, proteins, vitamins and minerals, directly impact brain functions like mood, attention, and memory. Different types of carbohydrates, like those in white bread versus oats, can also affect blood sugar levels and subsequently brain activity levels. In summary, the foods you eat provide the building blocks and fuel for optimal brain health, function, and protection against cognitive decline.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    2K views2 pages

    Your Brain On Food

    Uploaded by

    Russo Dalmasso
    Your brain is made up primarily of fats called lipids, as well as proteins, amino acids, micronutrients and glucose. The specific nutrients in food, such as omega-3 and 6 fatty acids, proteins, vitamins and minerals, directly impact brain functions like mood, attention, and memory. Different types of carbohydrates, like those in white bread versus oats, can also affect blood sugar levels and subsequently brain activity levels. In summary, the foods you eat provide the building blocks and fuel for optimal brain health, function, and protection against cognitive decline.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 2

    YOUR BRAIN ON FOOD

    If you sucked all of the moisture out of your brain and broke it down to its constituent
    nutritional content, what would it look like?

    Most of the weight of your dehydrated brain would come from fats, also known as lipids.

    In the remaining brain matter, you would find proteins and amino acids, traces of
    micronutrients and glucose.

    The brain is, of course, more than just the sum of its nutritional parts but each component
    does have a distinct impact on functioning, development, mood and energy.

    So that post-lunch apathy or late-night alertness you might be feeling; well, that could simply
    be the effects of food on your brain.

    Of the fats in your brain, the superstars are Omega 3 and 6. These essential fatty acids which
    have been linked to preventing degenerative brain conditions must come from our diets.

    So eating omega-rich foods, like nuts, seeds, and fatty fish is crucial to the creation and
    maintenance of cell membranes.

    And while omegas are good fats for your brain, long-term consumption of other fats like trans
    and saturated fats may compromise brain health.

    Meanwhile, proteins and amino acids the building block nutrients of growth and development
    manipulate how we feel and behave.

    Amino acids contain the precursors to neurotransmitters, the chemical messengers that carry
    signals between neurons affecting things like mood, sleep, attentiveness and weight.

    There are one of the reasons we might feel calm after eating a large plate of pasta or more
    alert after a protein-rich meal.

    The complex combinations of compounds in food can stimulate brain cells to release mood-
    altering norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin.

    But getting to your brain cell is tricky and amino acids have to compete for limited access.

    A diet with a range of foods helps maintain a balanced combination of brain messengers and
    keeps your mood from getting skewed in one direction or the other.

    Like the other organs in our bodies, our brains also benefit from a steady supply of
    micronutrients.

    Antioxidants in fruits and vegetables strengthen the brain to fight off free radicals that destroy
    brain cells, enabling your brain to work well for a longer period of time.

    And without powerful micronutrients, like the vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid, our brains would
    be susceptible to brain disease and mental decline.

    Trace amounts of the minerals iron, copper, zinc and sodium are also fundamental to brain
    health and early cognitive development.

    In order for the brain to efficiently transform and synthesize these valuable nutrients, it needs
    fuel, and lots of it.
    While the human brain only makes up about % of our body weight, it uses up to % of our
    energy resources.

    More of energy comes from carbohydrates that our body digests into glucose, or blood sugar.

    The frontal lobes are so sensitive to drops in glucose, in fact, that a change in mental function
    is one of the primary signals of nutrient deficiency.

    Assuming that we are getting glucose regularly, How does the specific type of carbohydrates
    we eat affect our brains?

    Carbs come in three forms: starch, sugar and fiber.

    While on most nutrition labels, they are all lumped onto one total carb count, the ratio of the
    sugar and fiber subgroups to the whole amount affect how the body and brain respond.

    A high glycemic food, like white bread, causes a rapid release of glucose into the blood, and
    then comes the dip.

    Blood sugar shoots down, and whit it, our attention span and mood.

    On the other hand, oats, grains and legumes have slower glucose release, enabling a steadier
    level of attentiveness.

    For sustained brain power, opting for a varied diet of nutrient-rich foods is critical.

    When it comes to what you bite, chew, and swallow, your choices have a direct and long-
    lasting effect on the most powerful organ in your body.

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