Food For Thought: Boost Brainpower with Nutrition

Friday, January 28, 2022

Written by Maggie Green, a 4th year Dietetics major, UGA Sports Nutrition Intern, and the Student Nutrition Marketing Supervisor for UGA Dining Services’ Nutrition Department

Photo of salmon, broccoli, and peppers.

Did you know you can simultaneously nourish your brain and body? Yet another reason to get ample sleep, engage in physical activity, and eat nourishing foods. Data suggests that diet and nutrition are vital for human physiology and significantly affect mental health, mood, and cognitive function. Several well-known nutrients support healthy brain function. This next series of weekly articles will explore more on each of these nutrients and how you can find them in the Dining Commons!

First Up: Fatty Acids

The brain loves omega-3s! Our bodies do not produce these healthy fats, so we must obtain them from our diet. There are three forms of Omega-3 fatty acids: alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). ALA is the most common omega-3 fatty acid and found in plant sources like walnuts, flaxseed, and soybeans. Although our bodies can convert ALA into EPA and DHA, this conversion process is highly inefficient and depends on adequate levels of other nutrients in the body. On the other hand, EPA and DHA are immediately able to be utilized by the brain and body. Food sources of EPA and DHA include seafood, algae, fatty fish like salmon, and some grass-fed animal products like venison and eggs.

Adequate consumption of Omega- 3s is important in an overall balanced diet, and it contributes to mental alertness, memory, and cognitive function. Specifically, EPA and DHA have been found to help reduce symptoms of depression. DHA has also been found to benefit brain function, vision, heart health, arthritis, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers.

To increase the amount of healthy omega-3s in your diet, aim to include more nuts and seeds, vegetable oils, seaweed, and fatty fish at least twice a week. In the dining commons, try snacking on or topping your salad with walnuts which are one of the best sources of omega-3. Fatty fish, like salmon, are in rotation on the main lines for lunch and dinner at all locations. Salmon is also served at O-House every Thursday for lunch and dinner. Look out for the Sautéed Broccoli with Sunflower Seeds recipe on main lines; it contains a great amount of omega-3s from vegetable oil, carotenoids from leafy greens, and vitamin E from sunflower seeds!

Stay tuned for next week's article on the benefits of Vitamin E on brain function!


References

Adan RAH, van der Beek EM, Buitelaar JK, et al. Nutritional psychiatry: Towards improving mental health by what you eat. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2019;29(12):1321-1332. doi:10.1016/j.euroneuro.2019.10.011

Omega-3 fatty acids: Foods & Benefits. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/17290-omega-3-fatty-acids. Published 2019. Accessed January 13, 2022.


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