2572: Q&A - What Foods & Supplements are Best to Boost Brain Health? Mediterranean Diet, Omega 3, Antioxidants & Caffeine

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[00:01:00] It's another Q&A edition of Optimal Health Daily, episode 2572.

[00:01:05] And I'm Dr. Neil Malek.

[00:01:07] Hey there, happy Friday and welcome to another Q&A edition of Optimal Health Daily,

[00:01:12] where I answer your health questions related to fitness, diet and nutrition, and more.

[00:01:17] You send in the questions and I answer them for you.

[00:01:20] And with that, let's hear today's question as we optimize your life.

[00:01:29] Hi, Dr. Neil.

[00:01:29] My name's Eli and back in November, I suffered a severe traumatic brain injury known as

[00:01:36] diffuse axonal injury.

[00:01:38] You know, I'm just lucky to be able to submit this question, but I made huge loads in my

[00:01:45] recovery and I continue to work on it every day.

[00:01:49] And you know, one of the big things that I've been focusing on in general with traumatic

[00:01:55] brain injuries for the recovery is nutrition.

[00:01:59] And so I guess my question is, you know, what food groups, vitamins and dietary supplements

[00:02:06] should I be looking into and trying to incorporate into my daily diet to hopefully help my brain

[00:02:14] get back to how it once was?

[00:02:16] I would really appreciate it.

[00:02:18] Thank you, Dr. Neil.

[00:02:20] Thank you for your question, Eli.

[00:02:22] I'm so sorry to hear about what you have gone through.

[00:02:25] I am sending you healing wishes for your continued recovery.

[00:02:28] And you're right, Eli, that nutrition does seem to play an important role when it comes

[00:02:32] to brain health.

[00:02:33] When it comes to supplements, the data aren't as clear and I will explain.

[00:02:37] So here we go.

[00:02:39] When we look at data from studies, we find that there are common foods that appear to

[00:02:43] support brain health.

[00:02:45] Basically, a Mediterranean type diet is what we're learning may help support brain functions

[00:02:50] the most.

[00:02:51] Part of the reason for this is that there are simply more studies examining these types

[00:02:55] of meal plans.

[00:02:56] So it's possible that other types of diets may help too, but we just haven't studied

[00:03:01] them yet.

[00:03:02] For now, it seems the consensus is that a diet rich in plant-based foods and omega-3

[00:03:07] fatty acids in particular may be most helpful.

[00:03:11] Basically, a meal plan supporting brain health would look like this.

[00:03:15] Consume mostly whole grains pretty much every day.

[00:03:18] Get your 5-9 combined servings of fruits and vegetables every day, especially those

[00:03:24] that are dark green, orange, and red.

[00:03:26] Eat red meat sparingly and instead consume lean meats like poultry and fish.

[00:03:32] And with regards to fish, twice a week at least.

[00:03:35] Include legumes, nuts, and seeds into your daily meals and snacks.

[00:03:39] Use olive oil instead of other oils.

[00:03:42] Okay, so why these foods specifically?

[00:03:45] I'm so glad you asked.

[00:03:47] I'll start by discussing omega-3 fatty acids.

[00:03:51] Cold water fatty fish are good sources of omega-3 fats.

[00:03:55] If you aren't sure which fish are from cold waters or are fatty, just remember this acronym.

[00:04:00] SMASHED

[00:04:02] S. Salmon

[00:04:04] M. Mackerel

[00:04:05] A. Anchovies

[00:04:07] S. Sardines

[00:04:09] H. Halibut

[00:04:11] And T. Trout

[00:04:13] Tuna is a decent source as well, but it doesn't contain as many omega-3 fats as the fish I just

[00:04:18] mentioned.

[00:04:19] So consuming these types of fish 2-3 times per week has been linked to a lower risk of

[00:04:25] dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

[00:04:27] Some studies also found that omega-3 fats improve brain function and development.

[00:04:32] Not a fish fan?

[00:04:34] Consider an omega-3 supplement.

[00:04:36] But of course talk to your doctor first.

[00:04:38] You may also have heard that there are some plant-based sources of omega-3 fats.

[00:04:42] And that's actually correct.

[00:04:44] But here's where it gets a little more complicated and potentially confusing.

[00:04:48] There are different subtypes of omega-3 fats.

[00:04:52] There are some types of omega-3s that are common in plants, and others are commonly

[00:04:57] found in marine plants and animals.

[00:04:59] For example, you may have heard that walnuts are a good source of omega-3 fats, or maybe

[00:05:04] flax seeds.

[00:05:05] And this is correct.

[00:05:07] Walnuts contain something called alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA.

[00:05:12] This is a specific type of omega-3 fatty acid.

[00:05:15] But fatty fish like salmon, for example, contain different types of omega-3 fats.

[00:05:22] Salmon would contain icosopentanoic acid, abbreviated EPA, and docosahexaenoic acid,

[00:05:30] or DHA.

[00:05:31] Plant sources of omega-3 fats don't have these specific subtypes, EPA and DHA.

[00:05:37] Or if they do, the amount is minimal.

[00:05:40] DHA is the most abundant type of omega-3 in the brain and is important in maintaining

[00:05:46] nerve cell structure and nerve cell function.

