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- 1. How Diet How Diet Affects Brain Affects Brain Functioning Functioning By:Michelle Lopez
- 2. The brain monitors our daily operations, activities, and communicates with other organs which coordinate their function. From an embryo being nourished by a placenta connected to our mother’s to their breast milk. The first 8 years of life create the foundation for future health and success in life. Although it comes with many other important factors, diet does have a major impact-in brain functioning through all the stages of life. Introduction
- 3. Brain Functioning Our brains are one of the most important organs in our body and without it we would not exist. Therefore diet does affect the brain as said many specialists such as . When food is put into our body , it affects the neurons which are major cells of the brain. Glial cells which hold nerve cells in place and help work the way they should.The two types of glial cells are microglia and astrocytes . Microglia help protect the brain from infections while the astrocytes provide neurons with the nutrients they highly need to stay healthy. (Frontiers)
- 4. Dietary patterns An unhealthy diet rich in sugars and fats cause the inflammation of neurons. A healthy diet which contains nutrients, omega 3fatty acids in fact improve the formation of neurons. This leads to improved thinking, memory, and attention Dietitian Emer Delany states "Eating a wide variety of fruit and vegetables that contain lots of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants will help to nourish the brain and protect it from oxidative stress, which can potentially damage cells. (Delany) High intake of fruit, vegetables, cereals or cereal-based foods (for example wheat, oats, corn, rice) and legumes (for example peas, beans, lentils) moderate intake of alcohol (usually wine) and fish low-to-moderate intake of dairy product low intake of meat (red and poultry) a high monounsaturated to saturated fat ratio, which can be achieved through high consumption of olive oil rather than other fats(bbbcgoodfoods)
- 5. Solutions Including Omega 3Fatty acids is an essential in a diet because the body is unable to make itself One omega-3 fatty acid, called α-linolenic acid, is common in plants like walnuts and in edible seeds like flax seeds. Eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are found in fish oils. A diet rich in fish oil and omega-3 fatty acids can decrease the risk of certain brain disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease or depression.(Frontiers) Studies by other scientists have indicated that taking DHA during pregnancy can improve the development of the neurons of the unborn baby Take DHA The artificial sweetener, aspartame, in diet sodas can make you irritable or anxious and can cause sleep disturbance Avoid artifical sugars Trans-fats are artificial fats that are considered the worst type of fats to eat. Trans-fats have many negative effects, but in the brain, they can increase the risk of cognitive problems, anxiety, and even Alzheimer’s disease. Avoid Trans-Fats
- 6. Conclusion In sum, our diets heavily affect brain functioning in many ways. Having this knowledge allows us to understand the factors of eating healthy and unhealthy through our life. Monitoring dietary paterns allows solutions to fix our diets for better brain functions.