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Our brain is the control centre of the central nervous system. This extremely complex organ contains more than 100 billion neurons, with each of these linked to as many as 10,000 others. Through the cranial nerves, the brain communicates with the spinal cord, which controls our body.
Our brain is the site of reason and intelligence and is involved with cognition, perception, attention, memory and emotion. It makes possible cognitive, motor and other forms of learning. The brain can perform a variety of functions automatically, without the need for conscious awareness. These include homeostatic body functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, fluid balance and body temperature.
Because the brain controls such a large variety of functions, it is vital that we look after it and nourish it with the ingredients it needs to work optimally. Some of the essentials include providing it with the proper nutrients to literally “feed it.” These include essential fatty acids, protein, glucose and micronutrients. Having adequate sleep and stress control is also vital, as well as positive mental stimulation and life-giving oxygen, particularly through exercise.
Our brain is a thinking organ that learns and grows. Even in old age, it can grow new neurons. Most age-related loss in memory or motor skills results from inactivity and a lack of mental exercise and stimulation. Mental stimulation improves brain function and actually protects against cognitive decline, as does physical exercise. Remember the saying, “Use it or lose it.” This is so true, especially when it comes to our brain.
From a nutritional point of view, the foods you eat are the brain's primary link to its continued process of regeneration and development. Your diet affects the chemicals in your brain, which influence your mood and behaviour and the thought processes and emotional reactions that ultimately create your life.
Fatty acids from healthy fats are what your brain uses to create the specialised cells that allow you to think and feel. Amino acids from proteins are used to make the neurotransmitters that allow your brain cells to network and communicate. Glucose from carbohydrates is the fuel your brain uses to produce the energy that moves and motivates you. Micronutrients from fruits and vegetables are the antioxidants your brain relies on to safeguard its cells from damage and dysfunction.
About two-thirds of your brain is composed of fats; but not just any kind of fats. It relies on a constant supply of the two essential fatty acids, Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and Linoleic acid (LA). ALA is the foundation of the "Omega-3" family of fatty acids. Food sources of Omega-3 ALA include: flax and hemp seeds, walnuts, sea vegetables and green, leafy vegetables. The essential fatty acid, LA, is the foundation of the "Omega-6" family of fatty acids. Food sources of Omega-6 LA include: cold-pressed sunflower, safflower, corn and sesame oils.
A lot of research has been undertaken to test the effects in the body of ingesting different types of fats. A Dutch study of cognitive function in males, aged 69 to 89, suggests that a high intake of Omega-6 fatty acids (found in red meat) is "positively associated with cognitive impairment, whereas a high fish consumption is inversely associated with cognitive impairment."
Scientists at the USDA's Laboratory of Neuroscience and at the Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Centre on Aging at Tufts University reported that neuro-degenerative disorders such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's appear to exhibit membrane loss of fatty acids. Their conclusion was that a diet, which contains a careful balance of Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids may help to delay the onset or reduce the insult to brain function, as found in these diseases."
A balanced ratio of the two fatty acid families (Omega-3 and Omega-6) is necessary for a healthy brain, which is structurally composed of a 1:1 ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3. Western diets however, tend to have at least 20 times more Omega-6 fats (from meat and dairy) than Omega-3 fats – an unhealthy ratio of 20:1.
This imbalance can be corrected simply by eating more Omega-3-rich fish and flax seed oil, by eating less sugar, and by completely avoiding trans fatty acids found in partially hydrogenated oils, margarine and shortening. In fact, to err on the side of caution, avoid any store bought oils and salad dressings, unless they are clearly labelled "cold-pressed" or in the case of olive oil, "extra virgin."
Trans fatty acids found in foods like hot chips, margarine, potato chips and anything else with partially hydrogenated oil disrupt communication in your brain. Trans fatty acids are rarely found in nature and are mostly man made.
By modifying natural fats, we have altered the basic building blocks of the human brain, weakening the brain’s architecture. And, like unstable buildings that come apart in an earthquake or storm, poorly structured human brains are failing to cope with the mounting stress of modern life.
