Research shows that eating to feed your brain can have significant benefits for psychological health. Here is what your head is hungry for:

Nutrients       

As with any organ, the brain needs a constant supply of various vitamins, minerals and amino acids. These are used to keep up with the ongoing process of repairing damage, maintaining every day functions and adapting to changing environments. Neurons also need a steady supply of raw materials in order to produce the numerous neurotransmitters necessary for cellular communications.

Fats

Over 60% of the brain is made up of fats. In addition to being the basic building blocks of all cell membranes, fats play an important role in insulating neurons via myelin sheaths. Omega-3 fatty acids are a particular type of fat involved in regulating mood, protecting neurons, improving blood circulation, preventing stroke and reducing inflammation.

Anti-oxidants

Normal wear and tear combined with environmental sources of pollution create toxic molecules called free radicals. Radicals contribute to the biological equivalent of rusting by deteriorating and often destroying cell membranes. Anti-oxidants are compounds capable of neutralizing these radicals and their potential for damage. The pigments which give fruits and vegetables their color often include powerful anti-oxidants.

Water

Water is needed for the elimination of toxins, the production of energy, healing, growth and every chemical reaction in the body. Unfortunately, due to active lifestyles, and diets containing caffeine, alcohol and high concentrations of protein, most people are chronically dehydrated. A lack of water results in cognitive deficits in attention, memory and processing speed. A general rule of thumb is to drink enough water to keep the color of urine a pale straw color.

The following outlines research supporting the beneficial properties of some common foods.

References:

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Barcela-Coblijn, G., Murphy, E. J., Othman, R., Moghadasian, M. H., Kashour, T., & Friel, J. K. (2008). Flaxseed oil and fish-oil capsule consumption alters human red blood cell n-3 fatty acid composition: a multiple-dosing trial comparing 2 sources of n-3 fatty acid. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 88(3), 801-9.

Benavente-Garci­a, O., Castillo, J., Alcaraz, M., Vicente, V., Del Río, J. A., & Ortuao, A. (2007). Beneficial action of Citrus flavonoids on multiple cancer-related biological pathways. Current Cancer Drug Targets, 7(8), 795-809.

Berr, C., Akbaraly, T., Arnaud, J., Hininger, I., Roussel, A. M., & Barberger Gateau, P. (2009). Increased Selenium Intake in Elderly High Fish Consumers May Account for Health Benefits Previously Ascribed to Omega-3 Fatty Acids. The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging, 13(1), 14-18.

Bhuvaneswari, V., & Nagini, S. (2005). Lycopene: a review of its potential as an anticancer agent. Current Medicinal Chemistry. Anti-Cancer Agents, 5(6), 627-35.

Blomhoff, R., Carlsen, M. H., Andersen, L. F., & Jacobs, D. R. (2006). Health benefits of nuts: potential role of antioxidants. The British Journal of Nutrition, 96 Suppl 2, S52-60.

Bourre, J. (n.d.). Dietary omega-3 fatty acids for women. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy = Biomédecine & Pharmacothérapie, 61(2-3), 105-12.

Buell, J. S., & Dawson-Hughes, B. (2008). Vitamin D and neurocognitive dysfunction: preventing “D”ecline? Molecular Aspects of Medicine, 29(6), 415-22.

Cicerale, S., Conlan, X. A., Sinclair, A. J., & Keast, R. S. J. (2009). Chemistry and health of olive oil phenolics. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 49(3), 218-36.

Cleland, L., James, M., & Proudman, S. (2006). Fish oil: what the prescriber needs to know. Arthritis Research & Therapy, 8(1), 202.

D’Anci, K. E., Constant, F., & Rosenberg, I. H. (2006). Hydration and cognitive function in children. Nutrition Reviews, 64(10 Pt 1), 457-64.

Dauchet, L., Péneau, S., Bertrais, S., Vergnaud, A. C., Estaquio, C., Kesse-Guyot, E., et al. (2008). Relationships between different types of fruit and vegetable consumption and serum concentrations of antioxidant vitamins. The British Journal of Nutrition, 100(3), 633-41.

de Lorgeril, M., & Salen, P. (2004). Alpha-linolenic acid and coronary heart disease. Nutrition, Metabolism, and Cardiovascular Diseases: NMCD, 14(3), 162-9.

