Five Crucial Nutrients for Cognitive Health & Emotional Well-Being

Healthful Vitality | 04/12/2019 | By Mahalakshmi Babu | Five Crucial Nutrients for Cognitive Health & Emotional Well-Being

We often tend to overlook the fact that the type of food we eat impacts our mood and brain function. Our current approach assumes that health is only physical well-being. It needs to change because what you eat is more than body weight and physical condition. It influences emotional well-being too!

Somewhere down the years we seemed to have lost the connection and tend to separate our emotional health from the rest of the body.

With a dramatic rise in awareness about emotional health and well-being, researchers are now looking into how certain foods take a toll on the brain, while specific foods boost your brain’s activity and mood levels.

Your brain is the one that keeps your heart beating, and the rest of the body functioning. Since the brain works round the clock, it requires a constant supply of fuel. What type of fuel (food) it receives makes all the difference.

What you eat influences your brain in many ways from fighting winter blues to feeling focused. It turns out your brain is indeed a big deal!  Let’s take a look at specific foods (nutrients) that work to boost your brain function.

The five crucial nutrients for cognitive health & emotional well-being

Here are the five must include foods for boosting brain power:

1) Berries:

All berries have fantastic health benefits because of their rich antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action. A combination of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds show stellar brain-protecting effects. Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and cranberries have beneficial nutrients that sharpen your brain and memory.

A review of several studies on the effects of berries on the brain shows that they prevent memory loss and boost brain function [1]. According to researchers, the antioxidant nutrients in berries work to improve the communication between brain cells [2]. When communication improves, it leads to efficient recall and memory, better reflexes, and other cognitive functions of the brain.

How to enjoy them?

Top it up on your breakfast cereal. Enjoy as a snack, add to your smoothies.

2) Omega-3 rich foods:

Omega – 3 is a nutrient that helps with cognitive development and brain function. The human brain is nearly 60% fat [3], and it is dependent on omega-3 fats to work efficiently. Research shows that adequate dietary intake of omega-3 is a practical approach to counteract neurological and cognitive disorders [4]. The brain uses DHA, a type of omega-3 fat to lower inflammation and slow brain aging.

Deep-sea, wild-caught fish, like salmon is a good source of DHA, but there are many options to get omega-3 from plants. Algal oil is a safer and better way to get DHA. Unlike seafood, you do not have to deal with contaminants like mercury and other toxins with algal oil. Algae belong to the base of the food chain, and fish eat these algae and accumulate omega-3 (DHA) in their tissue [5].

Plus, taking other plant sources of omega-3 fats like chia, flax, hemp seeds,  walnuts, and brussels sprouts provide plenty of ALA, another type of short-chain omega-3 fat. Your body can convert ALA to long-chain DHA and EPA. Studies show that healthy young men convert about 8% of ALA to EPA and 0-4% to DHA [6]. The conversion rate is slightly higher in healthy young women with about 21% conversion to EPA and 9% conversion to DHA [7]. Include plenty of ALA and add algal oil supplement to amp up your DHA levels. Plenty of evidence show that omega-3 fats can be beneficial in improving mood and lowering symptoms of depression. These reviews come from meta-analysis, where researchers combine and analyze results of many similar studies for a conclusion [8,9].

Ways to include in your menu

Most nuts and seeds make an excellent topping for salads and your morning breakfast bowl. Nut butters and seed butters can be used as spreads. Add drops of algal oil to your smoothies, salad dressing or just as a supplement.

3) Avocado:

Avocado is a treasure trove of nutrients. They are high in healthy monounsaturated fats, vitamin B and C. Avocados also provide vitamin K and folate. One avocado ( about 200 grams) [10] can give you,

• Vitamin K – 53% of the Daily Value
• Folate – 41% of the Daily Value
• Vitamin B6 – 26% of the Daily Value
• Vitamin C – 33% of the Daily Value
• Fiber – 54% of the Daily Value
• Protein – 4 grams
• Monounsaturated fat – 19.7 grams
• Omega – 3 fats  221 mg
• Omega – 6 fats  3396 mg

Avocado is a good source of two vital brain nutrients – healthy fats and folate. The fats help reduce inflammation and folate helps in the production of neurotransmitters in the brain and also improves blood circulation. A study found that monounsaturated fats help protect a type of nerve cells in the brain called astrocytes. These cells help the information-carrying nerves in the brain [11].

Ways to enjoy avocado

Avocado is a versatile food. Add it to your pasta or enjoys as a dip, dressing or in a salad.

