How healthy is your brain?

THE BRAIN does not sleep. It functions 24/ 7; therefore, it is in constant need of nourishment. And whatever you eat directly affects the structure of your brain and consequently, your mood as well.

Have you heard of serotonin? This is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate sleep and appetite, arbitrate mood and restrain pain. According to Eva Selhub, MD, a contributing editor of Harvard Health Blog (Harvard Health Publishing), if 95% of serotonin is produced in the gastrointestinal tract, and the gastrointestinal tract is lined with hundred million nerve cells, called neurons, it conforms that the inner workings of the digestive system do not only digest food, but also affect your emotions.

Studies have also shown that nutritional status can directly affect mental capacity among children. To cite some examples: deficiency in iron can decrease dopamine impacting mental cognition; as well as, deficiencies in thiamine, vitamin E, vitamin B, iodine and zinc hamper cognitive abilities and mental concentration; on the other hand, amino acids and carbohydrates can help improve perception, intuition and reasoning.

The month of July celebrates proper nutrition. For school-age children, it is important that the brain is properly nourished as early as conception time. It is the brain that primarily functions in their academic activities. At the right is a list of some foods that are good for the brain: