Healthy Meal, Happy Brain: How Diet Affects Brain Functioning

Abstract

Do you know that the foods you eat impact your health? Most importantly, what you eat can have negative effects on the most complex organ in your body: your brain! Amazingly, the food you eat affects neurons, which are the major cells of the brain. In the brain, an unhealthy diet that is rich in fats and sugars causes inflammation of neurons and inhibits the formation of new neurons. This can affect the way the brain works and contribute to brain disorders like depression. On the other hand, a diet that contains healthy nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids, is beneficial for brain health. Such a diet improves the formation of neurons and leads to improved thinking, attention, and memory. In sum, a healthy diet makes the brain happy, so we should all pay attention to what we eat.