Brain Food
Added Wednesday 22.07.2009
Food is an amazing thing, not only can it sustain us with nutrients for daily requirements but also influence us and change our behaviour. The smell, the taste, many of us can't get enough. Interesting the power of food can affect us in more ways than you may think and it's power greater than some may give it credit for. Yes, food can affect the size of our mid section along with our exercise plan but food can also boost IQ, improve your mood, change emotions, improve your memory, improve concentration, and even enhance coordination and balance. Very powerful stuff!
So how do we go about enhancing your IQ and memory, what goes into brain foods? Well, there are three main things for feeding the brain - Nutritious food, water, and oxygen.
Water
Many of us have been told many times during our early years at school that water is very important for learning, and it is. The majority of the human body is made up of water and is essential for normal body functions, including brain functions. Make sure you drink plenty of water throughout the day to keep your brain hydrated, with the rule of thumb many people use is about 1.5L - 2.0L water consumption daily (which of course can vary on circumstance and activity, so always best to consult a doctor or nutritionist if in doubt). Also beware of excessive water consumption and low sodium levels can lead to problems, such as hyponatremia (brain swelling), so make sure you are eating well and don't take water consumption to the extreme.Oxygen
Oxygen is an important food for the brain but obviously a little harder to monitor and control like food and drink. Doing regular exercise to improve the cardiovascular system (such as jogging, brisk walking, or intensive sporting activities) helps to improve our lungs which in turn help to put more oxygen into our bodies. Along with your brain, muscles and other parts of your body your stomach also uses oxygen, during and after eating, hence why some people feel tired after a big meal and feel like having a nap. To reduce this effect you can try eating smaller amounts but more often, with the added benefit of speeding up your metabolism to help lose unwanted weight! Bonus!Nutritious Foods
It is important to maintain a well balanced diet, but more specifically there are certain components in food that are essential to maintain a healthy brain or perhaps even give it a boost. If your brain isn't getting the fuel it needs it won't be running to its full capacity, or similarly like driving with the handbrake on. We must remember that the human body is a hugely complicated machine and we are still to under cover all its secrets, so while we can target specific things that we now know as important for the brain there could be other important things that are still to be identified. Be sensible. Most things in excess can be bad, just like water. If you aren't feeling 100 percent there might be something you are missing and perhaps its time to talk to somebody about it.Protein and Amino Acids
Protein is necessary for development of body tissue, nerves and also
neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are critical for creating neural pathways
where they act as messengers for communication between neurons in the brain.
More importantly are the amino acids in the proteins, as the neurotransmitters
are made from the amino acids. There are specify amino acids worth taking note
which have been shown to have a strong connection with specific brain function,
and there are also essential amino acids which are generally important because of
the inability to be produced in the body itself.
Among the amino acids to take note are tyrosine which may improve memory or moods under stress, and tryptophan which is linked with serotonin (a chemical that modifies sleep and moods). Food sources of tyrosine include: lean meat, eggs, milk and soy. Food sources of tryptophan include: nuts, seeds and legumes.
Complete Proteins are a bit like super proteins, they are proteins containing a balanced set of the essential amino acids all in the one food. Complete protein sources include: red meat, poultry, eggs, fish, milk and cheese. Near Proteins (almost as good as complete proteins) sources include: quinoa, buckwheat, hempseed, amaranth, and spirulina.
Look for foods contains all essential amino acids, or try combinations of food sources to cover all essential amino acids. Good sources of information can be found on vegetarian websites such as this one or try searching for complete protein combinations in google.
Glucose and Low GI
Glucose (sugar) is the primary source of energy for the brain. The brain
relies on a constant source of glucose from the bloodstream, so it is important
to eat regular. If your glucose levels drop too low you can feel tired, lack
concentration or feel light-headed. Carbohydrates consumed by the body can be
broken down in the needed glucose.
It is also important to prevent glucose levels from fluctuating too much, which can result in mental confusion or dizziness. This can be done by eating low GI (glycaemic index) foods which release the glucose gradually in the body and maintain a more steady glucose level over a period of time, as oppose to higher GI foods resulting in a more sudden dumping of glucose into the body and a large sugar hit! Low GI food sources include: wholegrain breads and cereals, pasta, some long grain rice, legumes, corn, sweet potato, low-fat milk and yoghurt, oats, and many fruits and other vegetables.
Iron
As mentioned above, there are three key factors for a healthy brain - water,
oxygen and nutritious foods. Regular exercise can improve our lungs to boost our
daily supply of oxygen, but iron in our diet will help create red blood cells
that deliver the much needed oxygen throughout our blood stream. Iron deficiency
can cause fatigue, irritability, hair loss, and even an impaired immune system.
There are two different types of iron found in foods - haem iron, found in animal meat, fish or poultry, and non-haem iron, found in plants. Plant (non-haem) sources of iron are not absorbed into the body as easily as non-plant (haem) sources of iron. It is also worth noting that pregnant women also require considerably more iron than non-pregnant, so you could starve yourself of iron or your unborn baby if you just eat extra junk food when those cravings hit!
