The brain, to the fullest

Brain is, without a doubt, the most complex organ of our body. Thanks to it, we carry out the most basic and varied things: reasoning, thinking, learning, remembering, talking; but also others like breathing, digesting food, dreaming, getting exited, etc.

Working, studying or just the passage of time slowly reduce our brain’s capacity. Such situations require 100% of our brain, so we can face this situations and achieve optimal results.

Usually, people only remember how important is taking care of the brain when the first signs of something going wrong appear: forgetting things; difficulty focusing, understanding or using language; doing some calculations; organizing things, etc.

Nevertheless, specialist and researchers tell us to take care of our brains at all stages of life. It’s never too soon nor too late to start attending your brain’s needs, as we do with other organs of the body. Starting new and healthy habits, at the same time as abandoning harmful ones, will contribute to keep our brain in shape, as time passes.

Food

Everyone knows that a healthy and well-balanced diet is essential to enjoy a healthy life. Regarding the brain, the recommendation is including food and nutrients that provide energy to brain cells, but also some that help keeping their structure so they can work properly, or even be protected against the premature ageing caused by oxidative damage. This could contribute not only to our cognitive skills (focusing, thinking, memory. etc.), but also to our mood or sleep.

What nutrients does our brain need?

• Glucose: it is an essential energy source for the brain. It can be obtained from food rich in carbohydrates, preferably complex carbohydrates that slowly release glucose. Some examples of such foods are bread, rice and other cereals, pasta (better if they are whole), potatoes and legumes. Less frequently, simple carbohydrates.
• Vitamins: C, B group.
• Minerals: phosphorus, iodine, calcium, copper, magnesium, iron, zinc.
• Proteins: they are needed to produce neurotransmitters. They can be found in meat, fish, eggs, or vegetable proteins like tofu, seitan or legumes combined with cereals.
• Linoleic (ω3) and linolenic (ω6) essential fatty acids: as their name says, they are essential to keep the integrity of brain cells. Oily fish, nuts and chia or flax seeds are some of the main sources of these nutrients.
• Choline: a fundamental nutrient for the development of the brain, memory and the transmission of the nerve impulse. Where can it be found? in eggs, spinaches, liver, cauliflower abs Brussel sprout.
• Antioxidants: they help slowing down the ageing of brain cells. They are found in fruits of the forest and red berries (bilberries, strawberries, raspberries, redcurrant, grapes), apple, green tea, etc.

Mediterranean diet assures a high supply of all the nutrients mentioned before, since it provides a high intake of legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts, cereals, fish and olive oil, es well as a moderate consumption of meat and dairy products.

Pay attention to how you eat your food: 

• Distribute your food intake into 4 or 5 meals a day, so brain cells can have a regular supply of glucose.
• A good breakfast is key, as the night’s fasting is long and the brain needs to keep working during the day.
• In this regard, childhood is an essential stage to teach children healthy habits, that will contribute to protect their brains for the rest of their lives.

Habits for a healthy brain

Sleep the time your body needs

Sleeping, both assessed in time and quality, is indispensable to the daily reparation of the brain. Poor sleep affects memory, attention and focusing ability, so it can negatively affect school performance or work.

Children need more sleep than adults because it helps their development and the adjustment of brain connexions. Creating a routine (like a bath, massages, or reading something) before bedtime can help them fall asleep, since they associate the routine to falling asleep.

Teenagers also need to pay extra attention to sleep and rest. They need an average of 9 hours of sleep. Nonetheless, studies found that only 15% of the population asked, reported sleeping 8 hours and a half on working days. On the other side, sleep patterns of teenagers are more irregular (as they fall asleep late and, on the week ends, they go to sleep and wake up late). In addition, when teenagers go to sleep, they usually scroll on social media before sleeping, etc. All these factors can alter sleep and have a negative effect in both, the school performance and emotional or behavioural well-being.

Stress less

Specially in the adult life, since it is a stage of professional development in which we usually increase our stress levels. Furthermore, it is possible that this stress become chronic, affecting the brain and increasing the risk of dementia; among other disorders. Some techniques and disciplines like meditation, mindfulness, yoga, etc. can help when improving stress levels.

Keep active

Physical activity improves mental health. Doing exercise regularly helps maintaining the connexion among different areas of the brain. Remember that the exercise must always be adapted to your age and physical capacity. Doing some sport or just going for a 30 minute walk one or two times a day will help us keeping healthy levels of vitamin D. 

Stimulate your brain

Stimulate your brain by doing some new activities like learning a new language or how to play an instrument, is one of the best ways of exercising the brain. These activities force the use of brain connection that we don’t usually use, protecting the brain from cognitive detriment. 

For an “intense mental training”, dedicate some time to the selected activity (or activities) every day. We can benefit from many games and apps available for smartphone and tablet (for memory, attention, riddles, puzzles, etc.) that can help maintaining an active mind. This is especially important as we age.

Social relationships are key

Science knows that positive family and social relationships contribute to generating neurotransmitters, decreasing anxiety, the risk of depression and dementia, as well as helping to improve cognitive skills.

Avoid consuming toxic substances

Alcohol, tobacco and other drugs are the enemies of a healthy brain. One factor take into account is the age at which we start consuming these substances. They act on zone of the brain related to memory and learning.

Hypertension, diabetes and obesity also affect negatively the brain and increase the risk of suffering dementia when getting older, so following medical treatment and recommendations is essential. Preventing overweight in adolescence contributes to preventing cognitive deterioration in older adults.

Your brain’s allies: phosphatidylserine and taurine

Phosphatidylserine is a Phospholipid obtained from soy lecithin, which can be found in the brain in high concentrations. It is essential for the right functioning of the brain, since it is part of the cell membrane of braincells.

• It is also a natural activator of brain functions.
• It favours intercelular communication, also known as the transmission of the nerve impulse.
• It regulates the entry and exit of substances in brain cells.
• Also, it increases the number of neurotransmitters.

Taurine is compound derived from cysteine. This amino acid is produced naturally by the body and can also be found in certain foods, mainly from animal origin. The brain acts by stabilizing the membrane of brain cells and their activity. It contributes to keep attention and physical and mental performance.