What is good for the body is good for the brain. For example, getting a lot of exercise, reducing stress, going light on alcohol and not smoking are all good brain enhancers that you have heard about. But what has received more attention these days is the surprising link between your gray matter and your diet.
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“The nutrients from food affect chemicals that directly and indirectly affect your brain and in turn change the way you think and feel,” says nutritional psychiatrists. Uma Naidoo, MD, a professional chef, nutritionist and author of the book This is your brain on food. In other words: food can affect your mood – in a big way.
Do you know serotonin, the neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood, happiness and anxiety? Ninety percent of it is actually produced in your gastrointestinal tract rather than in your brain, a statistic that underscores the importance of your diet and digestive system for your cognitive health. As Head of Nutrition and Lifestyle Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, Dr. Naidoo is at the forefront of the growing field of nutritional psychiatry, which recognizes the important roles that bacteria that make up your gut microbiome play for brain health and conveys your mood and cognitive function.
While Dr. Naidoo says that eating a healthy whole food is the best way to a healthy brain, she believes that supplements have a place at the table as well. The best supplement for your brain is one that contains nutrients that she calls “the low-hanging fruit”: nutrients that are harder to get through your daily diet.
Deficiencies are due to your diet, so there is no single best supplement for your brain that works for everyone. For that reason, we asked Dr. Naidoo about the most common brain-strengthening nutrients where many people may be deficient. To find out if you are deficient, she recommends that you ask your doctor about blood tests that can identify low levels of these nutrients before taking supplements. Read on, and for more on how to eat healthy, do not miss the 7 healthiest foods to eat right now.
Vitamin D
The fat-soluble vitamin that is known to support strong, dense bones acts as a neuro-steroid; it helps reduce inflammation and controls the release of nerve growth factor (NGF), which is important for neurons to function in the hippocampus, the area of the brain responsible for learning and memory.
“There are many people who are deficient in vitamin D, especially those who live in the northeast as I do where the climate and sunshine affect vitamin D levels,” says Naidoo. Outside of vitamin D-fortified foods like milk, it can be difficult to get enough of the vitamin, so she recommends supplements because of their relationship to mood and anxiety. “We are not really sure how it works, but it adjusts the chemistry of the brain,” she says. “It can increase certain neurotransmitters like dopamine.”
READ MORE: The best vitamin D supplement # 1 to take, says dietitian
Magnesium
“This mineral is involved in 300 biochemical reactions in the body, including mood regulation and sleep,” says Naidoo. It is on her list of “low hanging fruit” supplements for people suffering from anxiety.
Research suggests that a magnesium deficiency is associated with anxiety disorders, ADHD, fatigue and low libido. Naidoo recommends that you ask your doctor about the best type of magnesium supplement for your anxiety as some over-the-counter magnesium supplements can give you diarrhea as magnesium supplements are often used for constipation.
Omega-3 fatty acids
There are three main types of omega-3 fatty acids: the plant-based alpha-linolenic acid and the two found in fish oil, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). EPA and DHA are essential for your heart and head.
“Omega-3 promotes brain health by lowering inflammatory markers and protecting neurons from excessive inflammation,” says Naidoo.
Scientific studies have shown that dementia patients have low omega-3 levels and that dietary supplements can help protect the brain and delay cognitive decline. In its 2016 book, Naidoo cites a meta-analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials with 1,233 patients with depression, which showed the positive effects of fish oil, especially in participants who took higher amounts of EPA and in those who also took antidepressants.
Saffron
The much-appreciated spice used in Mediterranean, Asian and Moroccan dishes has been shown to help improve the symptoms of depression and reduce neurodegeneration which causes Alzheimer’s disease. Certain small clinical trials suggests that 30 mg of saffron supplementation given daily for six weeks may be as effective as standard antidepressant drugs, known as SSRIs (serotonin reuptake inhibitors). But you do not get a therapeutic dose from any red threads of the expensive spice, says Naidoo. Saffron supplements are much cheaper and concentrated to get the level you need.
If you want to try to increase your brain power with food before trying supplements, check out the following articles:
- The 12 best foods to eat when you feel anxious, according to science
- Popular foods that support your mental health
- 16 foods that boost your mood and fight depression
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