Food & Mood
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The brain is undoubtedly the most complex organ in the human body, responsible for our every action and every thought, both conscious & unconscious. Yet due to its complexities, surprisingly little is known about how it functions. Worryingly, mental health illness is on the increase and not just in the elderly. According to statistics by the Mental Health Foundation one in four people will experience some sort of mental health problem over the course of a year, and one in five older people suffer from depression. So what can you do to fend off mental health problems and help keep your brain sharp into old age?
Well, mental health is a very complex area but below are 5 simple ways that diet can help keep your mind in a state of good health.
Balancing your Blood Sugar
Glucose is the main fuel supply for your brain and central nervous system. At a basic metabolic level your brain consumes up to 40% of all the carbohydrates you eat. Ideally you need to give your brain a constant supply of fuel, and if you don't you may experience symptoms of fatigue, depression, poor concentration and irritability.
To help balance your blood sugar levels eat wholegrain foods such as oats, wholemeal bread and brown rice. Avoid refined carbohydrates such as sugar, white bread, white pasta and white rice. Another way is to eat protein (such as lean meat or fish) with each meal as it slows the absorption of sugar into the blood stream. Reducing stimulants such as coffee, nicotine and alcohol is also beneficial for balancing blood sugar levels.
The Right Fats
The old wives tale that fish is brain food is a good piece of advice, as most old wives tales are. Oily fish are chock-full of the Omega-3 fatty acids which play an important roll in keeping your brain in good working order. The brain is 60% fat so it stands to reason that you need to have optimal levels of the right fats for your brain to function properly. To ensure you are getting enough of these vital nutrients it would be advisable to eat 3 portions of oily fish such as sardines, mackerel, salmon, herring or fresh tuna a week. Eating a handful of nuts & seeds each day should ensure that you are getting enough of the Omega-6 fats too.
Phospholipids
Another type of fat that helps keep the brain oiled are phospholipids. Their primary role is to form myelin sheathes around the nerve cells of the brain & central nervous system, allowing the cells to communicate efficiently with one another. Your body is well adept at making phospholipids but you can also increase your intake of them by eating them in your diet. The best dietary sources are eggs or organ meats such as liver or heart so unless you're a regular consumer of offal eating eggs is probably your best bet.
In his book Optimum Nutrition for the Mind, author Patrick Holford makes an extremely valid point that the health benefits of an egg really do depend on the health of the chicken that laid it. The amount of healthy fats in the egg also depends on what the chicken has eaten. Most supermarkets now stock eggs that are high in Omega-3 fats where the chicken has been fed a diet high in flax seeds. It is also well worth buying free-range organic eggs to ensure that you are getting the best quality egg as well as from an animal welfare point of view.
The Protein Connection
The neurotransmitters that allow the cells in your brain to communicate are made up from amino acids. Ensuring you eat a variety of protein-rich foods will ensure you have enough amino acids for your body to build sufficient neurotransmitters.
For meat-eaters, the myth that all meats contain equal amounts of amino acids is not true. For example turkey is high in the amino acid tryptophan which your body can use to build the feel-good neurotransmitter called serotonin. Whilst meats & dairy products are good sources of protein you can also get a good supply from non-animal sources, such as beans, rice, lentils and quinoa. The key here is to eat a variety of lean meats, wholegrains and pulses, especially if you exercise on a regular basis. Amino acids are vital to repairing muscles & tissues after exercise.
Vegetarians & vegans should pay particular attention to their protein intake. Combining pulses such as beans and brown rice is a good way of getting all the essential amino acids.
Vitamins & Minerals
These are vital components for proper functioning of the brain as well as every other system of the body. Eating foods rich in vitamins & minerals is essential for overall physical health as well as mental health. The best way to ensure optimal intake is to eat whole foods that are as fresh as possible. Eat a minimum of 5 portions of different fruits & vegetables a day, snack on nuts, seeds and raisins instead of biscuits, and eat wholegrain foods such as brown rice and bread instead of the white refined versions.
Multivitamins & mineral supplements are also increasingly popular as people strive to lead healthier lives. Whilst food should provide you with as much of your nutrients as possible topping up with a supplement can be beneficial, but with so many different brands on the market choosing the right one can be a difficult task. As a rule (as with purchasing most things) you get what you pay for. Two different supplements may ostensibly contain the same vitamins & minerals but the amount and the absorbability can vary greatly.
With regard to supplements, the key word that nutritional therapists use is Bioavailability. We are looking for a supplement that the body can break down & absorb to provide maximum benefit to the user, otherwise there is little or no point in taking it. For example; if you were looking to boost your iron levels you wouldn't sprinkle a spoonful of iron filings on your cereal in the morning. Besides the fact they would tear your throat to shreds, your body would have no way of extracting and absorbing the iron. The bioavailability of nutrients in supplements is a science in itself but as previously stated you generally get what you pay for.
If you are looking to supplement and are unsure which one would best suit your needs, you can get good advice from your local independent health food shop. The brands that I recommend to patients are Biocare, Solgar, Higher Nature and Nutri. These contain doses which tend to be much higher than those found in general high street brands, as they are designed for professional therapeutic use. If you'd like more advice on supplementation feel free to contact me and I'll be happy to give you advice.
The topic of mental health is one set to receive increased press coverage over the coming years. People in society are tending to live longer and more research is being carried out as to the causes of mental health problems. While there are numerous things that can affect the working and health of your brain I hope the above will give you some food for thought as to how you can give your brain an everyday health boost.
- Author: Stuart Cornock
- Sources: Patrick Holford Optimum Nutrition for the Mind