4) Vitamin D foods & supplements:

Over one billion people are estimated to be vitamin D deficient or do not have sufficient levels [12]. Most of us connect the deficiency of vitamin D to bone loss and related problems. But recent studies show that having low levels of D can impact your mental health too.

A 2008 integrative review of several studies on vitamin D and mood disorder in women found significant results. Low levels of  vitamin D led to an increased incidence of four mood disorders – seasonal affective disorder, non-specific mood disorder, premenstrual syndrome and major depressive disorder [13].

To reduce your risk for depression and related issues, it seems relevant to amp up vitamin D intake. Your best source of vitamin D is sunlight, and appropriate sun exposure is an excellent way to improve D levels. The skin has vitamin D precursors which get activated to vitamin D3 when the UV-B rays hit your skin. If you work mostly indoors and use sunscreen, you likely have low vitamin D levels. Vitamin-D fortified foods help, yet when levels are too low, taking vitamin D supplements are a better way to improve D levels.

What helps?

Appropriate sun exposure

Use the smartphone app d-minder. It tells you how much vitamin D you’re making based on your skin tone, age, and geographical location. It does warn when at risk of sunburn.

Good-quality Vitamin D supplements & vitamin D-rich foods

5) Folate-rich foods:

Folate (vitamin B9) enhances cognitive performance by lowering inflammation and reducing homocysteine [14]. Most dark greens like broccoli, spinach, Brussel sprouts, and asparagus are rich in folate. However, cooking leads to loss of folate [15] and we likely consume less of this crucial nutrient.

Folate helps to contain excess homocysteine levels and inflammation and thereby reduces the risk of degenerative brain disorders. Studies show that folate helps support cell structure and function of the brain especially by reducing the production of beta-amyloids [16]. Beta-amyloids are toxic proteins, and too many of them form hardened plaques leading to Alzheimer’s disease.

How to increase folate intake?

Include plenty of lentils and beans. They are excellent sources of folate. For instance, a cup of cooked lentils has 358 mcg (90% of the daily value),and cooked chickpeas gives 282 mcg (71% of the daily value).

Folate is a water-soluble vitamin, so always use the water in which you cook the folate-rich beans or vegetable.

Besides, these nutrients, research shows that probiotics, dark chocolate, turmeric spice, herbs like rosemary, Ginkgo biloba are also helpful in improving brain power. Regular exercise, socialization, volunteering, learning a new skill are all other great ways to rewire and recharge your brain power.

Taking a comprehensive approach is essential to boosting cognitive health. Apart from food choices, lifestyle habits are also vital to keep you sharp and happy. Being healthy means, you feel good physically and mentally. Keep in mind, simple tweaks to eating habits and lifestyle changes are all that may be required to feel better and live longer.

References:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19057194
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4192974/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20329590
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26795198
5. Harris WS. Omega-3 fatty acids. In: Coates PM, Betz JM, Blackman MR, et al., eds. Encyclopedia of Dietary Supplements. 2nd ed. London and New York: Informa Healthcare; 2010:577-86.
6. Burdge GC, Jones AE, Wootton SA. Eicosapentaenoic and docosapentaenoic acids are the principal products of α-linolenic acid metabolism in young men*. Br J Nutr. 2002;88(4):355-364. 
7. Burdge GC, Wootton SA. Conversion of α-linolenic acid to eicosapentaenoic, docosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids in young women. Br J Nutr. 2002;88(4):411-420
8. Omega-3 fatty acids: evidence basis for treatment and future research in psychiatry.
9. A meta-analytic review of double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of antidepressant efficacy of omega-3 fatty acids.
10. Nutritiondata-self-com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1843/2
11. https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/avocado-brain-function-6231.html
12. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17634462/
13. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18761297/
14. Ma F, Li Q, Zhou X, et al. Effects of folic acid supplementation on cognitive function and Abeta-related biomarkers in mild cognitive impairment: a randomized controlled trail. Eur J Nutr. 2017.
15. Fabbri ADT, Crosby GA. A review of the impact of preparation and cooking on the nutritional quality of vegetables and legumes. International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science. 2016;3:2-11.
16. Li W, Liu H, Yu M, et al. Folic acid administration inhibits amyloid beta-peptide accumulation in APP/PS1 transgenic mice. J Nutr Biochem. 2015;26(8):883-91.

Author:

Mahalakshmi Babu is a Nutritionist with a Master’s degree in Food Science and Nutrition. She has completed a certificate program in Plant-based Nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies.

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