Food for Brain and Mental Wellbeing

The most sophisticated and highly coordinated biochemical reactions happen behind every single act in your body.

For this, your brain and body need various nutrients that ideally should be present in your food.

If these nutrients are missing, the reactions will go wrong or will not happen at all, which can disrupt processes in the body.

So, the food for brain must be a nutrient-rich diet that keeps the body and mind healthy and fit.

Essential Nutrients for Brain Health

Your brain consists mainly of water and fat. Drinking plenty of WATER is vital for your health, especially the brain’s health.

Healthy Fats

The brain is the fattiest organ of the human body. Healthy fats serve as building blocks for your cells and the neural cells of your brain.

Include products containing healthy fat in your diet, such as 

• fatty fish
• seeds and nuts
• eggs
• avocados 

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Essential omega-3 fatty acids in the form of fish oil are one of the supplements that support the healthy functioning of your brain.

Flaxseeds or flaxseed oil are not suitable sources of essential fatty acids because of the low conversion rates of plant fatty acids in human bodies. 

However, Algal oil supplements can be a good option for vegetarians.

Minerals: Magnesium and Zinc

Magnesium and zinc are essential elements for brain health and proper sleep. Low levels of Magnesium are associated with anxiety whereas low levels of zinc are related to depression.

Both can be obtained with nutrient-rich foods like

• nuts, avocados, green leafy vegetables for magnesium and 
• meat, seafood, and nuts for zinc.

If you decide to take Magnesium supplements:

• Do not take magnesium oxide. Our bodies poorly absorb it.
• Take magnesium citrate if you tend to constipate
• Take magnesium bis-glycinate if you tend to have diarrhea.

Read more about different forms of magnesium and their effect here.

Also, in the case of zinc, an organic salt like citrate or bis-glycinate is a much better choice because it is easily assimilated in human bodies.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D plays a vital role in different biochemical processes including those in the human brain. Vitamin D deficiency is shown to be related to depression and seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

Vitamin D is made in your skin exposed to sunlight.

Spending some time outside in the daylight, we produce a sufficient amount of our own vitamin D. But this is mostly valid for the warm and sunny period of the year.

Because of the climate and our indoor living style, Vitamin D deficiency is very common in middle and northern Europe, particularly in winter. 

Only a few foods, such as fatty fish and fish liver, provide us with additional vitamin D. Therefore, it often needs to be supplemented during dark and/or rainy times of the year.

If you decide to supplement Vitamin D, choose formulas combined with vitamin K, as both vitamins have overlapping functions in the body.

Tryptophan

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid used as a building block for proteins. It is not synthesized in the human body but needs to be ingested with food. 

The human body uses tryptophan to build the happiness neurotransmitter serotonin and other neurotransmitters, molecules used for communication between brain neural cells.

Therefore, tryptophan plays a vital role in brain health and disease. A tryptophan-rich diet can elevate moods and reduce the chance of anxiety, irritability, and depression.

Products rich in tryptophan are 

• seeds and nuts
• meat
• fish
• eggs
• oats, etc.

How Unhealthy Food Affects the Brain

Sugar and Brain

The brain is a highly energy-demanding organ, consuming around 20% of the body’s total energy, despite weighing only about 2% of total body weight (less than 1.5 kg).

Its primary fuel source is glucose (sugar), which is why the brain naturally craves it. In fact, your brain rewards you for consuming sugar.

Both the sweet taste detected in the mouth and the presence of sugar in the stomach activate independent mechanisms in the brain that increase sugar cravings.

At the same time, excessive sugar consumption disrupts satiety signals by interfering with the hormone ghrelin, which regulates hunger. Over time, this can lead to a complete dysregulation of appetite control.

These mechanisms were once beneficial for our human ancestors, helping them survive periods of food scarcity. However, in today’s world of food abundance, they often contribute to overeating, binge eating, and obesity. Studies on rodents have even shown that sugar can be as addictive as drugs of abuse.

Alcohol

While moderate alcohol consumption might have some perceived social and psychological benefits, excessive or long-term use is strongly associated with mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, and increased risk of psychiatric disorders. 

Binge drinking and heavy alcohol use are associated with poorer cognitive functioning on a broad range of neuropsychological assessments, like

• learning
• memory
• visual-spatial functioning
• psychomotor speed
• attention
• executive functioning
• impulsivity

Alcohol use is associated with accelerated decreases in gray matter.

Mental health itself appears to influence alcohol consumption more than the reverse. This suggests that poor mental health may lead to increased alcohol use.

Lifestyle for Mental Wellbeing

Healthy Sleep

Sleep is a phase of the day when the body and brain not only rest but also repair and heal. It is, therefore, nature’s restorer.

But sleep is also an important phase of brain activity when the brain undergoes intense self-cleaning, information, impressions, and emotions from the day are processed, and memories are consolidated.

Healthy sleep is an uninterrupted, deep, and restful sleep of 7 to 9 hours. Such sleep needs to be maintained consistently, as sleeping in on the weekends does not compensate for the deficiency during the week.

