Does a good diet help the brain get bigger?

Maintaining a healthy diet not only provides the body with the necessary nutrients and vitamins and minerals, but also greatly affects brain function. So what should we eat that is good for the brain?

Results of a recent study of 4,200 people aged 45 years and older at baseline and with an average age of 66 published in the journal Neurology showed that, if people in the Netherlands eat a diet full of vegetables, fruits, nuts and fish with larger brains than other people who used less poor diets. According to experts, adherence to a healthy diet quality helps support brain health and is an appropriate preventive strategy to maintain and enhance cognition (thinking and memory) in the elderly. year old.
The research team surveyed study subjects about the type and amount of food they ate in the past month. This survey covered nearly 400 food items. In addition, the research team also looked at the quality of the diet based on the Dutch dietary guidelines. Diet quality is measured on a scale of 0 to 14, with 14 being the healthiest. The best diets contain lots of fruits and vegetables, nuts, whole grains, dairy and fish, and low-sugar beverages. The results after calculation show that the average score for the quality of the Dutch diet is seven.

Participants also received MRI scans from experts to measure the size of their brains. In addition, the team also gathered more information about other factors that may affect brain size, such as high blood pressure, physical activity and smoking.

After adjusting for factors such as age, sex, intracranial volume, education level, calories eaten, smoking, physical activity and body mass index, dietary quality score Higher dietary intake was associated with greater total brain volume including gray matter, white matter, and hippocampal volume. People with the healthiest diets had brains about 2 milliliters larger than those who ate the least amount of healthy foods. A 2 milliliter (mL) difference in brain size may actually translate into better thinking skills and memory, as the risk of cognitive decline increases with advancing age and with increasing age, the authors say. , the human brain volume decreases. Even adjusting for other cardiovascular risk factors did not change the outcome, and diet was not associated with white matter damage or cerebral hemorrhage.

When researchers looked at a Mediterranean diet consisting mainly of fish and nuts, the results were similar, with eating healthier resulting in larger brains. This is not surprising, as middle-aged adults who did not adhere to the Mediterranean regimen showed increased amyloid plaque deposition and decreased brain activity that increased the risk of Alzheimer's disease higher than those who did not. strict adherents of the Mediterranean diet.

It is possible that nutrition is very good in young people because at this age they have brains that are developing and growing well which can lead to larger brains. And it's possible that the people who ate the healthy diets in the study ate well at a young age.
Several other mechanisms may explain the link between diet and brain health, such as nutrition may have a direct effect on mental health or may influence the risk of diseases vascular or cerebrovascular disease. A healthy diet leads to better blood circulation in the body, and what's good for the heart is good for the brain, says James Hendrix, director of global scientific initiatives at the Alzheimer's Association. If the heart is working properly and the blood circulation is good to the brain, the brain will work more efficiently. One theory as to the cause of Alzheimer's is that amyloid and tau proteins accumulate because they are not cleared properly. So when the brain has more blood flow to the brain, it helps the body get rid of those proteins, thereby reducing the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

In addition, the scientific literature to date has shown that a balanced diet rich in fiber and healthy carbs, and low to moderate in fat content will support the aging brain to function properly. effective action. And there's no evidence to the contrary, so scientists strongly support recommending the Mediterranean diet to help prevent brain aging and prevent dementia.
The brain is an energy-intensive organ with about 20% of body calories. So the brain needs a lot of good fuel to stay focused throughout the day. Therefore, if you want a healthy brain to perform its functions properly, you should maintain a reasonable and healthy diet with adequate nutrients in combination with rest and daily exercise.

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References: webmd.com, health.harvard.edu