Food for Thought: How Healthy Eating Makes You Smarter
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto 
on 07.28.08
Omega-3 oils from fish have been touted for years as good for the brain; the Economist writes that it is just the tip of the nutritional iceberg.
"Fernando Gómez-Pinilla, a fish-loving professor of neurosurgery and physiological science at the University of California, Los Angeles, believes that appropriate changes to a person’s diet can enhance his cognitive abilities, protect his brain from damage and counteract the effects of ageing. Dr Gómez-Pinilla has been studying the effects of food on the brain for years, and has now completed a review, just published in Nature Reviews Neuroscience, that has analysed more than 160 studies of food’s effect on the brain. Some foods, he concludes, are like pharmaceutical compounds; their effects are so profound that the mental health of entire countries may be linked to them."
The article discusses folic acid-"ward off the cognitive decline that accompanies ageing."
anti-oxidants-"reckoned by many to protect against the general effects of ageing."
berries-"These have been shown to have strong antioxidant effects"
and of course, Omega 3. "improved learning and memory, and resistance to depression and bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, dementia, attention-deficit disorder and dyslexia."
Good eating in the Economist
Good eating in TreeHugger:
Organic Milk Really is Healthier r
Green Eyes On: Hemp, Revisited
On Giving Up Salmon for Sardines
On Planet Green:
How Much is Enough to Eat?
Eat Like Michael Pollan : Nutrition Vegetables
Cook with Foods that Fight Cancer: Seaweed
Cook with Foods that Fight Cancer: Flax Seeds
Follow @TreeHugger on Twitter & get our headlines with @TH_rss!
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
- Forget about Pills: Eat Away A Bad Mood!
- Feed 8 Friends for Under $100 with this Green Frugal Feast: Sustainable Fish Fry
- Can Your Fishing Habits Save the Coral Reefs?
- Forget Going Green Because It's the Right Thing to Do—Go Green to Make Your Neighbors Jealous
- 8 Fun Green Ways to Manage Stress (Kissing is One of Them)
- Eat a Vegetarian Diet, Reduce Your Carbon Footprint by a Ton
How about we spend the money a meal like that would cost and use it to educate folks in areas that have poor access to decent education?
Very interesting!
I just started to take a super omega supplement that includes fish, flaxseed, borage & safflower oils. Good to know it "improved learning and memory, and resistance to depression and bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, dementia, attention-deficit disorder and dyslexia."
"Omega-3 oils from fish have been touted for years as good for the brain"
Not so good for Mr. Anchovi and Mrs. Salmon, because they have to die.
PS: "*We minimize the use of saturated fats like [...] dairy products." Drink Options: glass of milk...
Umm this menu sounds amazing. But, I could never make it...
Without getting too technical, I keep and eat at will the following: seeds and nuts of all kinds, flax seed, avocados, olive oil, high antioxident fruits and vegetables. Add some red wine, a little fish and a little chocolate. Good bread is a must. Lots of things are good for better ageing and avoiding nutrient-deficient disorders.
This is utterly and absolutely true! I believe it is the DHA in Fish oil that helps our brains be smarter and more alert. I just finished watching a video by Dr. Mercola on Youtube which says that our brain is almost entirely made of DHA so taking fish oil and Omega 3's makes sense. I've started already, I take Neurovi Omega 3 from Neurovi.com but I hear there are tons out there.. I tried the GNC brand but I prefer the one I am taking now because I believe its better quality!!
Good point Ragnar Roeck!! LOL Survival of the fittest :D