Eating for Cognitive Function

DID YOU KNOW? Scientists suspect that the abundance of specific nutrients will affect our cognitive processes and emotions.

That means understanding how these molecules effects our cognition will help us determine how to adjust our diet and promote mental fitness. We see food as something we desire but we tend to forget food provides us with energy, it supports us when building muscles, and prevents us from diseases. Studies have advanced by showing us how omega-3 (fatty acids) support genes and those in fact upregulate our cognitive processes.

 

Food for Health

We are spoilt for choice when it comes to food. The society we live in influences what we eat and when we eat, other influences can be through culture and religion. When we do eat foods that are pleasant we plant memories, these neural pathways are associated with reward, so it is a dopamine hit to our senses. However, we forget food is not a necessity for our bones, muscles and blood cells but it can also impact our diet & exercise. In fact, nutrition is used as part of therapy to reduce depression, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorders.

 

Science about the brain

Without going into too much science too, there is a brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), if you find elevations of this within your brain and increase noradrenaline both are associated with antidepressant treatments. There is also an association with neurotrophins this involves memory & performance that influence cognitive processing. Therefore, an upregulation of BDNF is important for learning and memory. However, did you also know, what you put on your dinner plate alters your genetics?

 

‘Food has been found to be able to influence the way genes

work by a process known as epigenetics,’

 

Longitudinal study in Sweden

A study that included birth, death, health & genealogical records over a period of more than 100 years involved 300 Swedish families in an isolated village. The study found that an individual’s risk for diabetes and early death was increased if their paternal grandparents grew up in times of food abundance rather than times of food shortage. So if we are susceptible to diabetes and early death in this modern, nutrient rich society what are the food we should look out for in order to become healthier as we age?

 

Nutrients affect DNA

Some dietary nutrients have been found to influence DNA are omega-3, certain antioxidants, curcumin, flavonoids, B-vitamins, calcium, iron and zinc and choline, which are also some of the nutrients most vital to your brain health.

 

How to increase cognitive function & foods to avoid

 

Nutrient	Effect of cognitive function	Food Sources
Omega – 3 fatty acids	Effects cognitive decay (particularly in Alzheimer patients)	Fish (Salmon) Flax Seeds, Kiwi Fruit Butternuts, Walnuts
Curcumin	Cognitive decay in traumatic brain injury Supports memory and thought-formation Effective as an antidepressant Increases BDNF growth	Turmeric
Flavonoids	Cognitive enhancement & improvement in function in older adults Supports working memory, attention, multi-tasking and processing information	Cocoa Green Tea Citrus Fruits Wine (Higher in Red) Dark Chocolate
Saturated Fat	Exacerbate cognitive impairment	Butter, Ghee, Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, Dairy Products, Meat
Vitamin B	Positive effects on memory performance in women of various ages	See sources Vitamin B12 – not available from plant products
Vitamin D	Preserving cognition in the elderly	Fish Liver, Mushrooms, Milk, Soy Milk, Cereal, Grains
Vitamin E	Reduces cognitive decay in elderly Reduces high blood pressure (an issue linked to cognitive decline) Can prevent mental fatigue	Asparagus, Avocado, Nuts, Olives, Spinach, Vegetable Oil, Wheatgerm
Choline	Reduction of seizure induced memory impairment   Protective effect on cognitive performance	Egg Yolks, Soy, Beef, Chicken, Turkey, Lettice
Vitamin C & E	Delays cognitive decline Manages symptoms such as anxiety & stress	Citrus Fruits, Plants including Vegetables, Vitamin E (See above)
Calcium & Zinc	High serum calcium is associated with faster cognitive decline. Prevent dips in concentration and focus Zinc supports lessening cognitive decay in the elderly Serves brain cell growth and communication	Milk, Small amount of beans, Almonds, Whole Grains, Sunflower Seeds, Shell Fish
Iron	Normalises cognitive function in young women	Fish, Red Meat, Poultry, Lentils, Beans

 

The foods in this example are correlated with cognitive increase, although recent studies have identified that a unified approach is recommended. If you can integrate good food and exercise (at the molecular level) it will alter your genes and could influence cognitive abilities. In addition it will be highly beneficial to your overall health. Numerous studies have shown that exercise enhances learning and memory under a variety of conditions such as diet and exercise combined.

The brain is highly susceptible to oxidative damage because of it’s high metabolic load. A high antioxidant capacity (including nutrients found in berries) do provide protection against damage within the brain as well as having benefits of learning and memory performance.

 

Summary:

 

• Particular nutrients have a bigger influence on cognition, this is vital for maintaining cognitive function.

 

• Good nutrition will enhance cognitive abilities and protects the brain from damage.

 

• Promotes repair and counteracts the effects of aging.

 

• Research supports additional aids in adopting other lifestyle habits, such as consistent exercise and quality of sleep for cognitive function.

 

• The combination of the triad (nutrition, exercise & sleep) have strong implications for your overall health and have been designed to be therapeutic interventions for those with mental disorders.

 

• The long-term impact will be transmitting your genes via epigenetic events.

 

Nutrition is no longer a label of you are what you eat, it’s no longer that simple. It’s about how you perform every day, the quality of your recovery and the ways it impacts your the genetics. This will impact your life, your children’s and their children’s way of living too.

 

Check out the first Anti-Inflammatory Food suggestions &

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References:

Gómez-Pinilla F. (2008). Brain foods: the effects of nutrients on brain function. Nature reviews. Neuroscience, 9(7), 568–578. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn2421

Kaati G, Bygren LO, Pembrey M, Sjöström M. Transgenerational response to nutrition, early life circumstances and longevity. Eur J Hum Genet. 2007;15:784–790. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Tahani Boumenna, MS, Tammy M Scott, PhD, Jong-Soo Lee, PhD, Xiyuan Zhang, MPH, David Kriebel, ScD, Katherine L Tucker, PhD, Natalia Palacios, ScD, MIND Diet and Cognitive Function over Eight Years in Puerto Rican Older Adults, The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, 2021;, glab261, https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glab261