How does the food you eat affect your brain?

?How does the food you eat affect your brain

affecting things like mood, sleep, attentiveness, and weight. They're one of the reasons we

might feel

calm after eating a large plate of pasta, or more alert after a protein-rich meal. The complex combinations 

of compounds in food 

can stimulate brain cells to release

mood-altering norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin. But getting to your brain cells is tricky, and amino acids have to compete

for limited access. 

A diet with a range of foods helps 

maintain a balanced combination of brain messengers, and keeps your mood from getting skewed

in one direction or the other. Like the other organs in our bodies, 

our brains also benefit from a steady

supply of micronutrients. Antioxidants in fruits and vegetables strengthen the brain to fight off

free radicals that destroy brain cells, enabling your brain to work well

for a longer period of time. And without powerful micronutrients, like the vitamins B6, 

B12, and folic acid, our brains would be susceptible 

to brain disease and mental decline. Trace amounts of the minerals iron, copper, zinc, and sodium 

are also fundamental to brain health

and early cognitive development. In order for the brain to efficiently

transform and synthesize these valuable nutrients, it needs fuel, and lots of it. While the human brain only

makes up about 2% of our body weight, 

it uses up to 20% of our energy resources. Most of this energy comes 

from carbohydrates that our body digests into glucose,

or blood sugar. The frontal lobes are so sensitive

to drops in glucose, in fact, 

that a change in mental function

is one of the primary signals of nutrient deficiency. Assuming that we are getting

glucose regularly, how does the specific type 

do carbohydrates we eat affect our brains? Carbs come in three forms: starch, 

sugar, and fiber. While on most nutrition labels, they are all lumped 

into one total carb count, the ratio of the sugar and fiber subgroups

to the whole amount affects how the body and brain respond. 

A high glycemic food, like white bread, causes a rapid release of glucose

into the blood, and then comes the dip. Blood sugar shoots down,

and with it, our attention span and mood. 

On the other hand, oats, grains,

and legumes have slower glucose release, enabling a steadier level 

of attentiveness. For sustained brain power, opting for a varied diet of nutrient-rich

food is critical. When it comes to what you bite,

chew, and swallow, 

your choices have a direct

and long-lasting effect on the most powerful organ in your body.