Nutrients For Brain Health & Performance

Food and the Brain

• Importance of nutrition for peak brain function and maintaining brain health over time
• Two categories of things that improve brain health from a nutrition perspective: 
  1. General category: things we eat and avoid, and things we do and avoid doing that modulate brain health and function 
     • Getting quality sleep on a regular basis
     • Staying socially connected
     • Avoiding depression
  2. Specific category: certain foods that directly impact brain function and health

General Category: Modulating Brain Health and Function

• Quality sleep, social connections, and mental health are vital for overall health and indirectly impact brain function
• Sleep has some direct benefits for brain function and repair

Specific Category: Foods for Brain Function and Health

• Research from peer-​​reviewed studies indicates certain foods that can enhance brain function and health

• Understanding which foods to eat and avoid can help maintain cognition and memory over time
  Enhancing Brain Function Through Food

• Quality sleep and cardiovascular health are foundations for mental and physical health

• Neurons use glucose and ketones as fuel, but the structural integrity of neurons comes from fat
• Essential fatty acids and phospholipids are important for brain health

Essential Fatty Acids

• Omega-​​3s (EPA and DHA) are crucial for brain function
• Most people get enough Omega-​​6s but not enough Omega-3s
• Omega-​​3s can help with mood and well-​​being, and can be as effective as some antidepressants
• Sources of Omega-3s:
• Fish (mackerel, salmon, herring, oysters, sardines, anchovies, caviar)
• Chia seeds, walnuts, soybeans, and other plant-​​based foods
• Aim for at least 1.5 grams of EPA per day, ideally up to 2 or 3 grams
• Omega-​​3s also support cardiovascular health

Phosphatidylserine

• Supports neuronal function and cognition
• Found in meats, fish, and cabbage
• Studies show that supplementing with 300 mg of phosphatidylserine can improve cognition and reduce cognitive decline

• Can also be obtained through fermented foods like sauerkraut (fermented cabbage)
  Phosphatidylserine, Choline, and Creatine for Brain Function

• Phosphatidylserine:

  • Modest effects on cognitive function
  • Found in meat and fish
  • Can be supplemented (300mg/​​day)
• Choline:
  • Important for Acetylcholine production (neuromodulator)
  • Enhances focus and alertness
  • Found in egg yolks, potatoes, nuts, seeds, grains, and fruits
  • Recommended intake: 500mg-​​1g/​​day
  • Can be supplemented with alpha GPC (300mg 2–3 times/​​week)
• Creatine:
  • Shown to improve neuronal and brain function
  • Derived from meat sources or supplemented

Personal Approach

• Fish oil:
  • Liquid form or capsules
  • 2–3 grams of EPA per day
• Phosphatidylserine:
  • Not currently supplementing

• Choline:

  • Consuming choline-​​rich foods
  • Supplementing with alpha GPC (300mg 2–3 times/​​week)
    Creatine and Brain Function

• Creatine used in health and fitness to enhance muscle strength

• Also plays a role in brain function 
  • Can be used as a fuel source in the brain
  • Enhances function of frontal cortical circuits related to mood regulation and motivation
• Emerging literature on creatine supplementation assisting in mild depression
• Creatine supplementation can enhance brain function in certain contexts 
  • Especially useful for people not consuming meat or other creatine-​​rich foods
  • Threshold for cognitive benefit: at least 5 grams per day

Anthocyanins and Brain Function

• Found in blueberries, blackberries, dark currants, and other thin-​​skinned purplish berries
• Anthocyanins have data supporting improved brain function 
  • May be due to direct effects on neurons or lowering inflammation
• Studies show anthocyanins can: 
  • Reduce DNA damage
  • Slightly reduce cognitive decline
  • Improve verbal learning and memory in elderly individuals
• Supplementation dosages for cognitive effect: 5.5 to 11 grams
• For blueberry consumption: 60 to 120 grams of fresh blueberries daily

Glutamine and Brain Function

• Amino acid found in protein-​​rich foods (beef, chicken, fish, dairy, eggs) and vegetables (beans, cabbage, spinach, parsley)
• Some evidence of enhancing immune system function
• Can help offset sugar cravings by signaling satiation to the brain

• Glutamine supplementation can offset negative effects on cognition caused by altitude and oxygen deprivation

  • May be useful for those with sleep apnea, which can contribute to cognitive decline
    Glutamine and Cognitive Function

• Apnea is associated with cognitive decline and dysfunction

  • Glutamine supplementation can offset some cognitive deficits caused by reduced oxygenation of the brain
• Sharma et al. (2018) paper: Obstructive sleep apnea severity affects amyloid burden in cognitively normal elderly 
  • Amyloid burden is a correlate of Alzheimer’s and other forms of neurodegeneration and cognitive decline
• Glutamine may reduce inflammation and improve cognition in hypoxia (lack of oxygen for the brain) 
  • Quresma et al. paper: The possible importance of Glutamine supplementation to mood and cognition in hypoxia from high altitude