Doughman, S. D., Krupanidhi, S., & Sanjeevi, C. B. (2007). Omega-3 fatty acids for nutrition and medicine: considering microalgae oil as a vegetarian source of EPA and DHA. Current Diabetes Reviews, 3(3), 198-203.

Dulebohn, R. V., Yi, W., Srivastava, A., Akoh, C. C., Krewer, G., & Fischer, J. G. (2008). Effects of blueberry (Vaccinium ashei) on DNA damage, lipid peroxidation, and phase II enzyme activities in rats. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 56(24), 11700-6.

Eskelinen, M. H., Ngandu, T., Tuomilehto, J., Soininen, H., & Kivipelto, M. (2009). Midlife Coffee and Tea Drinking and the Risk of Late-Life Dementia: A Population-Based CAIDE Study. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease: JAD, 16(1), 85-91.

Feldman, E. B. (2002). The scientific evidence for a beneficial health relationship between walnuts and coronary heart disease. The Journal of Nutrition, 132(5), 1062S-1101S.

Fortes, C., Mastroeni, S., Melchi, F., Pilla, M. A., Antonelli, G., Camaioni, D., et al. (2008). A protective effect of the Mediterranean diet for cutaneous melanoma. International Journal of Epidemiology, 37(5), 1018-29.

Garcion, E., Wion-Barbot, N., Montero-Menei, C. N., Berger, F., & Wion, D. (2002). New clues about vitamin D functions in the nervous system. Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism, 13(3), 100-105.

Gordillo, G., Fang, H., Khanna, S., Harper, J., Phillips, G., & Sen, C. K. (2009). Oral administration of blueberry inhibits angiogenic tumor growth and enhances survival of mice with endothelial cell neoplasm. Antioxidants & Redox Signaling, 11(1), 47-58.

Gunning, A. P., Bongaerts, R. J. M., & Morris, V. J. (2008). Recognition of galactan components of pectin by galectin-3. The FASEB Journal: Official Publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.

Heaney, R. P., & Weaver, C. M. (1990). Calcium absorption from kale. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 51(4), 656-7.

Horrocks, L. A., & Yeo, Y. K. (1999). Health benefits of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Pharmacological Research: The Official Journal of the Italian Pharmacological Society, 40(3), 211-25.

Hu, F. B., & Stampfer, M. J. (1999). Nut consumption and risk of coronary heart disease: a review of epidemiologic evidence. Current Atherosclerosis Reports, 1(3), 204-9. Allen, L. H. (2008). Causes of vitamin B12 and folate deficiency. Food and Nutrition Bulletin, 29(2 Suppl), S20-34; discussion S35-7.

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Lau, F. C., Shukitt-Hale, B., & Joseph, J. A. (2007). Nutritional intervention in brain aging: reducing the effects of inflammation and oxidative stress. Sub-Cellular Biochemistry, 42, 299-318.

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Menendez, J. A., Vazquez-Martin, A., Oliveras-Ferraros, C., Garcia-Villalba, R., Carrasco-Pancorbo, A., Fernandez-Gutierrez, A., et al. (2009). Extra-virgin olive oil polyphenols inhibit HER2 (erbB-2)-induced malignant transformation in human breast epithelial cells: Relationship between the chemical structures of extra-virgin olive oil secoiridoids and lignans and their inhibitory activities on the tyrosine kinase activity of HER2. International Journal of Oncology, 34(1), 43-51.

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“Our findings have potentially important clinical implications because trunk flexibility can be easily evaluated,” said one of the authors, Kenta Yamamoto. “This simple test might help to prevent age-related arterial stiffening.”

It is not known why arterial flexibility would be related to the flexibility of the body in middle age and older people. But the authors say that one possibility is that stretching exercises may set into motion physiological reactions that slow down age-related arterial stiffening.

 Arteries should be elastic

Healthy blood vessels are elastic, and elasticity helps to moderate blood pressure. Arterial stiffness increases with age and is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and death. Previous studies have established that physical fitness can delay age-related arterial stiffness, although exactly how that happens is not understood. The authors noted that people who keep themselves in shape often have a more flexible body, and they hypothesized that a flexible body could be a quick way to determine arterial flexibility.

