The proper care and feeding of the brain will help keep it functioning at peak efficiency for a lifetime. Brains need fat but, as scientific research suggests, prefer the kinds that come from plant foods and fish. Many of the fruits and vegetables that most delight the eye with their colors also nourish the brain. Spicing up the diet might be just what neurons need. Add this to my Recipe Box.
The Mediterranean Diet
A study funded by the government of Spain showed an association between a Mediterranean-style diet and a dramatically reduced risk of depression. Published in the October 2009 "Archives of General Psychiatry," the study followed 10,000 Spaniards for four and a half years, concluding that those with diets dominated by fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, olive oil and fish were 50 percent less likely to develop depression. Lead author Dr. Miguel Martinez-Gonzalez of the University of Pamplona said that dietary fats derived mainly from vegetable, rather than animal, sources may account for the results. "The membranes of our neurons are composed of fat," he said, "so the quality of fat that you are eating definitely has an influence on the quality of the neuron membranes."
Cold-Water Fish
Dozens of studies probing the influence of fish oil on mental processes were conducted on nursery, primary and secondary school children in Durham, England, from 2002 to 2008, and the findings caught the attention of world media. Experts from Oxford University wanted to determine whether daily supplements high in omega-3 fatty acids could improve learning ability, concentration and behavior. Startling improvements were consistent across all groups, in all categories. Neuroscientists theorize that if the brain doesn't get enough of the high-quality acids that help it function best, it will draw inferior acids from other dietary sources, with a negative impact on mental processes. The highest concentrations of omega-3 acids are found in such oily, cold-water fish as mackerel, salmon, sardines, cod and tuna.
Colorful Fruits and Vegetables
Vividly colored fruits and vegetables are often packed with substances beneficial to the brain. Red, yellow and orange signal the presence of the powerful antioxidant lycopene, which fights the destructive effects of free radicals on brain cells. Tomatoes, pink grapefruit and watermelon are all good dietary sources. Blueberries contain anthocyanins, which improve the brain's capacity to process information and slow age-related degeneration. The University of Cincinnati conducted research on seniors with early symptoms of memory impairment and reported the findings in the January 2010 "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry." After 12 weeks of drinking blueberry juice daily, participants showed "significant improvements on learning and memory tests."
Turmeric
The curcumin in turmeric, prized in India for its curative properties since ancient times, gives curry its characteristic golden color. According to the Brain Research Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles, the National Institutes of Health have funded at least eight studies into the therapeutic properties of curcumin, which may neutralize a protein that promotes a destructive inflammatory reaction in the body and brain. Its capability to halt the plaque buildup characteristic of Alzheimer's Disease may prove to be greater than pharmaceuticals, the BRI believes.
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