It's not surprising that a well nourished brain is the key to creative thought. The brain is control centre of both the body and the mind and requires 20% of the oxygen that we inhale and a whopping 50% of the glucose available in our blood to function.

The brain is so dependant on energy and oxygen that if the supply is interrupted for 15 seconds, unconsciousness occurs. Five minutes without glucose and oxygen and brain death in inevitable.

Recent research suggests that dietary and environmental factors do more than just keep our brains ticking over – good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle may well protect and enhance memory and brain functioning throughout our entire lives. As life expectancy increases, the importance of maintaining good mental function is becoming more and more important and relevant for all of us – no matter what our age.

Nutrients we need

To maintain all round health, we need a healthy supply of the essential elements – hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen. A healthy supply means that not just any old food will do – we need to have a balanced intake of the nutrients that break down to provide the body with essential elements, namely carbohydrate, protein and fat. No matter what the latest diet craze may advise, all these nutrients are needed – including fat!

The only difference between the brain and other body parts is that brain cells are the only cells in the body that cannot reproduce. This means that it's essential that brain cells get enough good nutrition to keep them healthy and viable for your entire life. So when it comes to brain food, just as for every other organ in the body, healthy eating basics hold true – maybe even more so!

How it all works

So how do the essential elements work in the brain? Well, the reason that all food is eventually broken down into the four elements is that all food and nutrition is ultimately used to produce one essential molecule – ATP (Adenosine Tri Phosphate).

This tiny molecule is responsible for releasing energy to power neurotransmitters, transporting proteins to brain cells and aiding the conduction of electrical impulses in the brain.

The neurotransmitters that ATP powers are built from amino acids (from protein). The only neurotransmitter that is not made from amino acids is acetylcholine which is essential for movement and memory (see later).
Examples of neurotransmitters include:

• Adrenaline and noradrenaline – promote alertness, activity and mood elevation
• Serotonin – responsible for the waking/sleeping cycle and the control of the adrenaline/noradrenaline balance.
• GABA – alleviates chronic anxiety and aids concentration
• Glycine – works with GABA to prevent epileptic seizures
• Dopamine – plays a vital role in initiating and co-ordinating sex drive.

Imagine the devastating effect that protein or energy deficient diets can have on brain function. Protein is found in abundance in many foods including meat, fish, eggs, milk, cheese, nuts, beans, peas and lentils.

Dieting Dangers

Research suggests that the brain may not respond well to too much of certain nutrients either. Preliminary research into the effect of high fat diets on the brains of rats suggests that excess saturated fat may impair learning and memory function, meaning a controlled selective fat intake may be as good for our brains as it is for our hearts.

Additionally, it's possible that the popular high fat, high protein, low carbohydrate diet so favoured by those wishing to achieve fast-track thinness, may not be ideal from a memory and learning perspective.

Research areas

Brain nutrition is a popular area of research. The following are some areas of particular interest:

Antioxidants

It seems that antioxidants, found in a range of good quality fruit and vegetables and in some nuts and seeds may be good for more than our blood vessels.

As we age, our brain cells become less efficient at generating energy. One of the reasons for this is that the amount of anti-oxidant enzymes in the brain cells also decrease. As oxidants or ‘free radicals' build up, they attack the lipid or fat in the brain causing an increase of a pigment known as lipofuscin. Some researchers believe that accumulation of this pigment may lead to an age-related deterioration in brain function.

Although a lot of research is still required, there is no reason not to optimise the antioxidants in your diet by optimising your intake of fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds.

Choline

Choline is essential for the creation and function of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Since acetylcholine is responsible for movement and memory, it's not surprising that the effects of choline on the brain is an area of growing research.

We already know that a lack of choline can harm the liver, but animal studies are beginning to suggest that choline may affect brain power.
Studies have been carried out in rats, and it has been found that supplementing the diet of pregnant rats affects brain development in ways that enhance learning in later life.

 While animal studies are providing exciting results, human studies are just beginning, so no recommendations on increasing choline intake can be made at this time.
However, as choline is found in common foods such as beef, eggs, oranges and potatoes, this may be further proof that eating a variety of foods is one of the first things that we should do if we are to ensure a healthy diet, particularly during pregnancy!

Di-Methyl-Amino-Ethanol (DMAE)

DMAE is naturally present in the brain in small amounts and is believed to affect the brain levels of acetylcholine. DMAE is found in fish – perhaps one of the reasons that fish is known as ‘brain food'?

Special foods or healthy eating?

It makes common sense that a balanced healthy diet is essential for the brain to function to maximum capacity. There is a lot of emerging evidence about the effects of individual substances on mental function, however it's important to consider that a healthy balanced diet is most definitely a cornerstone of a healthy balanced brain