Food Preferences and the Nervous System

• Three channels for food preference: 
  1. Taste on the mouth (bitter, sweet, umami, salty, sour)
  2. Somatosensory touch sensations (palatability, consistency)
  3. Chemical sensors on the tongue that detect chemicals in food and send electrical signals to the brain
• Gustatory nerve sends information from the tongue to the nucleus of the solitary tract in the brainstem, then to the insular cortex 
  • Insular cortex focuses on interoception (perception of what’s going on inside our body)

Neurons and Taste Perception

• Neurons in the insular cortex respond to particular tastes and provide an internal representation of an external sense 
  • Electrical signals sent into the brain represent different tastes (e.g., sweet, umami)

• Charles Zucker’s lab at Columbia University identified neurons in the cortex that respond to sweet and bitter tastes

  • Non-​​overlapping populations of neurons respond to different tastes
  • Molecular manipulations can silence or activate neurons that respond to specific tastes, affecting perception
    Neurons and Taste Preferences

• Neurons respond to sweet tastes

  • Silencing these neurons eliminates preference for sweet taste
  • Activating these neurons can make subjects prefer bitter or plain water
• Taste is an internal representation with specific goals 
  • Related to what the brain and body need, not just personal preference

Digestive Tract and Taste

• Neurons along the digestive tract respond to mechanics and chemistry of food 
  • Neuropod cells in the gut respond to amino acids, sugars, and fatty acids
  • Send electrical signals to the brain, triggering dopamine release
  • Dopamine inspires motivation, reward, and seeking of certain foods

Hidden Sugars and Gut Microbiome

• Hidden sugars in processed foods activate subconscious mechanisms to seek more of these foods
• Healthy gut microbiome promotes healthy food seeking 
  • Ingesting 2–4 servings of low-​​sugar fermented foods daily can enhance gut microbiome
  • Examples: natto, sauerkraut

Rewiring Taste Preferences

• Research by Ivan de Arujo and Dana Small

  • Explored how taste, food value, and impact on metabolism drive food choices
  • Conducted experiments with varying taste associations with sugar ingestion
  • Demonstrated that learned associations can change food preferences
    Artificial Sweeteners and Blood Glucose

• Consuming artificial sweeteners can affect blood glucose levels and insulin release

• Experiments show that consuming artificial sweeteners with food that raises blood glucose can lead to increased insulin release later, even when consuming the artificial sweetener alone
• This increased insulin release can lead to insulin sensitivity and type 2 diabetes
• It is recommended to consume artificial sweeteners separately from foods that raise blood glucose levels
• A study by Dana Small’s lab (Dallenberg et al., Cell Metabolism, March 2020) supports these findings
• Another study published in Nature suggests that certain artificial sweeteners can disrupt the gut microbiome and have negative health effects, though some results may not agree with this finding

Rewiring Taste System

• The taste system is hardwired to obtain certain types of nutrients, such as sweet things
• There is also soft wiring in the system that allows it to change
• Consuming artificial sweeteners over time can tap into the dopamine system and lead to increased consumption and preference for these sweeteners

• This can lead to a “conditioned” response, where artificial sweeteners are paired with an increase in blood glucose, leading to increased dopamine release and alterations in blood sugar management
  Artificial Sweeteners and Perception

• Artificial sweeteners can affect gut microbiome

• Important to consume artificial sweeteners not in conjunction with foods that increase blood glucose
• Dopamine system activation can change food preferences
• Insula: brain structure involved in interoception (interpreting internal state)

Dopamine and Food

• Dopamine increase activates nucleus accumbens (part of mesolimbic reward pathway)
• Arcuate nuclei within the hypothalamus respond to hormones and neuropeptides to drive or stop eating
• Insula interprets internal state and integrates information from prefrontal cortex (rational thinking)

Changing Food Preferences

• Pairing neutral or mildly disliked foods with substances that increase blood glucose or ketones can reinforce the food through the dopamine pathway
• Belief effect: subjective thoughts about a food can impact physiological measures like blood sugar and blood glucose
• To adopt consumption of healthy foods, pair them with foods that increase brain metabolism (e.g., ketones for ketogenic diet)

• Food preferences can change within 7–14 days of consistent pairing with metabolism-​​boosting foods
  Nutrition and Brain Health

• Nutrition impacts brain health and function

• Certain foods and micronutrients are better for us and the planet
• Food preferences are largely learned responses
• Foods impact dopamine system, affecting motivation to eat them

Food Reward and Reinforcement

• Food preferences can be reshaped through dietary choices
• People with metabolic disorders can still rewire their food preferences
• Review: “Rethinking Food Reward” by Ivan De Arujo, Mark Schachker, and Dana Small

Superfoods for Brain Health

• Foods that enhance short and long-​​term cognition and neuronal health
• Examples: Omega‑3 fatty acids, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals

Leveraging Food Pathways

• Pursue foods that are good for brain and overall body health
• Enjoy the process of reshaping food preferences
• Supplements can support brain health, but quality and quantity matter
• Thorn supplements recommended for quality and stringency