The researchers studied 526 healthy, non-smoking adults, 20 to 83 years old, with a body mass index of less than 30. They wanted to see whether flexibility of the trunk, as measured with the sit and reach test, is associated with arterial stiffness. The researchers divided the participants into three age groups:

       young (20-39 years old)

      middle aged (40-59 years old)

       older (60-83 years old)

The researchers asked participants to perform a sit-and-reach test. The volunteers sat on the floor, back against the wall, legs straight. They slowly reached their arms forward by bending at the waist. Based on how far they could reach, the researchers classified the participants as either poor- or high-flexibility.

The researchers also measured blood pressure and the speed of a pulse of blood as it flowed through the body. They measured how long the pulse takes to travel between the arm and the ankle and between the neck and the leg. They also measured aortic pressure in some participants and tested the participants for cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength and endurance.

The study found that trunk flexibility was a good predictor of artery stiffness among middle age and older participants, but not among the younger group. In middle age and older participants, they also found that systolic blood pressure (the peak pressure that occurs as the heart contracts) was higher in poor-flexibility than in high-flexibility groups.

 What’s happening?

Why would the flexibility of the body be a good indicator of arterial stiffness? In the study, the authors speculate on why this would be. One possibility is that there is a cause and effect: the stretching exercises that provide flexibility to the body may also slow the age-related stiffening of the arteries. The study found that arterial stiffness among middle age and older people was associated with trunk flexibility but was independent of muscle strength and cardiorespiratory fitness (as measured by performance on an exercycle). In addition, they cited another recent study that found that middle age and older adults who began a regular stretch exercise program significantly improved the flexibility of their carotids, a major artery found in the neck.

“Together with our results, these findings suggest a possibility that improving flexibility induced by the stretching exercise may be capable of modifying age-related arterial stiffening in middle-aged and older adults,” Dr. Yamamoto said. “We believe that flexibility exercise, such as stretching, yoga and Pilates, should be integrated as a new recommendation into the known cardiovascular benefits of regular exercise.”

However, there are other possibilities as to why bodily flexibility should be an indicator of arterial stiffness. One possibility is that it is related to the higher blood pressure that was seen in the poor flexibility group. Another possibility is that the amount of collagen and elastin, which makes the muscles flexible, also makes the arteries flexible. Further research is needed to understand whether there is a cause-effect relationship between flexibility and arterial stiffness, they said.

The authors are: Kenta Yamamoto of the University of North Texas and the National Institute of Health and Nutrition, Japan; Hiroshi Kawano, Yuko Gando and Mitsuru Higuchi of Waseda University, Japan; Motoyuki Iemitsu of International Pacific University, Japan; Haruka Murakami, Michiya Tanimoto, Yumi Ohmori, Izumi Tabata, Motohiko Miyachi of the National Institute of Health and Nutrition; and Kiyoshi Sanada of Ritsumeikan University, Japan.

The Healthy Aging Brain is packed with pertinent research findings, fascinating anecdotes, and useful insights on how to maximize the functioning of the human brain.

Cozolino’s approach to the subject is special in that he stresses the role of relationships in building, shaping, and sustaining the brain. In particular, he values the grandchild-grandparent relationship, which facilitates brain stimulation across generations, establishes the importance of elders in the community, boosts elders’ self-image, and produces a positive effect on their cognitive health.

 The Healthy Aging Brain also delves into the topic of wisdom, which is defined as the embodiment of knowledge and compassion in the context of relationships. Cozolino explains how our brains become better equipped to reflect wisdom as they age due to long-term neural activation. He calls for a renewal of the respect once given to elders for this quality, which is personified by such skills as their storytelling ability.

Following is a detailed listing of the contents:

• Acknowledgments
• Preface
• Introduction

PART I. BUILDING THE SOCIAL BRAIN

• The Brain As a Social Organ
• Creating Attachment
• Sustaining the Social Brain: A New Look

PART II. THE SOCIAL BRAIN ACROSS THE LIFE SPAN

• Current Theories of the Aging Brain
• Growth and Adaptation
• Hemispheres and Hormones

PART III. ATTACHMENT AND WISDOM

• The Emergence of Wisdom
• The Maturation of Emotion
• Challenges to Wisdom
• Stories as Nurturance

PART IV. BODY AND SOUL

• Nurturing Your Body
• Nurturing Your Relationships
• Grandparenting
• Optimal Challenge and Maximum Inclusion

APPENDIX

• 52 Ways to Avoid Hardening of the Categories: A Program of Personal Experiments
• Suggested Readings
• Credits
• References