Much like a muscle in your body, your brain needs certain chemicals to keep it running smoothly. Many of these chemicals come from the food you eat. Eating healthy can give you a more positive mind-set. The right food creates more mental energy, more alertness and means less chance of feeling low. As you age, eating right may also help you stave off common conditions such as memory loss and Alzheimer's.
Avoiding Lows
Eating junk food such as high-sugar snacks can lead to peaks and lows of energy. This might make you feel happy and energetic in one moment, and sad and tired the next. The government's TeensHealth website suggests eating small healthy snacks throughout the day -- particularly foods containing complex carbohydrates. While sugary snacks release energy into the body in short bursts, complex carbs such as wholegrain bread and bananas release energy gradually. This makes for a more balanced mind throughout the day.
Omega-3
Professor Fernando Gomez-Pinilla from UCLA suggests that eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids helps prevent a whole range of mind-related problems. These include potentially serious conditions such as depression, dementia and schizophrenia. Omega-3 may also help prevent general memory loss and even lower the effects of attention deficit disorder, or ADHD. You'll find omega-3 in oily fish such as mackerel and salmon, as well as some nuts and seeds such as flaxseed, walnuts and macadamia nuts.
Vitamin B12
All B vitamins play an important role in helping the body convert food into energy. B-12 in particular helps keep nerves endings in the brain in healthy condition. Vitamin B-12 also helps to keep your mood levels stable. People with low levels of vitamin B-12 may feel fatigued or even develop cognitive problems such as Parkinson's, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Shellfish such as clams contain high levels of B-12. Eggs, fish and dairy products are also healthy sources of B-12.
Overeating
As well as choosing what to eat for a healthy mind, you need to keep a check on how much you eat. For example, neuroscientists from the National Institute on Aging established a link between eating large amounts of food and brain disorders such as Parkinson's and Huntington's disease. Though they conducted their tests on animals, the results showed that subjects that ate less tended to display symptoms later and live longer than subjects that ate whenever they pleased. Though human tests are inconclusive, it may be wise to avoid eating large amounts throughout the day to keep a healthy mind.
References
- UCLA Newsroom; Scientists Learn How What You Eat Affects Your Brain -- And Those of Your Kids; Stuart Wolpert; Jul. 09, 2008
- TeensHealth: Smart Snacking
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin); Steven D. Ehrlich; Jun. 1, 2009
- Brain Research Institute UCLA; Eat Smart; Christen Brownlee; Mar. 19, 2006
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Omega-6 Fatty Acids; Steven D. Ehrlich; Sep. 26, 2009
Member Comments