A steady dietary supply of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids is crucial to a well-functioning brain. Good dietary sources of Omega-3 fatty acids are high-fat, cold-water fish like salmon, sardines, mackerel, and trout. To boost your supply of Omega-6 fatty acids, look for foods and supplements that include Evening Primrose, borage and black currant seed oils. Of course, meat, eggs, and dairy are also good in moderation.
Oxygen makes life possible but it can also take life away. Each of your 100 billion brain cells uses oxygen to stoke the fires of consciousness. Your brain's need for oxygen is more than ten times greater than the rest of your body. This same oxygen, however, can also erode the very structure of those brain cells.
Eating a diet, which contains plenty of highly coloured fresh fruits and vegetables will help to supply your body with the antioxidant micronutrients it needs to help maintain the oxygen balance in your brain. These nutrients can help beneficial oxygen to reach your brain, as well as combat the highly reactive forms of oxygen called free radicals. Free radicals create chemical reactions that damage brain cells. If free radicals get out of control, cells will be damaged faster than they can be repaired. Like a biological form of rust, a lifetime of oxidative insult can lead to diminished brain function.
Evidence is mounting that cumulative oxidative damage to brain cells causes fuzzy memory, slow learning and loss of coordination that often accompanies aging, as well as the dementias that plague people today. Even the form of dementia known as Alzheimer's Disease (AD) seems to begin with oxidative damage long before any symptoms arise.
Antioxidants are the key to helping to mop up these free radicals, reducing the oxidative damage. The main antioxidant nutrients include Vitamins A, C, E, Zinc and Selenium. The levels of antioxidants can be increased in the body by eating highly coloured fruits and vegetables - especially those with purple and red skins. You can also purchase antioxidant supplements, which can top up a diet, which is deficient in these nutrients.
Tufts University researchers analysed more than 40 fruits and vegetables and found that raw blueberries contained the highest level of antioxidants – nearly 60 times the recommended daily levels – more than blackberries, beets, spinach, and garlic.
Animals fed an antioxidant-rich blueberry extract diet showed fewer age-related motor changes and out-performed their study counterparts on memory tests. "The exciting finding from this study is the potential reversal of some age-related impairments in both memory and motor coordination, especially with blueberry supplements," said Molly Wagster, Ph.D., of the National Institute on Aging's Neuroscience and Neuro Psychology of Aging Programme.
Many neuroscientists believe that learning and memory involve changes at neuron-to-neuron synapses. Such changes, called Long-Term Potentiation (LTP), make it easier for connected neurons to communicate with each other, and therefore, to form memories. LTP involves patterns of synaptic strengthening and weakening that can last for weeks.
A study by neuroscientists at Brown University provided further evidence that learning uses LTP to produce changes in the synaptic connections between brain cells that are necessary to acquire and store new information
When the researchers taught rats a new motor skill, scientists found that the animals' brains had also changed. The strength of synapses between neurons in the motor cortex of their brains had increased through a process consistent with the use of LTP.
Previously, "the link between LTP, synaptic modification and learning was tentative," said senior author, John Donoghue, Professor of Neuroscience. "This latest study provides strong evidence that learning itself engages LTP in the cerebral cortex as a way to strengthen synaptic connections.
You may have heard the term “mind-body connection” as it applies to remarkable stories of healing without surgery or stress management but did you know that there is actually a physical connection between the brain and muscles? It is called the neuromuscular junction and chemical exchanges that happen at this junction are the key to your ability to move.
Brain chemistry reveals an essential unity of mind and body. Neurons not only contact other neurons, they also connect with skeletal muscles, at a specialised structure called the neuromuscular junction. There, the brain uses Acetylcholine – its primary chemical neurotransmitter for memory and attention, to communicate with muscles. Another of the brain's key chemical messengers, Dopamine, helps to regulate fine motor movement.
The role of these neurotransmitters in regulating movement highlights the intimate relationship between body and mind, muscle and memory. In fact, many body workers find that deep massage can trigger the release and awareness of powerful, long-held emotional memories.
These are just some of the main aspects with relation to brain function and the mind-body connection. Remember that your brain is a regenerating, developing organ, so anything you do to help improve the way it functions, you will only benefit from.
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