Your brain relies on chemicals from food to function properly as well as to help prevent cognitive decline and diseases like Alzheimer's. As you age, what you eat becomes critical for maintaining optimal brain function. During your 30's, you need nutrients -- like essential fatty acids, B vitamins, antioxidants and choline -- that can prevent age-related damage. Though needed at any age, when taken throughout early adulthood, these nutrients promote healthy brain function later in life.
Essential Fatty Acids
Fat is an essential part of your brain, composing cell membranes and making nerve transmission possible. Essential fatty acids -- EFAs -- are those that cannot be made by your body, and must be taken in through diet. As you age, your cells can become more rigid, slowing down signals from your brain. EFAs "oil" your nervous system's connections, keeping your brain's cells healthy and elastic. Your body strikes a balance with two types of EFAs -- omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, according to the Franklin Institute. Eating a diet with a variety of these EFAs or taking supplemental omega fatty acids can potentially protect your brain, helping prevent motor disorders and memory dysfunction. You can obtain omega-3 fatty acids from eating flax seeds, walnuts, green vegetables and cold water fish, while omega-6's are found in sunflower, safflower, corn and sesame oils.
B Vitamins
Vitamins like B1, B6 and B12 are an intricate part of your brain and central nervous system with the potential to prevent neurological disorders. B vitamins help form nerve cells, in part creating the myelin sheath lining that transmits nerve impulses throughout your body. B vitamins can also help lower homocysteine levels. Homocysteine is a chemical that, in excess, can cause brain atrophy and dementia. The September 2010 issue of "PLoS One" featured a study that found plasma concentrations of homocysteine can be lowered by dietary administration of B vitamins. Eating foods like whole grains, eggs and diary products or taking supplemental vitamins can increase your vitamin B intake.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants are substances that help fight oxidative damage from free radicals, which can harm cells, tissues and organs. These substances can to build up throughout your lifetime. Oxidative damage can affect your body as well as your brain, potentially leading to diseases like Alzheimer's. Vitamins C, E and A, which are found in fruits, vegetables and nuts, are considered antioxidants, and may help protect your brain throughout your life. According to a May 2011 study published in the "Journal of Alzheimer's Disease," low levels of antioxidants, particularly vitamin C, in your body are associated with dementia in Alzheimer's patients. The study -- performed on mice -- found that administration of vitamin C over six months helped reduce oxidative damage and mitigated behavioral decline.
Choline
Choline is nutrient found in egg yolks, milk, nuts, fish and meats, and is the precursor to acetylcholine, a brain chemical critical to memory function. Acetylcholine deficiency is thought to play a role in Alzheimer's disease as well as certain types of depression. Getting an adequate amount of choline from your diet or supplementing can potentially increase acetylcholine levels and boost your memory and brain function, according to Duke University. Choline can help increase the size and receptivity of your nerve cells, thereby increasing your ability to transmit signals.
References
- The Franklin Institute: The Human Brain
- "Neurotoxicity Research"; Effects of omega-3 essential fatty acids (omega-3 EFAs) on motor disorders and memory dysfunction typical neuroleptic-induced: behavioral and biochemical parameter; R.C. Barcelos et al; April 2010
- Alabama Cooperative Extension System: Vitamins: A Boon for the Brain?
- "PLoS One"; Homocysteine-lowering by B vitamins slows the rate of accelerated brain atrophy in mild cognitive impairment: a randomized controlled trial; A.D. Smith; September 2010
- "Journal of Alzheimer's Disease"; Vitamin C Restores Behavioral Deficits and Amyloid-β Oligomerization without Affecting Plaque Formation in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease; K. Murakami et al; May 2011
- DukeHealth.org; Prenatal Choline Supplements Make Brain Cells Larger, Faster; March 2004
