Nutrition and Exercise? What a load of baloney....

by Patrick Vaughan

Promoting exercise is not the only method of action that can be taken to become healthier. Nutrition is also a factor which can be controlled and utilized to create a smarter/healthier you. Diet in conjunction with exercise plays a crucial role in shaping the cognitive capacity and the evolution of the brain (Franklin). Food helps to provide energy; the building materials for our bodies, and it also helps to protect against disease (Franklin). 

It is essential that you begin/continue to watch what you eat, in conjunction with how you exercise!

WHY?!?

The Ugly:

·          

     1.) Excess energy production from a high caloric intake can result in the formation or reactive oxygen species

o   When the reactive oxygen species exceeds the buffering capacity of the cell, synaptic plasticity and cognitive function become compromised (Franklin).

·        2.) High saturated fats are notorious for reducing molecular substrates that support cognitive function,

o   They also can increase the risk of neurological dysfunction in humans (Franklin).

            Summary = Eating too much food, and too many "unhealthy foods" high in saturated and Trans Fats - a staple of processed foods - will disrupt the ability of neurons to communicate with one another through electrochemical interactions, or they will "reduce" the hormones in the brain-signaling pathway respectively. Either way, the result is an impaired/reduced state of cognitive functioning!

The Good:

There is also evidence that supports the influence of our digestive tract upon the acquisition of new memories. The ingestion of food triggers the release of hormones and other molecules, which can assist in activating specific regions of the brain, such as the hippocampus and the hypothalamus - contributing to overall learning and memory. 

·         1.) Antioxidants such as several fruits [like the tart cherry or cucumin “Curry”] may mediate the effects of oxidative stress on neuronal plasticity (Gómez-Pinilla).

·         2.) Folate, which is found in Spinach/orange juice/yeast, has also demonstrated that it can help to prevent cognitive decline and dementia during aging (Gómez-Pinilla).

·          3.) Omega-3-polyunsaturated fatty acids [such as fish oils] are normal constituents of cell membranes and they are essential for normal brain function,

o   Has been shown in rodent studies on fish oil deficiency in the diet (Gómez-Pinilla).

These demonstrate just a few of the essential nutrients needed in the sustenance and in the development of a healthy mind!

Summary = Eating the "right" foods, can help to foster a healthier, and an overall better state of mind. Consuming antioxidants can help aid in efficient communication between neurons, folate has been associated with memory retention, and the fish-oils are necessary for memory-retention - as a rodent fish-oil deprivation study noted that memory (in navigating a maze) significantly declined from the control group under such deprived conditions - noting that having fish-oils as a part of ones regular diet is key to keeping those memories.

I Hope that your brain has formed a few new connections from reading this article, and I wish you all success in practicing those "healthy" eating habits, so that you can retain what you learned here today! 


Check out another article I wrote on how Exercise effects the brain!
http://nutritionnatural.blogspot.com/2013/08/exercise-can-make-you-smarter.html 

Works Cited

Franklin, Barry A. "Recent Advances in Preventive Cardiology and Lifestyle Medicine." Recent Advances in Preventive Cardiology and Lifestyle Medicine. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 July 2013.

Gómez-Pinilla, Fernando. "Brain Foods: The Effects of Nutrients on Brain Function." Nature Reviews Neuroscience 9.7 (2008): 568-78. Print.