Carbohydrates are the body's first choice for energy; in fact, carbohydrates spare fat and protein from being broken down and used for energy. Many food sources of carbohydrates are used as energy for the brain. Carbohydrates must be broken down or converted to glucose, as glucose is the only form of sugar normally used by brain cells. According to the Franklin Institute Resources for Science Learning website, your brain cells require two times more energy than the other cells in your body.
Honey and Syrups
The quickest form of glucose, or energy for the brain, is in the form of a gel or syrup. These simple sugars break apart the most rapidly, due to having short-chained molecules, and enter the bloodstream very quickly, explains the Franklin Institute. Corn syrup, honey and glucose gel---which is often used as a packaged source of energy by athletes---contain glucose that, once ingested, passes directly through the stomach lining into the bloodstream for immediate brain fuel. Though these items raise blood glucose levels the quickest, they pass through the system just as rapidly. Since brain cells, or neurons, cannot store glucose like the muscles and liver, the energy is short-lived.
Simple Carbohydrates
Other simple carbohydrate food sources made up of one or two sugars are also quickly broken down to glucose by the body to be used as energy for the brain. Like syrups and glucose gels, the sugar molecules of these simple carbohydrate food sources break apart more quickly than their complex counterparts.
Examples of foods in this category include the following: healthy, nutrient rich foods such as all fruits and fruit juices, dairy products, and non-starchy vegetables such as beets and carrots as well as simple carbohydrates that include processed food items high in refined sugars, such as candy, regular soda and table sugar, also known as sucrose.
Complex Carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates have three or more sugars linked together. They are "slow-release" energy sources for the brain, as they take longer for the body to break down and convert to glucose. MedlinePlus states that complex carbohydrates are sometimes referred to as "starchy" foods. They usually contain dietary fiber and protein, which slows down the speed at which they are broken down and released for energy.
Examples of complex carbohydrate food sources include legumes, such as pinto and kidney beans; starchy vegetables, such as potatoes and corn; and whole-grain cereals, breads and grains, such as bran cereal and brown rice. These are nutritious foods, as they are not stripped of nutrients like many processed foods. They provide the neurons with a steady stream of energy that lasts longer than simple carbohydrates.
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