[00:05:49] So it's important we get enough DHA specifically.

[00:05:53] That's not to say walnuts are bad or won't help improve brain health.

[00:05:56] This is because walnuts contain other neuroprotective nutrients like antioxidants, vitamin E, carotenoids,

[00:06:04] and a variety of minerals.

[00:06:05] You may also have heard that chia seeds are a good source of omega-3.

[00:06:09] That's also true, but again, chia doesn't come from the ocean and therefore is not a

[00:06:13] great source of EPA or DHA.

[00:06:16] So let's move on from omega-3 fats for now.

[00:06:19] There are other important foods and nutrients to consider.

[00:06:21] Berries, for example, may also promote brain health.

[00:06:25] Berries are high in antioxidant.

[00:06:27] That's partly why they're so beautifully colored.

[00:06:29] It's the antioxidants that provide some of that vibrant pigment.

[00:06:33] The specific antioxidants found in berries, though, have been shown to improve memory.

[00:06:37] A large study found that two or more servings of strawberries and blueberries each week

[00:06:41] can delay memory decline by up to two and a half years.

[00:06:45] Oh, and let's not forget about spices.

[00:06:47] Consuming cinnamon has been linked to improved memory, increased attention,

[00:06:51] and enhanced cognitive processing.

[00:06:53] I'll spare you from quoting Jerry Seinfeld and his take on cinnamon here,

[00:06:56] since I've done that many times before.

[00:06:59] But I have mentioned in previous Q&A episodes that you want to use Ceylon cinnamon specifically.

[00:07:05] Oh, and nutmeg and ginger may also help slow cognitive decline.

[00:07:09] Then there's tea and coffee.

[00:07:11] Who said that caffeine is bad for your health?

[00:07:13] Not me.

[00:07:14] In fact, the caffeine in your morning cup of tea or coffee may help boost your memory

[00:07:18] and cognitive skills.

[00:07:20] If you're unsure whether consuming caffeine is right for you, I always have to say,

[00:07:24] be sure to check with your doctor.

[00:07:26] Remember, too much caffeine can lead to unwanted side effects.

[00:07:29] For most healthy adults, the recommendation is to not go above 300 milligrams of caffeine per day.

[00:07:35] What about supplements?

[00:07:37] I mentioned that omega-3 supplements specifically, especially those containing EPA and DHA,

[00:07:43] might be worth exploring with your doctor, especially if you're not a fish fan.

[00:07:47] So when it comes to buying these omega-3 supplements, you do not need to buy

[00:07:52] megadose versions, don't need to buy brands with added vitamin E.

[00:07:56] Manufacturers sometimes add vitamin E to protect the fats from going rancid.

[00:08:01] But this may not be necessary.

[00:08:03] Instead, it may be helpful to purchase enteric-coated omega-3 supplements.

[00:08:08] Buying enteric-coated supplements may prevent that fishy burp side effect.

[00:08:12] And also, when you're shopping, look for USP or NSF on the actual packaging.

[00:08:18] Or the best thing to do is go to consumerlab.com and look up any supplement you're trying to purchase.

[00:08:23] These steps will help ensure that what you're buying is relatively free of impurities

[00:08:28] and meets some quality standards.

[00:08:30] Now there are other dietary supplements on the market,

[00:08:33] often marketed as supporting brain health or mood or memory.

[00:08:37] But ignore those claims for now.

[00:08:40] Because when those supplements are studied,

[00:08:42] researchers often find they don't appear to help in reality.

[00:08:45] Lately I've been seeing television ads for Prevagen.

[00:08:48] The ads claim that Prevagen improves memory specifically.

[00:08:52] But the Federal Trade Commission or FTC and the New York State Attorney General

[00:08:56] sued the manufacturers of Prevagen for these misleading ads

[00:09:00] because the research simply did not support these claims.

[00:09:03] Okay so here's the bottom line then.

[00:09:06] Consume mostly whole grains pretty much every day.

[00:09:08] Get your five to nine combined servings of fruits and vegetables daily,

[00:09:12] especially those that are dark green, orange, and red.

[00:09:16] Eat red meat sparingly and instead consume lean meats like poultry and fish.

[00:09:21] Fish especially at least twice a week.

[00:09:23] Include legumes, nuts, and seeds into your daily meals and snacks.

[00:09:27] Use olive oil over other oils.

[00:09:29] Add spices like cinnamon and nutmeg and ginger to your foods when you can.

[00:09:34] If you don't consume fish or other marine food sources,

[00:09:37] talk to your doctor about getting an omega-3 supplement.

[00:09:40] If you enjoy coffee and tea, they may also help.

[00:09:43] But no need to go overboard.

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[00:10:59] Thank you again so much for taking the time

[00:11:01] to send in your question, Eli.

[00:11:03] Now if you want to send me a question

[00:11:05] and have it answered right here on the show,

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[00:11:49] All right, that's another Q&A edition of Optimal Health Daily.

[00:11:53] Thank you so much for listening every day

[00:11:55] and all the way through.

[00:11:56] I hope you have a great start to your weekend

[00:11:58] and I'll see you back here tomorrow

[00:11:59] where your optimal life awaits.