Marshall Melnychuk: The best 5 foods and supplements for your brain

Marshall Melnychuk/Healthy Observations

Part 1 – Foods

I’m not traumatized by the idea of getting old but what does scare me, and many others it seems, is the potential of losing my mental faculties as I age – my memories, my ability to problem solve or recognize people. Statistics show a rapidly climbing numbers of seniors (as well as people under 65) with some form of age-related dementia. If trends continue in the next 30 years the cost of dementia to Canadian society will exceed $100 billion, and over one and a quarter million Canadians will be affected.

If you pause to personalize those statistics and how becoming a number would affect your life it may motivate you enough to take action to prevent such a future. I believe prevention is the key.
On the flip side you may be looking to improve your mental powers in order to give yourself a competitive edge. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to recall all the details of an article you read two months ago, and to maintain the ability to focus on one problem for hours on end the way you used to in university? In either case volumes of scientific literature now suggests there are ways to delay or avoid the loss of cognitive function that may await you as you age, and even increase your current mental powers.
Top 5 or top 10 lists are always fun so here are my top five foods and supplements that have been scientifically linked to helping your brain (and mind) work the way it should. Part 1 is foods; to keep the editor happy I had to break it into 2, so next week is the supplement side.
First on the list Exercise! Ok, I know it is neither a food nor a supplement but the evidence is clear exercise not only protects your brain but can stimulate your brain to create new cells. A hormone called BDNF (Brain-derived neurotrophic factor) is increased by both aerobic and resistance exercise and it in turn stimulates other brain growth factors which build and protect brain cells – healthy body, healthy mind.
In a recent podcast interview with Dr. Alana Berg, Naturopathic physician she stressed the idea of first doing what you can to protect your brain. Brain tissue is much slower to regenerate than other tissues in the body so you have to protect what you’ve got.
Health protection doesn’t occur with once in a while behaviours. You have to be consistent, which means consuming the foods below if not daily, then at least several times per week.

1. Fatty cold-water fish. Your brain is 60 percent fat so the next time your boss calls you a fat-head you should thank him and remind yourself to continue eating cold water fatty fish like herring, lake trout, mackerel, sardines and of course the favourite salmon – especially wild salmon. These fish are high in omega-3 fats which are precisely the fats that make up the majority of your brain. Omega-3 fats have been the focus of a great deal of study and the science is clear here that not only will these foods protect your brain, and other body tissue, but they are essential for brain cell regeneration.
   Dr. Berg does caution against eating too much of the ‘big’ fish due to the accumulation of heavy metals in the tissues of these fish. She suggests no more than two servings of the large fish per week, and topping it up with servings of the smaller fish or see #1 on the list of supplements
2. Low GI Foods. Glycemic Index or GI is quite common now but really hit the tipping point in the public consciousness due to the Zone Diet book about a decade ago. Basically the index rates how quickly carbohydrates are turned into sugar in the blood.
   The brain has a love-hate relationship with sugar in that it needs a steady stream of sugar to function well, but too much not only leads to energy swings but creates nasty molecules that can destroy brain cells. In a citation in the January,  2007 issue of the journal Diabetes, a strong link was found between Type II Diabetes and dementia.
   High GI foods are destructive to all parts of the body so it is not surprising to find the connection to the brain. There is so much data regarding the negative effects of sugar that I had difficulty not putting it at number 1 on this list.
3. Berries. All foods with high levels of antioxidants are good for the body, and berries, especially Vaccinium angustifolium, better known as low bush blueberries have some unique polyphenols not found in all other berries that do a particularly good job at protecting the brain from deterioration. A Google Scholar search on ‘blueberry and brain health’ returns over 9000 results on the topic dating back to the 1960s so there is no question of the research supporting the claims. It is difficult to find fresh blueberries year round so if you can’t get them try frozen or juice extract.
4. Green Tea. Dr. Berg stated, “in general any good organic source of green tea, steeped for about 3 minutes will help”. Green tea contains EGCG, Epigallocatechin gallate (I don’t even try to pronounce it, just go with EGCG) which is an antioxidant found in many plants and in high amounts in green tea. This antioxidant has been shown to be a powerful protector of all cells in the body including brain cells where it not only protects from cellular damage but helps to remove toxins.
   The most hailed green tea is Matcha tea. Several studies on Matcha green tea have shown it to have many times the antioxidant content of any other green tea. To get the benefits you should be drinking two or more cups a day, most every day.
5. Now for the good news, a tie for fifth – coffee and chocolate! There is definitely some controversy here but the science is clear that coffee really does enhance alertness, and unique antioxidants in dark chocolate (it has to be very pure dark chocolate) protect the brain as well as stimulating the ‘feel good’ brain hormones.
   Most commercial chocolate contains refined sugar so there is a give and take here. But a little pure dark chocolate (over 85%) will do the brain good.

Next week the supplement side of brain health which is more exciting because rather than just protect the brain, some supplements can help the brain rebuild and maybe even make you smarter. Until then eat well and take care of your body; it’s all you truly own.