If you have difficulty concentrating, if you experience mental numbness which makes you struggle to work, if your memory or attention decreases, but also if anxiety or stress increases. In short, if our brain doesn't do what we would like, one of the culprits is food. Not only. Among the foods there are those that can actually damage brain activity and mood, and those that on the contrary improve them. Here are the tips from the experts.
To have a super-mind the neurons must be well nourished
“ The first step to keeping your mind and brain healthy is feed well the gray matter,” he says Giuseppe Iannoccari, neuropsychologist and president of Assomensana. What is important “to have a super-mind is the speed of communication between the neurons, through signals that travel along the axons, coated in fat, which reach the synapses and through these give the signal to the other neurons". This is to explain that “it is important give to the neurons a covering made of good fats need good quality that enable communication (neurotransmitters), helping them with antioxidants a Don't be attacked by free radicals”. In other words “those who aspire to have a brilliant brain must not have extra pounds and must give priority fruits and vegetables, rich in antioxidants and vitamins C and E".
Like food, it also affects mood, anxiety and stress
The food we ingest also contains information on which our ability to manage it depends stress and other related disorders to the mood. "The omega-3 fatty acids, contained in large quantities in fish, not only are they fundamental to guarantee correct brain functions, but it is hypothesized that they act in the prevention of states such as anxiety, hyperactivity e poor cognitive ability. Furthermore, it seems that a greater consumption of omega-3 favors an increase in the concentration of dopamine, the neurotransmitter ofgood mood””, says Filippo Ongaro, who among other things was the astronauts' doctor from 2000 to 2007 and developed the Ongaro Method.
Proteins for a brilliant brain and good mood
“We shouldn't underestimate the importance of either protein from which neurotransmitters are produced, such as dopamine, or norepinephrine and epinephrine, which are linked to the correct regulation of mood. To facilitate the sonno, prevent states of anxiety and for a greater sense of peacefulness, magnesium, vitamin B6 and vitamin D are also useful."
Regarding proteins to consume to have super-minds, Iannoccari also agrees: “Eliminate the meat it could compromise the health of the hippocampus, our memory base, as stated by recent research from the University of Oxford. Neurons are in fact 'hungry' for vitamin B12, present above all in foods of animal origin, such as eggs (also rich in choline, the raw material of acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter that decreases in those suffering from Alzheimer's disease), the cheese, the yogurt (also valuable for the high content of tyrosine, an amino acid necessary for the production of two important neurotransmitters such as dopamine and norepinephrine), meat and fish” says the neuropsychologist. “Fish also contains omega 3, fatty acids essential for brain metabolism, which improve mood and promote concentration skills. Other cure-all foods for the brain they are i berries (contain antioxidants), the chocolate (better dark) and above all the nights, also rich in omega 3 and linoleic acid, which improves communication between cells.
Foods that interfere with brain activity
Foods can on the contrary have also negative effects on the brain. An excess of sugar need refined grains leads to continuous changes in blood sugar which lead to consequences mood swings. Anxiety and depression can, however, be the effects of excessive consumption of coffee. Even the gluten, the protein contained in most cereals, is under scrutiny: it contains large quantities of glutamate and gluteomorphins which act negatively on the brain. From this point of view, excessive consumption also deserves reflection milk which contains caseomorphins which work like gluteomorphins on our nervous system, says Ongaro.
Physiological cognitive decline can be slowed down
The brain, like all other organs, also undergoes a process of slowdown physiological over the years which translates into a reduction in the efficiency of some cognitive functions such as memory, attention, reasoning and learning.
Lo lifestyle plays an essential role in reducing the probability of developing pathologies (such as dementia for example) and/or delaying the physiological brain aging. This is even more important considering that there are no definitive treatments in these areas and "therefore the prevention represents an indispensable strategy today” he says Martina Rossi, nutritionist from Attilio Speciani's studio on the eurosalus.com website.
“There are nutrients that can help and eating behaviors that can contribute to brain damage,” Rossi says. “Diets high in carbohydrates increase the risk of dementia by 89%, while diets higher in fat and protein lower it by 44%.”
The importance of magnesium and physical activity
After underlining the importance of omega 3 fatty acids, antioxidants and whole grains, Rossi also places emphasis on a right dose of magnesium and physical activity. "The magnesium it is an essential mineral that plays a role in maintaining brain function. It is involved in the transmission of nerve impulses and the regulation of synaptic plasticity. Foods rich in magnesium include nuts, seeds, legumes, dark green leafy vegetables, dark chocolate and fish,” says Rossi.
“Although it is not a real nutrient,physical exercise it has been the subject of numerous scientific works which have nevertheless highlighted that approximately 3% of all cases of dementia could be prevented by increasing levels of physical activity" he continues. “Higher physical activity levels were associated with a significant reduction in the onset of dementia in a linear dose-response manner. In people already suffering from dementia, however, it seems that physical activity can improve general cognition, as physical exercise appears to increase neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity in animal models."
