Last week, I was discussing Rule # 4 of Dr Amen’s nutritional recommendations for healthy brain and body. I did not finish discussing it due to tightness of article space. I covered the first 3 Rules in Parts 1, 2, 3. Rule # 4 was about avoiding high glycemic, refined, low fiber carbohydrates. I was unable to talk about an important aspect of natural carbohydrates, which is fiber. Plant foods are rich in soluble and insoluble fiber, very important to both digestive vascular systems. Let us go through that in detail.

Because plants are rich in fiber, they slow down the absorption of sugar and fat. Research shows that a high fiber diet maintains good health and weight by regulating the appetite hormone ghrelin, which gives hunger. According to Professor Stephen Bloom (Part 1), individuals with high body mass index (BMI) produce higher levels of ghrelin, which makes them hungry and want to eat all the time. Recent research found that those with high ghrelin tend to go for high-calorie foods (refined sugar and carbs, fats).

High fiber plants are filling and control the hormone and its effect of constant eating. Fiber also decreases the assimilation of sugar and fat into the blood stream, lowering the risk of diabetes. Fiber (20-25g) takes longer to digest; burns more calories; and improves the digestion and elimination process, which prevents weight gain, reduces the risk of colon cancer and diabetes, and lowers cholesterol levels and high blood pressure.

Rich fiber foods are whole fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains. They slow down blood glucose that goes to the brain, giving sustainable energy. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, legumes rate high in fiber followed by vegetables (leafy greens, cabbage family), whole fruits, and nuts. When healthy foods are consumed, the body balances the appetite controlling and hunger hormones, leptin and ghrelin, curbing overconsumption and obesity.

It is important to avoid carbohydrates that are stripped of their natural nutritional value through refinement and bleaching like simple sugars and refined grains found in cakes, cookies, baked goods, white bread, rice, flour, and pastas. Simple sugars are not only empty nutrients, but are also damaging and toxic to the brain and health by spiking blood sugar and insulin, which promote fat gain and inflammation. They also make brain cells fire erratically. According to Dr Amen, sugar can be “more addictive than cocaine.”

Now, we proceed to to Rule # 5. I have written multiple times about healthy fatty acids, especially omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s are brain friendly fats, very much neglected in most diets. Nations like the Japanese, Mediterraneans, Eskimos, and coastal people who consume omega-3 rich foods wild salmon, tuna, fatty fish, sardines, anchovies, snapper, shellfish, cod, mackerel, olive oil, avocados, walnuts, nuts, flaxseeds, soybeans, dark green leafy vegetables, and the cabbage family have healthier hearts and less risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke than those who omit these types of food.

Omega-3 fatty acids are not only good for heart and brain health, they fuel your metabolism to keep you slimmer and help you get thinner. Omega-3s are the main fats of the brain that make you smarter and happier by lowering risk of depression and mental disorders.

The most recognized and studied omega-3 fats are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The grey matter of the brain consists of a large percentage of DHA. Omega-3 is important to the formation of brain cell membrane and neurons, which need the fat to function adequately. EPA thins the blood, increasing its flow to the brain and improving brain functions and nutrient absorption.

When omega-3 fats are deficient in the brain, mental disorders like depression appear, leading to suicide attempts, anxiety, attention deficit disorder (ADD) and higher risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Such disorders trigger substance abuse (food, alcohol, smoking, drug, sex…) and obesity becomes a problem. Dr Amen believes that “Overeating is a form of substance abuse,” caused by omega-3s deficiency.

According to an Australian study in 2009, groups of people of healthy weight and overweight and obese, whose ratios of waist to hip circumferences were measured and BMI calculated, got tested for omega-3s blood levels. Those with healthy weights and BMI had the highest levels of omega-3, while the obese were found to have significantly lower levels of EPA and DHA than their counterparts.

Research has shown that omega-3 fats influence mood and brain power; it could be due to the DHA being the principle element in the brain’s synapses. Fish oil is thought to lower depression. The higher EPA and DHA (from fish oil) were found; the lower the depression was. To support that, the Japanese, high consumers of fish, have “the lowest levels of depression.”

According to a Danish research on 5,386 healthy persons, those, who ate fish more frequently in their diet, were able to keep better cognitive functions and memory and decrease their risk of dementia. Dr J.A Conquer of University of Guelph, Ontario found that those with early and advanced dementia had lower blood levels of omega 3 fatty acids than their mentally healthier counterparts.

Fish oil is not the only benefit to the brain, but also the entire fish. A Swedish study on five thousand fifteen-year-old boys found that the ones who ate fish more than once a week did better on standardized intelligence tests than those who never ate fish. A follow-up study showed that the adolescents who had fish more than once a week achieved higher grades scholastically than those who had less fish. These studies indicate that eating fish can be as good as taking fish oil, improving cognitive performance and enhancing intelligence. Other areas of improvement with omega-3 fats are focus and mental performance in those who suffer ADD as well as a decrease in the risk of psychosis.

It is not enough to consume omega-3 fatty acids and fish; it is important to remove “harmful” fats from a healthy diet. Such fats not only deplete your brain’s power, they damage the brain by disrupting the healthy production of neurotransmitters, the brain messengers, a condition, which interferes with neuron electrical signals. “Bad” fats sabotage the normal functions of the brain, neurons, and neurotransmitters, resulting in obesity, cognitive decline, flagging mental performance, possibly Alzheimer’s disease, depression, anxiety, mood swings, and dementia.

This includes consumption of saturated fats, hydrogenated fats: (margarine, Crisco), and trans fatty acids, which are not only damaging to the brain but to the heart, the cardiovascular system, and general health. Trans fatty acids occur when light vegetable oils (corn, sunflower, safflower…) are extracted through heat processes or when they are heated to very high temperatures during deep-frying. When frying with vegetable oils multiple times such as in fast food eateries or at home, the oils change their configuration and become “dangerous” trans fatty acids and carcinogens. Frequent consumption of fried foods (potato fries and chips, fried chicken, fish, and nuggets) leads to obesity and inflammation, which lead to metabolic syndromes like diabetes, insulin resistance, hypertension, cardiovascular disorder, strokes, and cancer.

The best fuel for the brain comes from omega-3 fatty acids in fish oils and fatty fish as well as walnuts, nuts, flax seeds, chia seeds, cold water fish, shellfish, and leafy greens. Don’t underestimate fish in general; it is a healthy brain food. Make sure it takes a part in your nutrition, once to twice a week, not fried but grilled, barbecued, steamed, boiled, or stir-fried with olive oil. Even healthy foods, when fried they lose their beneficial effects.

References:

Use Your Brain to Change your Age, Daniel Amen, M.D.

N.B.:

Individuals with medical conditions or on medication should consult their physicians when they decide to introduce anything new in their diet even if it is natural.

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