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Your Brain on Food

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If you sucked all of the moisture
out of your brain

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and broke it down to its constituent
nutritional content,

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what would it look like?

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Most of the weight of your dehydrated 
brain would come from fats,

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also known as lipids.

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In the remaining brain matter,
you would find proteins and amino acids,

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traces of micronutrients,

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and glucose.

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The brain is, of course, more than
just the sum of its nutritional parts,

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but each component does have
a distinct impact on functioning,

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development,

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mood,

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and energy.

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So that post-lunch apathy,

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or late-night alertness
you might be feeling,

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well, that could simply be the effects
of food on your brain.

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Of the fats in your brain,
the superstars are omegas 3 and 6.

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These essential fatty acids,

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which have been linked to preventing
degenerative brain conditions,

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must come from our diets.

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So eating omega-rich foods,

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like nuts,

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seeds,

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and fatty fish,

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is crucial to the creation and maintenance
of cell membranes.

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And while omegas are good fats
for your brain,

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long-term consumption of other fats,
like trans and saturated fats,

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may compromise brain health.

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Meanwhile, proteins and amino acids,

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the building block nutrients of growth
and development,

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manipulate how we feel and behave.

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Amino acids contain the precursors
to neurotransmitters,

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the chemical messengers that carry
signals between neurons,

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affecting things like mood,

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sleep,

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attentiveness,

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and weight.

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They're one of the reasons we might feel
calm after eating a large plate of pasta,

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or more alert after a protein-rich meal.

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The complex combinations 
of compounds in food

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can stimulate brain cells to release
mood-altering norepinephrine,

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dopamine,

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and serotonin.

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But getting to your brain cells is tricky,

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and amino acids have to compete
for limited access.

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A diet with a range of foods helps 
maintain a balanced combination

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of brain messengers,

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and keeps your mood from getting skewed
in one direction or the other.

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Like the other organs in our bodies,

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our brains also benefit from a steady
supply of micronutrients.

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Antioxidants in fruits and vegetables

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strengthen the brain to fight off
free radicals that destroy brain cells,

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enabling your brain to work well
for a longer period of time.

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And without powerful micronutrients,

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like the vitamins B6,

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B12,

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and folic acid,

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our brains would be susceptible 
to brain disease and mental decline.

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Trace amounts of the minerals iron,

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copper,

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zinc,

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and sodium

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are also fundamental to brain health
and early cognitive development.

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In order for the brain to efficiently
transform and synthesize

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these valuable nutrients,

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it needs fuel, and lots of it.

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While the human brain only
makes up about 2% of our body weight,

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it uses up to 20% of our energy resources.

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Most of this energy comes 
from carbohydrates

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that our body digests into glucose,
or blood sugar.

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The frontal lobes are so sensitive
to drops in glucose, in fact,

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that a change in mental function
is one of the primary signals

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of nutrient deficiency.

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Assuming that we are getting
glucose regularly,

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how does the specific type 
of carbohydrates we eat affect our brains?

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Carbs come in three forms:

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starch,

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sugar,

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and fiber.

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While on most nutrition labels,

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they are all lumped 
into one total carb count,

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the ratio of the sugar and fiber subgroups
to the whole amount

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affect how the body and brain respond.

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A high glycemic food, like white bread,

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causes a rapid release of glucose
into the blood,

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and then comes the dip.

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Blood sugar shoots down,
and with it, our attention span and mood.

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On the other hand, oats, grains,
and legumes have slower glucose release,

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enabling a steadier level 
of attentiveness.

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For sustained brain power,

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opting for a varied diet of nutrient-rich
foods is critical.

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When it comes to what you bite,
chew, and swallow,

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your choices have a direct
and long-lasting effect

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on the most powerful organ in your body.