Brain structure and your diet: why overeating is bad for your brain
Overeating is one of the factors that negatively affect brain function. As a highly energy-consuming organ, the brain is rich in organelles called mitochondria, whose purpose is to produce energy, coming mainly from glucose and oxygen, but also from fatty acids (during periods of prolonged starvation). As a side effect of the process, free radicals are also produced, highly reactive molecules which inflict damage on cell structures, including neurons. Eating more than your body needs along with a sedentary lifestyle lead to overproduction of free radicals, which promotes brain ageing processes.
The mitochondria, and therefore your brain, need many chemicals to function, such as B vitamins, magnesium, coenzyme Q10, or antioxidants. You will find these substances in vegetables, especially dark greens (e.g. kale, broccoli, spinach), but also vegetables of different colours (e.g. aubergine, carrots, red bell peppers), berries (e.g. strawberries), or chocolate with 70% or more cocoa. The best way to introduce coenzyme Q10 is to use supplementation, as there is not enough of it in food to satisfy the needs of your body.
Aside from the substances supporting the function of mitochondria, the brain also needs building blocks and substances essential for neurotransmission: fat and protein. Fats boosting mental performance are non-saturated fats, which can be found in oily fish (sardines, herring, halibut), nuts and seeds (e.g. walnuts, Brazil nuts, almonds, flaxseed), or olive oil. Proteins play a special role, because neurotransmitters such as dopamine or serotonin are produced from amino acids. Proteins should be obtained mostly from pulses or nuts, to a lesser degree from fish and poultry, and only occasionally from red meat. The preferred source of carbohydrates, on the other hand, aside from vegetables and berries, are whole grains such as quinoa, black rice, groats (buckwheat, hulled barley), or wholemeal rye bread.
Occasional foods
Saturated fatty acids and trans acids originating from highly processed foods, such as sweets and confectionery, fried meats (and meat products such as sausages), fast foods, as well as cheeses high in fat (e.g. Camembert), affect the function of the nervous system. You do not have to ban them from your diet completely, but you should only eat them once in a while.
THE MIND DIET – what is it?
Researchers have designed the principles of a diet based on foods with proven neuroprotective properties, i.e. foods that protect the nervous system against unfavourable changes associated, for instance, with ageing or disease processes (such as the Alzheimer’s disease). The MIND diet, or the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, combines the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet (aimed at reducing hypertension). It includes 10 product groups that support brain function and 5 product groups that accelerate or aggravate unfavourable changes (neurodegenerative processes). Foods good for the brain supply the substances mentioned earlier in this article.
FOODS THAT ARE HEALTHY FOR YOUR BRAIN
The table below shows product groups that are good for brain health and product groups which should be avoided.
| FOODS THAT ARE HEALTHY FOR YOUR BRAIN | FOODS THAT ARE UNHEALTHY FOR YOUR BRAIN |
| Dark leafy greens, such as spinach, kale, broccoli | Red meat, especially fried and processed meat (e.g. sausages) |
| Other vegetables, such as courgette, carrots, tomatoes, bell peppers | Butter and hard margarine |
| Berries, such as strawberries, bilberries | Sweets and confectionery, such as candy bars, cookies, donuts |
| Nuts, such as walnuts, flaxseed, almonds | Cheeses high in fat, such as Camembert |
| Whole grains, such as rice, buckwheat, wholemeal bread | Fast foods |
| Pulses, such as beans, chickpeas, lentils |
|
| Poultry (other than fried), such as turkey, chicken |
|
| Oily saltwater fish, such as sardines, halibut, herring |
|
| Chocolate with high cocoa content |
|
