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Harvard nutritionist says these are the 4 best changes you can make to your diet for a healthy brain
The decades-old saying “you are what you eat” has grown increasingly true as we learn just how important our diets are for immunity, longevity and even mental health.
“Many people don’t realize that there’s a way in which the food we eat impacts our mental wellbeing,” according to Dr. Uma Naidoo, a Harvard-trained nutritional psychiatrist and author of “Calm Your Mind with Food.”
“The food we eat, as it gets digested, interacts with the trillions of microbes in the gut microbiome, and gets broken down into different substances, which then subsequently over time impact our mental wellbeing. Some of the foods that are less healthy, if we’re eating them, set the gut up for inflammation.”
Inflammation in the gut can lead to several adverse mental health symptoms, Naidoo says, including anxiety.
“By tweaking your diet back to a healthier norm, you can actually help to relieve some of these symptoms,” she notes.
Here are four simple changes you can make to your diet for better brain health.
The 4 best changes you can make to your diet for a healthy brain
1. Increase the fiber you eat
“An easy first step is to increase the fiber in your diet,” Naidoo says.
“An increased intake of total dietary fiber” was associated with a lower chance of developing depression, according to a study published in “Complementary Therapies in Medicine” in 2021.
The best way to get fiber in your diet is to obtain it from plant-based foods, Naidoo says.
These are a few great food sources that are high in fiber:
Colorful vegetables like leafy greens
Beans and other legumes
Flax seeds
Healthy whole grains
2. Get more polyphenols
Naidoo refers to this method as getting a “kaleidoscope of color” in your diet by eating colorful foods that are high in polyphenols. Different plants and vegetables of different colors “represent a level of biodiversity needed by the gut microbes,” she says.
Aim to eat more foods rich in polyphenols like:
Carrots/
Blueberries
Strawberries
Nuts, especially hazelnuts and pecans
Black olives
“All of these are hugely important, because they have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant properties [and] fiber, plus multiple micronutrients that our bodies need,” Naidoo says.
3. Eat foods rich in probiotics
A healthy gut is great for our brains, and our guts love probiotics. And you can get more of the healthy bacteria from fermented foods.
“A study published in ‘Cell,’ a very highly reputable journal, done by a research group at Stanford University a couple of years back, showed that adding fermented foods to your diet lowers inflammation,” Naidoo says.
Naidoo recommends finding a fermented food that appeals to you, whether it be kefir, kimchi, yogurt or kombucha.
4. Use more herbs and spices
One of the simplest ways to improve your gut health, which can also promote healthy brain health, is by adding more spices and herbs to your diet, Naidoo says. It’s “something people often overlook,” she adds.
“Spices and different types of fresh herbs are rich in plant polyphenols, high in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties,” Naidoo says.
You can spice up your meals with:
Turmeric and a pinch of black pepper
Capsaicin from chili peppers
Mint
Oregano
Parsley
Thyme
Ginger
Garlic
“They flavor up your food [and] they add depth, whether you make a soup or roast vegetables or a piece of salmon,” Naidoo says, but they’re also “a powerful part of our kitchen that we can lean into.”
注释：
polyphenol: n
表示" 多酚"，如：Another polyphenol, curcumin, has also been shown to have protective effects. 另外一种名叫姜黄素的多酚也具有保护作用。
kaleidoscope: n
表示"万花筒；"，如：The child's wonder at the kaleidoscope never ended. 那孩子对万花筒惊讶不已。
pecan: n
表示" 美洲山核桃"，如：It tastes like real butter pecan. 吃起来很像真的奶油山核桃。
kefir: n
表示"酸乳酒"，如：kefir milk 酵乳
Turmeric: n
表示"姜黄"，如：Turmeric has been used for thousands of years. 姜黄已经被使用了数千年。
Capsaicin: n
表示"辣椒素"，如：Capsaicin the active ingredient in cayenne assists digestion by stimulating the flow of both saliva and stomach secretions. 辣椒中的辣椒素可刺激唾液及胃液的分泌而促进消化。
Oregano: n
表示" [植]牛至"，如：Oregano is an ancient culinary herb whose name means joy-of-the-mountain. 牛至叶作为药性草本使用已经有很悠久历史，其名字带有山野中的乐趣之意。
Parsley: n
表示" 欧芹"，如：He decorated the chicken with sprigs of parsley. 他用欧芹的嫩枝点缀在鸡上。
Thyme: n
表示" 百里香"，如：Thyme mentioned here symbolizes courage. 这里提到的百里香代表勇气。
中文简要说明：
俗话说「吃什么像什么」，哈佛营养学家纳多（Uma Naidoo）说，许多人不知道饮食能影响大脑健康，建议民众增加摄取纤维、富含多酚、益生菌及香料等4种食物，来促进大脑健康，尤其民众最常忽略香料的重要性。
美国CNBC报导，哈佛营养学家纳多表示，许多人不清楚饮食能影响大脑健康，食物被消化、与肠道微生物丛中数兆微生物交互作用、分解成不同物质，后续将进一步影响心理健康，当我们摄取不太健康的食物，将会导致肠道发炎，肠胃发炎将进一步引发包括焦虑在内等不同不良心理症状。
纳多建议民众可从4个小改变做起，改善日常饮食习惯，以促进大脑健康。
☆改变1：增加摄取纤维
根据2021年刊登在期刊《医学补充疗法》（Complementary Therapies in Medicine）的研究，增加摄取膳食纤维与降低罹患忧郁症有关。 纳多罗列出含有丰富膳食纤维的4种食物：绿叶蔬菜、豆类、亚麻籽、全谷类。
☆改变2：摄取更多多酚（polyphenols）
纳多形容这项改变是在饮食中获取「万花筒颜色」，她说不同颜色的植物及蔬菜代表了肠道微生物所需的生物多样性。 富含多酚的食物包含：红萝卜、蓝莓、草莓、坚果（特别是榛果及胡桃）、黑橄榄。
纳多说上述这些食物都非常重要，具有抗发炎、抗氧化特性，也富含纤维，以及人体所需的多种微量营养素。
☆改变3：多吃富含益生菌的食物
民众可从发酵食品中获取更多健康益菌，纳多指出，史丹佛大学过去刊载于国际期刊《细胞》（Cell）上的研究显示，摄取发酵食品能降低发炎。她建议民众可选择自己感兴趣的发酵食品，例如泡菜、优格或康普茶。
☆改变4：多用香草及香料
在饮食中添加香草及香料也能改善肠道、大脑健康，纳多说，可惜民众经常忽视这2样的重要性。她说香料及不同新鲜香草富含多酚，具有抗氧化及抗发炎效果。
她建议民众可在料理中添加以下香料：姜黄、少许黑胡椒、辣椒、薄荷、奥勒冈草、巴西里、百里香、姜、蒜。
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