Good sources of haem iron include: kidney, liver, mussels, lean beef, lean lamb, sardines, lean pork, lean chicken, cod, and snapper.
Good sources of non-haem iron include: chick peas, bran flakes, boiled spinach, baked beans, black treacle, muesli, dried figs, and dried apricots.
Choline
Choline serves many functions in the body including in the structure of cell
membranes and also as a precursor molecule for the neurotransmitter
Acetylcholine (ACh). ACh plays an important role in the enhancement of sensory
perceptions, and attention span. Deficiencies of ACh have been linked with
Alzheimer's disease.
Choline rich foods include: egg yolks, soy, wheat germ, liver, peanuts, cabbage, kidney beans, broccoli, and cauliflower.
Omega-3
Omega-3 has been haled almost like a wonder drug of late with studies showing
reduce risk of a variety of diseases and also essential for normal brain
development, communication, and vision. Omega-3 is an important essential
fatty acid (which it cannot be produced by the body, much like essential ammo
acids).
Good sources of omega-3 include: Flaxseeds, cloves, walnuts, oregano, salmon, cauliflower, mustard seeds, cabbage, romaine lettuce, broccoli, brussel sprouts, squash, tofu, halibut, collard greens, spinach, kale, soybeans, shrimp, turnip greens, cod, strawberries, green beans, snapper, scallops, tuna, yellow fin, raspberries, and miso.
Omega-6
While omega-3 has been widely published on the television and internet little
has been known about omega-6. Omega-6 is also an essential fatty acid, however
it has been stressed its importance to maintain a healthy ratio of omega-6 to
omega-3. Too much omega-6 can be detrimental but can be balanced with increased
omega-3, hence the importance of the ration between the two. High ratios of
omega-6 to omega-3 has been linked with heart issues and other problems. The
appropriate ratio is considered to be around the 2-1 mark (2 lots of omega-6 to
1 lot omega-3).
Sources of omega-6 are abundantly found in most modern diets, with many diets reaching up to a ratio of 30 omega-6 to 1 omega-3. Therefore we can look at either increasing omega-3 or reducing omega-6 to maintain a healthy ratio.
Omega-6 can be found in sunflower oil, safflower oil, corn oil, sesame oil, hemp oil, pumpkin oil, and some seeds and nuts. Try avoiding vegetable oils when cooking and instead use virgin olive oil or lin/flax oil. More details can be found on the internet.
Anti-oxidants
Fruit and vegetables containing anti-oxidants help to neutralise free
radicals (molecules that can damage cells, including brain cells), and also help
to reduce aging.
Top sources of anti-oxidants include: small red beans, blueberries, red kidney beans, pinto beans, cranberries, artichoke, blackberries, prunes, raspberries, strawberries, red delicious and granny smith apples, pecans, sweet cherries, plums, and black beans.
Effects of Coffee
Being a coffee drinker myself I was keen to know what the effects of coffee / caffeine had on the brain or did I have to give up my guilty pleasure? Well, at this stage coffee drinkers can rejoice. Studies have shown caffeine to help neurons form longer lasting connections resulting in improved memory, improve speed and accuracy of certain intellectual tasks, and even improve athletic ability. It isn't all happy days, there are good and bad points for caffeine. There are many studies out there that list the negative effects. It is important to remember caffeine acts as a stimulant much like cocaine or heroin (only it's legal). Withdrawal symptoms can include fatigue, depression, irritability, tremors, jumpiness, insomnia, and headaches - Most of us regular coffee drinkers have felt the effects of lack of coffee at one stage or another. So, you will need to way up the good points and any bad points for yourself. Remember moderation is important.
Effects of Alcohol
Alcohol affects people differently, some people showing more obvious signs than others - such as difficulty walking, blurred vision, slurred speech, slowed reaction times and impaired memory. These impairments normally pass after a bad hang over the next morning, but research has shown alcohol consumption can lead to short or long term impairments (depending on the person and consumption). Binge drinking or chronic alcohol abuse has been linked to shrunken brains, memory loss, and loss of motor functions, let alone other things such as liver disease. So, when you are out partying next and knocking back your tenth beer just picture your brain getting that little bit smaller with each sip - Happy drinking!Brain food for unborn babies
New research suggests that there are certain foods that will boost a growing babies brain power. The good news is these foods are much the same foods that also give you a healthy brain. So feeding yourself brain foods will not only improve and maintain your brain but also of your unborn child (that makes thing more simple!). Important foods to look out for are ones containing choline, essential fatty acids, iron, and also folate.Folate acid, or folate, also know as Vitamin B9 can be found mostly in leafy green vegetables. Sufficient folate taken for three months prior to conception and through to the first trimester can drastically reduce the risk of neural tube defects, or brain and spinal cord problems in early development.
Sources
Information has been gathered from a number of sources and studies. Always consult your doctor or nutritionist when changing your diet.VOTE NOW
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