Dr. Uma Naidu is a nutritional psychologist, professional chef, and book author This is your brain on food, Dedicated to discussing the crucial relationship between brain health and mental health.
“Food can have a powerful impact on our brain health,” she says in a newly released class. Master class About brain health. “That power is at the end of your fork.”
For starters, neuroinflammation — an inflammatory response in the brain — is one of the driving mechanisms of mental health disorders like anxiety and depression, Naidu says. luck. It can affect the neural circuits in the brain responsible for regulating mood. Excess sugar from ultra-processed foods, a cause of inflammation, destroys nerve cells in the brain responsible for key functions such as memory and attention. This is precisely why lifestyle changes such as diet are recommended to help manage depression and anxiety and protect the brain from age-related diseases such as dementia.
One way to offset the inflammatory process in the brain is to eat foods rich in antioxidants such as berries, beans, artichokes, and a range of spices to rid the body of free radicals that cause cell damage and stress the body and brain. However, Naidu says that often, people get overwhelmed by the abundance of choices at the supermarket and don't know where to start.
“When we go to the supermarket, our brains and minds are hijacked by food advertisements, and that's not necessarily the best marketing for our brains,” she says.
While Naidoo emphasizes shopping around supermarkets where you find produce, meat and dairy products, she also recommends pausing in the central aisle of the store.
With a variety of colors, scents, and brain-healthy options, the spice aisle is a must-stop on your next grocery tour.
Not only are spices delicious and versatile, they “add powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties to any food you eat,” Naidu says, adding that it's best to buy spices without added preservatives, salt or sugar.
Naidoo recommends grabbing these five spices at your next grocery store.
turmeric
Turmeric contains the active ingredient curcumin, which is largely responsible for turmeric's anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Turmeric also improves blood sugar and insulin levels, which helps reduce the risk of high blood pressure and obesity.
Naidoo also recommends adding a pinch of black pepper to the turmeric. It activates curcumin and makes it 20 times more bioavailable, making it more efficient for the body to absorb it to take effect.
Consider adding turmeric to your tea or latte or flavoring a rice, protein, or soup dish.
Mint
Naidu says that eating fresh or dried mint may also help strengthen the brain, noting that the dried spice is more concentrated than fresh.
“Peppermint contains a powerful antioxidant called luteolin, which really helps with brain fog,” she says.
Consider adding mint to water or tea.
Garlic and ginger
Garlic and ginger are vital spices for immune health. “Garlic is a prebiotic that helps balance your gut by stimulating the growth of healthy bacteria,” Naidu previously said. luck. Remember being told to drink ginger ale when you have a stomach ache? Ginger, which also has anti-inflammatory properties, helps treat nausea and can help heal the gut and brain by reducing inflammation.
It is also a popular ingredient in essential oils due to its calming properties through the compound gingerol, which can help reduce stress.
Chili pepper
Spicy food lovers are in luck. Capsaicin is responsible for giving chili peppers their heat factor. It has also been used as Homeopathic treatment It treats a variety of ailments and can also improve mood.
“Capsaicin acts on certain neurotransmitters, and is linked to antidepressant effects through a type of neuroreceptor called the NMDA receptor,” Naidu says. studies In animal models the antidepressant properties of capsaicin have been verified.
You can get chili peppers in the produce section, as well as ground chili peppers in the spice aisle.
While overhauling your diet in light of protecting our brains can be stressful, Naidoo recommends making a few minor tweaks to get started. Keeping your eyes peeled for spices at the grocery store is just one way to prioritize brain health.
“As Americans, our reliance on ultra-processed foods and sugar in almost everything we consume is not our fault,” she says. “We don't have to give up everything we love. It's about the slow and steady brain changes we can make with snacks.
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