One of the most common questions I get from clients is, 'How can I keep my brain healthy and prevent dementia?' Whilst there is not easy answer to this, scientific research has shown that there are a number of foods which can boost brain health and reduce the risk of degenerative diseases into old age, including dementia. This week we're going to look at some of the key superfoods you should be looking to include in your diet.
1. Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids
Did you know that your brain is roughly half fat? It's actually the second largest repository of lipids after the adipose tissue (your body's main fat storage system)1. The problem is that most of the types of fat required to make healthy brain tissue can't be synthesised by the body and must instead be obtained through diet. If the diet doesn't contain the right kind of essential fatty acids (EFAs), then the body makes do with what it can find and the result is poorly made brain cells, which are more likely to degrade over time.
The most important EFAs for brain health are DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid)2. Both of these can be made in the body by converting ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), assuming you have enough of this EFA in your diet, but this conversion may not be efficient enough in some people, particularly in men and post-menopausal women, since oestrogen is a key component in the process. Since it only results in small amounts of DHA being produced, it is also unlikely to be sufficient in pregnant or breastfeeding women.
In any case, it's important to get enough ALA in the diet, which can best be achieved by consuming foods like flaxseed (especially the oil), chia seed, hemp seeds or walnuts. The whole seeds will offer the benefit of added fibre, but in order to get the ALA they should be crushed prior to eating, otherwise your digestion system may not be able to break them down enough to extract the EFAs. Alternatively, choose an oil such as flaxseed oil, which is about 2/3 ALA, so just a teaspoon will meet your suggested daily intake of ALA.
But what about DHA and EPA? To ensure maximum brain health, you want to consider consuming these EFAs directly, especially DHA, which was found in one study to significantly reduce the chances of developing dementia3. The most commonly cited source of DHA is oily fish4, but that isn't the only way to give your brain what it needs. The reason fish contain such high levels of DHA is because they eat DHA rich algae, so you can skip a step and just eat the algae. Supplements made from algae like chlorella and spirulina are commonly available, and are a safe and ethical choice for increasing your intake of DHA.
It's also important to reduce excessive consumption of Omega-6 EFAs, as these will interfere with the uptake of Omega-3 EFAs when the ratio between the two is unbalanced. Omega-6 EFAs are found in common cooking oils like sunflower oils, and are very high in farmed animals and processed foods. I'll be doing a deep dive into Omega-3 and Omega-6 EFAs in a later blog post, so stay tuned!
Summary
- Increase your intake of ALA, by including seeds such as flax, chia and hemp in your diet. Try using flaxseed oil as a salad dressing or dip.
- Consider taking a DHA supplement made from algae. This is particularly important for pregnant or breastfeeding women, or the elderly.
- Reduce consumption of Omega-6 EFAs by cutting down on processed foods and eating more plant-based meals.
References
1. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2017.00060/full#:~:text=The%20FA%20composition%20of%20the,and%20docosahexaenoic%20acid%20(DHA).
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2621042/
3. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061113180236.htm
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3257695/