{"id":13006,"date":"2024-02-21T20:45:04","date_gmt":"2024-02-21T20:45:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/ehealth\/?p=13006"},"modified":"2024-02-22T16:14:33","modified_gmt":"2024-02-22T16:14:33","slug":"how-a-healthy-diet-helps-your-brain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/ehealth\/2024\/02\/21\/how-a-healthy-diet-helps-your-brain\/","title":{"rendered":"How a Healthy Diet Helps Your Brain"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"How<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve long known that eating our veggies and avoiding processed junk foods is good for our bodies, but we are now learning that making good food choices has even wider health benefits. A mounting body of evidence points to an undeniable connection between what we eat and the health and function of our brains.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Para leer en Espa\u00f1ol, por favor haga clic aqu\u00ed<\/a><\/p>\n

Multiple studies suggest that consuming a diet rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory components, such as those found in fruits, nuts, vegetables, and fish, may reduce age-related cognitive decline and the risk of developing neurodegenerative (brain and nervous system) diseases.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“A balanced and healthy diet is essential to our development as well as our physical and mental health,\u201d says <\/span>Kimberly Rozengarten, DO, MPH, FACOI<\/span><\/a>, a primary care physician at Cooper University Health Care<\/a>.\u00a0 \u201cOur nutrition plays an important role in maternal and child health. As we age, good nutrition helps to build stronger immune systems, lowers our risk of certain diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, decreases our risk of some cancers, and improves cognitive function. What we eat has also been found to play a role in other ways our body regulates itself, like increasing or decreasing inflammation.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What Is Cognitive Function?\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Cognitive function refers to the mental processes that help us acquire and apply knowledge and reason.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMore simply put, cognitive function helps us learn, remember, and apply what we know in everyday life,\u201d says <\/span>Melissa A. Carran, MD<\/span><\/a>, a neurologist at Cooper and Inspira Neuroscience<\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Perception, memory, learning, attention, decision-making, and language abilities are all considered cognitive functions.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Brain\/Gut Connection\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Our bodies are intricate machines made up of many complex parts. Our organs work in conjunction with each other to keep it all running smoothly. Perhaps none of those connections is as strong as that between the brain and the gut \u2014 and we are just beginning to understand how vital that partnership is.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes known as the \u201csecond brain,\u201d the gut produces more than 30 hormones and signaling molecules that influence many physiological processes, including how the brain regulates appetite, metabolism, and the behavioral pathways linked to reward, mood, anxiety, stress, and memory.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWhile the gut and the brain work independently, they also influence each other,\u201d Dr. Carran says. \u201cIf you\u2019ve ever been nervous about something and gotten an upset stomach or thought about a favorite food and suddenly become hungry even if your next meal is hours away, you\u2019ve experienced the brain-gut connection at work.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Nutrition in Early Development\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Nutrition not only influences our own health, but it can also affect the development of our unborn children. Prenatal diet plays a crucial role in shaping a baby’s developing brain. Nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, choline, and iron are particularly essential during this phase, laying the groundwork for cognitive function later in life. Conversely, a poor diet during pregnancy that deprives the baby of appropriate nutrients can adversely affect metabolic function for life, impair cognition, and accelerate brain aging.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHealthy lifestyle and diet are important during pregnancy to ensure proper fetal growth and development, including of the brain,\u201d Dr. Rozengarten says. \u201cA diet filled with unhealthy nutrients also increases the birth parent\u2019s risk of gestational diabetes, preterm labor, and elevated blood pressure, which can lead to preeclampsia.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Nutrition remains important to our brain health in our formative years and through adulthood. Essential nutrients, such as protein, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, vitamins (especially A, C, B6, and D, minerals), and even water, help kids learn better and influence academic performance. Studies have also shown that poor nutrition during this crucial time can increase the risk of mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As we enter adulthood and middle age, maintaining good nutrition, combined with regular exercise and quality sleep, helps support cognitive function and prevent age-related decline.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Nutrition as a Defense Against Cognitive Decline<\/h3>\n

Aging can cause changes in brain structure and function. These changes can increase vulnerability to neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia, Alzheimer\u2019s disease, and Parkinson\u2019s disease, which have a higher incidence among older adults.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Nutrients like vitamin B12 and folate can help preserve cognitive function and slow the progression of cognitive decline in conditions such as Alzheimer’s and dementia.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What Is a Healthy Diet?<\/h3>\n

Studies have shown that diets like the <\/span>Mediterranean<\/span><\/a> diet and traditional <\/span>Japanese diet<\/span><\/a>, reduce inflammation and ensure the adequate production of hormones and neurotransmitters \u2014 all of which support brain and body health.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Components of these diets include:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n