Do you know how food affects your brain? What if you suck all the water from your brain and break it down into its nutrients? Fat (also called lipid) makes up most of the weight of a dehydrated brain. The rest of your brain is made up of amino acids, micronutrients, glucose, and protein. The brain is definitely more than the sum of its nutritional parts. However, each element does have a different effect on development, function, vitality, and mood.
In fact, the alertness you feel late at night or the dizziness you may feel after lunch may just be the effect of food on the brain. The main fats in your brain are Omega 3 and Omega 6. These essential fatty acids are related to the prevention of degenerative brain diseases and must come from our diet. Therefore, eating high-fat fish, such as seeds, nuts, and omega-rich foods, is essential for the production and maintenance of cell membranes. However, long-term intake of other fats (such as trans and saturated fats) may damage your brain health. At the same time, the developmental and growth nutrients that make up amino acids and proteins control our feelings and behaviors. Amino acids include chemical messengers that transmit signals between neurons affecting sleep, mood, weight, and attention. This is one of the reasons why we may feel more alert after a protein-rich meal or calm after eating a large plate of pasta. The complex combination of compounds in food can stimulate brain cells to produce mood-changing norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine. However, access to brain cells is not easy; therefore, amino acids must compete for insure access. The diet contains a variety of foods, which can keep the various messengers of the brain in balance and maintain a balanced mood. Like other organs in the human body, our brain also benefits from a stable supply of micronutrients. The antioxidants in vegetables and fruits can enhance the brain's ability to resist free radicals that damage brain cells and make your brain work better for a longer period of time. Without powerful micronutrients, such as folic acid, B6, and B12 our brains will be vulnerable to mental decline and brain diseases. Trace amounts of zinc, sodium, copper, and iron are also essential for early cognitive development and brain health. The brain needs a lot of fuel to efficiently transform and synthesize these precious nutrients. Even though the brain makes only about 2% of our body weight, it uses up 20% of our energy. The human body produces energy from carbohydrates that it digests into blood sugar or glucose. The drop in glucose seriously affects the frontal lobe. In fact, changes in mental function are one of the main signs of nutritional deficiency.
How does certain types of carbohydrates we eat impact our brains? Suppose we take glucose regularly. Well, there are three forms of carbohydrates: fiber, starch, and sugar. The proportion of sugar and fiber subgroups in total affects how the body and brain respond, even though they are classified as a total carbohydrate on most nutrition labels. High-glycemic foods, such as white bread, quickly release glucose into the blood and then drop. Therefore, the drop in blood sugar will affect our attention span and mood. On the other hand, beans, grains, and oats release glucose more slowly, so the level of attention is stable.
Finally, in order to maintain the power of the brain, you should choose a variety of nutritious foods. Always remember that when you chew, bite, or swallow, your choices have a direct and lasting effect on the most important organs in the body. So choose wisely.
0 Comments