Scientists can now peer into our brains to see if what we’re eating is benefiting or impairing our memory and thinking skills. This is known as Nutritional Cognitive Neuroscience.
One hundred healthy adults aged between 65 and 75 underwent a series of brain scans to examine their brain structure, function, volume and energy use. Combining all these measurements, the participants were found to fall into one of two groups:
- Those whose brains were ageing slower than expected and who performed better in tests of memory, planning, complex thinking and processing speed.
- Those whose brains were ageing faster than expected and who scored lower in neuropsychological assessments.
The participants also had blood tests to measure the concentration of specific dietary nutrients. This is a reliable way of determining the composition of a person’s diet.
After ruling out the influence of demographics and fitness levels, the people whose brains were younger than their years had higher amounts of particular fatty acids, antioxidants and vitamins in their blood.
What were the secret nutrients that kept their brains in top condition?
Firstly, they had higher blood concentrations of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids such as ALA, EPA and DHA. Inflammation is a big driver of declining brain function, and a risk factor for dementia. Foods containing ALA include flaxseeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, mustard powder, edamame (young green soy beans) and leafy green vegetables. Foods rich in EPA and DHA include caviar and oily fish like mackerel, herring, anchovies and wild (not farmed) salmon. If none of these foods have appeal, you can take fish, krill or algal oil supplements. However, eating food conveys greater health benefits than consuming individual nutrients as supplements. Equally important is to eliminate consumption of omega-6-rich seed and vegetable oils such as soybean oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, cottonseed oil, corn oil and rice brain oil because these oils compete with omega-3 fatty acids in chemical reactions and can dislodge the good fats from our cell membranes. You may think you don’t eat vegetable/seed oils because you don’t cook with them, but these oils are found in just about all fast foods, convenience foods, frozen meals, mayonnaise, dips, biscuits, crackers and many breads. Read the list of ingredients in packaged food and you’ll be shocked.
Another nutrient that promoted a youthful brain was the saturated fatty acid, lignoceric acid. This finding helps exonerate saturated fats from contributing to heart disease and type 2 diabetes. (If you’ve been following me for long enough, you’ll know that sugar and refined carbohydrates — not saturated fats — are the primary drivers of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.) Lignoceric acid is found in macadamia nuts, peanuts, pine nuts, sesame seeds and tahini but only buy these products raw, otherwise they are likely to be steeped in vegetable oil.
The other two fatty acids that delayed brain ageing were the mono-unsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), vaccenic and gondoic acids. MUFAs such as those found in olive oil have potent anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and they have long been known to boost brain and heart health. Vaccenic acid is the primary fat in dairy products — milk, butter and yoghurt. Gondoic acid is found in nuts.
The other stand-out brain-boosting nutrients were:
- carotenoid-rich foods (eg spinach, kale, capsicum, tomatoes, broccoli, carrots and other yellow/red/green vegetables)
- vitamin E — found in raw nuts, raw seeds and green leafy vegetables
- choline — a little known vitamin B-like nutrient that is important for making healthy brain cell membranes, and for maintaining adequate levels the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Low acetylcholine levels are characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease. Choline is found in beef liver, egg yolks, red meat, pork, chicken, soy beans, shiitake mushrooms, almonds, broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables. For a comprehensive list of choline-rich foods visit: outwittingalzheimers.com/resources
While the above-mentioned study identified differences in blood nutrients linked to differences in brain ageing, it does not imply that other vitamins and minerals are not necessary for a healthy brain. Other research has shown that low levels of iron, zinc, magnesium, and vitamins B, C and D are all associated with cognitive decline.
The reason I mention the current study is to underscore the importance of eating real, whole, unprocessed food to maintain good brain health. Whilst this may be obvious to you, many people are still completely unaware that their food choices impact their brain function and their risk of developing dementia.
For those who would like to read the entire paper, it was published in the journal Nature Aging. The title of the study is: ‘Investigating nutrient biomarkers of healthy brain aging: a multimodal brain imaging study’ by authors Christopher E. Zwilling, Jisheng Wu and Aron K. Barbey.
Please share this Health-e-Byte with anyone who is not convinced that what we eat impacts our brain.
