Brain Foods : Brain Food: How The Food We Buy May Be Impacting The Long Term Health Of Our Brains

When we do our grocery shopping we may not be thinking in terms of brain food, but what we buy does play a part in the health of our minds. We sometimes buy things in terms of the health of our hearts, but we may need to make a few changes if we want our minds to go the distance as we age.

Americans still seem to persist in buying high fat foods even though we are aware of the risks to our arteries and heart. However, just as in the case of heart healthy foods, food for the brain requires a reduction in the “bad fat” content of our diets. Clogged arteries not only impact the heart they hind the mind.

The brain is the largest user of oxygen of all the different organs so any change in blood flow to the brain quickly effects its ability to function. Reducing fats is important in keeping those arteries free. In fact, researchers have noted that reduced blood flow is a contributing factor in cognitive decline in older people. Protecting your blood supply to the brain is critical in keeping function longer as you age.

Brain food also needs to be high in vitamins and minerals. While this is good for the body in general, the brain in particular is susceptible to deficiencies in nutrients. Many of the chemicals in the brain, neurotransmitters, etc. depend on a steady supply of vitamins, minerals and amino acids.

Since these nutrients come largely through fruits and vegetables most people do not get all that they need. The typical american eats nowhere near the daily recommended amount of fruits and vegetables that they need. The flip side of this problem is that even if they did, our modern processing of foods as well as some of the way we farm them tends to strip away rather than help retain these nutrients.

Antioxidants are another item that is important for the brain. Again, finding food for the brain that provides the right levels of antioxidants is hard. It comes back to the lack of fruits and vegetables in our diet as well as the previously mentioned depletion of these nutrients in the foods themselves.

Antioxidants are foundational in helping to protect the mind from aging. Scientists are learning that the damage caused by free radicals is a big factor in some of the age related decline we see in older people. It also may play a role in the damage to brain cells that leads to Alzheimer’s and dementia. Antioxidants help neutralize free radicals before they can damage cells. Good food for the brain must include a healthy dose of antioxidants.

So what do we do to get good brain food since we know that most people don’t buy what they should and when they do it is still short on nutrients? What steps can we take to ensure the health of our brains as we age?

First, we still need to do our part to cut fats and increase the fruits and vegetables we eat. Regardless of whether or not they have decreased nutrient content, eating more of them is still better for us then not having them at all.

Second, finding good fruits and vegetables for brain food may require thinking outside the box a bit. Instead of buying from chain stores who get their produce from commercial farms that use the kind of heavy processing which strips nutrients, buy from smaller local farms or farmers markets. They may be a bit more expensive at times, but the quality could be substantially better.

Third, it may be necessary to add supplements to the diet that help fill in the gaps. There are many good combination supplements out there that provide a range of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. This is a fairly easy and effective way to make up for some of the lack of nutrients we have in our food. Make sure you find a manufacturer that has a reputation for quality and uses safe, pure ingredients.

While we may not always do our best to eat appropriate brain food, we can take steps to improve the level of nutrients we get daily. Since medicine is helping people live longer, it is more important than ever that we do what we can to help our minds keep up. Nobody wants to live to be 90 only to have their minds degrade to a miserable level. We can do something about that by giving our brain what it needs. All it takes is a few changes to what we buy and eat as well as a little commitment to stick with those changes. The end result will be worth it.