Brain foods: Fact or fiction?

You might have heard the term “brain food.” These are foods that some believe may improve your thinking skills or protect your brain health as you age. 

In the modern world, where nutrition disinformation and misinformation are everywhere, it’s easy to get confused by all the messaging: How much brain food do I need? What do I need to eat for my kidneys? Should I detox to help out my liver?

So, in this article, we’ll investigate whether brain foods really work but, more importantly, we’ll explain why you don’t need to worry about eating for each of your individual organs.

We’ll also unravel some of the fascinating links between nutrients and brain health and explain how you can eat for better brain health without splashing out on the latest “brain food” fad.

1. Foods containing omega-3s

Omega-3s are essential fatty acids. They’re “essential” because your body needs them to function, but can’t make them itself — so, you need to consume omega-3s in your diet.

However, they’re found in particularly high amounts in the retina, brain, and myocardium (heart muscle). Although scientists are still figuring out their precise role in the brain, there’s evidence that omega-3s are important for:

• The development of your nervous system early in life.

• Maintaining healthy blood flow in your brain.

• Forming synapses, which allow nerve cells to communicate with each other.

• Reducing inflammation in the brain (neuroinflammation).

Omega-3s are found in a number of foods, including:

• Cold-water fatty fish, like anchovies, trout, and salmon.

• Certain seeds, like flaxseeds and chia seeds.

• Some oils, like soybean and canola oil (called rapeseed oil in the United Kingdom).

• Walnuts.

For a longer list of foods that are rich in omega-3s, try this article. 

There’s now a good amount of research suggesting that eating walnuts and fatty fish can protect cognitive function as you age. 

However, as the authors of a review on walnuts concluded, they “also reduce the risk of other diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, depression, and type 2 diabetes.” 

So, omega-3s certainly are important for your brain and you could rightfully call foods that contain omega-3s “brain foods.” But your whole body needs them, so perhaps “body foods” would be a better term… although that doesn’t have quite the same ring to it.

2. Leafy greens

At ZOE, we’re huge fans of leafy greens. It’s well established that a plant-based, diverse diet is linked to better overall health, and that includes brain health. But do leafy greens contain anything that supports brain health in particular?

Leafy greens like spinach, kale, broccoli, and collards contain nutrients like lutein, vitamin K, beta-carotene, kaempferol, and folate.

Research suggests that these veggies can support thinking skills across the lifespan. There’s also some evidence that consuming these types of veg is associated with slower cognitive decline.

As with omega-3s, leafy greens are not exclusively good for your brain. They contain a range of vitamins and minerals, polyphenols (more on these in a moment), and fiber that support your whole body.

So, add more leafy greens to your diet when you can. It may support your thinking skills, and — added to a varied diet — it will definitely support your overall health. 

For more information on the health benefits of a diverse, plant-based diet, try this article next.

3. Polyphenol-rich foods

Polyphenols are defense chemicals that protect plants from insects, ultraviolet light, and other attacks on their survival. These compounds also have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and help feed your “good” gut bacteria.

Polyphenol-rich foods like berries are often touted as brain food.

And some research suggests they might help protect brain health and cognitive skills. However, there isn’t much evidence from human studies at the moment. 

Aside from brain health, scientists are also investigating whether polyphenol intake might support:

• blood sugar control

• heart health

• skin health

It’s challenging to determine the benefits of polyphenols in large studies. While scientists can estimate how much an individual consumes, there are many other factors to consider. 

For instance, if your diet contains a lot of polyphenols, that means you eat a lot of fruit and veg. These foods are also rich in other beneficial nutrients like vitamins and fiber. 

So, while those consuming the highest levels of polyphenols might be healthier, it’s tricky to know whether that’s due to the polyphenols, the other components in the plants, or both.

Or, perhaps it’s also that people who eat a lot of colorful fresh fruit and veg eat less ultra-processed food. 

Either way, scientists are confident that polyphenols in your food can support your health. And the fruit and veg they’re found in are certainly healthy. So, here are some more body foods that contain high levels of polyphenols:

• blackcurrant

• plum

• cherry 

• strawberry

• prune

• black grape

• apple

• capers

For a longer list of delicious polyphenol-rich foods, try here.

The list goes on

If you search the internet, you’ll find a wide range of brain foods on offer. Some have supporting evidence, some don’t. Alleged brain foods include:

• berries 

• eggs

• nuts 

• whole grains

• avocados

• tomatoes

• beans

• cabbage

• coffee

• chocolate

Thankfully, as you might have guessed, these are also body foods. So, add them into your diet if you enjoy them.

What should you do?

For many years, experts split the brain and body into separate disciplines. Today, though, we understand that the brain is just another part of the body — an important, complicated part, for sure — but what’s good for your body is likely good for your brain, too.

So, rather than seeking out specific foods for specific bodily organs, choose foods that will nourish all of you.

The great news is that all of the foods outlined above are excellent additions to a well-rounded diet. So, whatever scientists eventually discover about these foods' impact on brain health, adding them to your diet is still a smart move.