Mental issues like worries, fears, anxiety, and depression can cause sleep issues, and these sleep issues will worsen the mental state. So, improving your sleep is crucial for recovering from any psychological problems.

Sufficient Sunlight Exposure

Exposure to sunlight profoundly affects the well-being and health of the brain and body.

Sunlight exposure directly regulates your circadian rhythms:

• improves sleep and wake quality
• supports hormonal balance, which can affect every other function of your body
• elevates and maintains good moods

In contrast, artificial light exposure during the night negatively affects your moods. Also, sensitive people suffer in the darker period of the year from seasonal mood disorders.

Nutrient-Rich Hunter-Gatherer Diet

The modern hunter-gatherer diet is low in carbohydrates, moderate in protein, and rich in variety and amounts of vegetables. This powerful combination is rich in nutrients.

The modern hunter-gatherer diet not only meets the needs of nerve cells and other organs but can even reverse chronic diseases. I write more about it (Wahls protocol) in the story of my Hashimoto remission.

Regular Exercise and Practices

Physical exercise affects both the body and the brain. Exercise alone stimulates the brain and can alleviate anxiety and fears.

Furthermore, practices like meditation, breathing exercises, and gratitude practice have a mood-elevating effect and support your mental well-being in the long run.

Struggling with food cravings, harmful habits, or looking to build new habits that support your mental well-being?

Here’s how to get started:

✅ Step 1: Schedule a free discovery call with me below.
✅ Step 2: Fill out a form to help me understand your needs.
✅ Step 3: Let’s discuss how hypnotherapy can help and see if we’re a good fit to work together.

FAQ: Food for Brain

Conclusion: Food for Brain and Mental Wellbeing

• Complex biochemical reactions happen behind each and every activity in your body.
• Food for brain: Those reactions can only take place if you provide your body with nutrient-rich whole foods, such as green leafy vegetables, fish, seeds and nuts, eggs, and meat.
• Nutrients for brain: Your brain especially requires water, and fats including essential fatty acids, vitamin D, magnesium, zinc, and tryptophan.
• Supplementation of these components in addition to a nutrient-rich diet can be meaningful.
• Foods to avoid: Avoid sugar, processed and fast food, and alcohol.
• Lifestyle for mental wellbeing: Adopt a healthy wake and sleep routine, get sufficient sunlight exposure, consume fresh nutrient-rich foods, regularly exercise and engage in mental practices.

What nutrient-rich foods, mentioned above, would you like to include more in your diet?

References

• Clara R. Freeman, Amna Zehra, Veronica Ramirez, Corinde E. Wiers, Nora D. Volkow, Gene-Jack Wang. Impact of sugar on the body, brain, and behavior. Front. Biosci. (Landmark Ed) 2018, 23(12), 2255–2266. https://doi.org/10.2741/4704
• Bandelow B, Reitt M, Röver C, Michaelis S, Görlich Y, Wedekind D. Efficacy of treatments for anxiety disorders: a meta-analysis. Int Clin Psychopharmacol. 2015 Jul;30(4):183-92. doi: 10.1097/YIC.0000000000000078. PMID: 25932596.
• Lees B, Meredith LR, Kirkland AE, Bryant BE, Squeglia LM. Effect of alcohol use on the adolescent brain and behavior. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2020 May;192:172906. doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2020.172906. Epub 2020 Mar 13. PMID: 32179028; PMCID: PMC7183385.
• Wiss, D., & LaFata, E. (2024). Ultra-Processed Foods and Mental Health: Where Do Eating Disorders Fit into the Puzzle?. Nutrients, 16. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16121955.
• Tang, W., & Lee, J. (2024). Association of Fast-Food Intake with Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms among Young Adults: A Pilot Study. Nutrients, 16. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16193317.
• Ra, J. (2022). Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and fast foods deteriorates adolescents’ mental health. Frontiers in Nutrition, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.1058190.
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• Ning, K., Gondek, D., Patalay, P., & Ploubidis, G. (2020). The association between early life mental health and alcohol use behaviours in adulthood: A systematic review. PLoS ONE, 15. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0228667.
• Bell, S., & Britton, A. (2014). An exploration of the dynamic longitudinal relationship between mental health and alcohol consumption: a prospective cohort study. BMC Medicine, 12, 91 – 91. https://doi.org/10.1186/1741-7015-12-91.
• Berglund, M., & Öjehagen, A. (1998). The influence of alcohol drinking and alcohol use disorders on psychiatric disorders and suicidal behavior.. Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research, 22 7 Suppl, 333S-345S . https://doi.org/10.1111/J.1530-0277.1998.TB04388.X.
• Kenney, S., Lac, A., LaBrie, J., Hummer, J., & Pham, A. (2013). Mental health, sleep quality, drinking motives, and alcohol-related consequences: a path-analytic model.. Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs, 74 6, 841-51 . https://doi.org/10.15288/JSAD.2013.74.841.