NUTRIENTS FOR THE MIND

   The Mediterranean diet appears to offer the most benefits for both emotional well-being and cognitive function.  It recommends fish, nuts, plenty of green vegetables and whole grains, while limiting dairy, refined carbohydrates and red meat.  Large studies have linked the Mediterranean diet to lower rates of Alzheimer’s disease and depression in adults.  The closer you follow it, the better are the chances of staying mentally alert and emotionally stable.  In one study, those with poorest adherence to the diet had a 40 percent greater chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease.  It helps keep arteries and heart healthier which in turn helps the brain keep supplied with blood and oxygen.  One follow-up study concluded that the diet’s benefits to the brain were independent of its vascular effects.  These might derive from a combination of these nutrients that are abundant in this diet and is reflected in a special report from Consumer Reports on Health, October 2011.

   Omega-3 fatty acids are found in foods that include salmon, walnuts and flaxseed oil.  Omega-3s are one of the brain’s basic building blocks.  Preliminary studies in animals suggest that they aid in the function of the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin, which help govern moods.  Researchers think omega-3s might have played a role in the study of another 2010 study of a group of women, ages 19 to 30 and followed the Mediterranean diet for 10 days and reported significantly higher levels of alertness, contentment, and vigor compared with a control group. Vitamins B6, B12, and folate might help to stave off depression, possibly by having an impact on serotonin levels.  Deficiencies in vitamin B12, which is found in eggs, fish, seafood, meats, and poultry, and can lead to memory loss.    Vegetarians and older adults who are strict vegetarians are usually advised to take a modest B12 supplement. The levels of folate, found in beans, berries, and greens like spinach or Swiss chard, nuts, sweet potatoes and wheat germ are important.  Fortified breakfast cereals may supply many of these.

   Magnesium helps regulate the brain’s serotonin levels and is found in beans, flaxseed, leafy greens like spinach or Swiss chard and wheat germ.  Magnesium levels are linked to premenstrual syndrome and have also been implicated in treatment-resistant depression.  It is best to follow the Mediterranean diet as a whole.  Sage and turmeric added flavour in this 2010 study of healthy adults.  The jury is still out on chocolate.  Try not to exceed one ounce a day.