HEALTHY FOOD

Foods for Better Brainpower

A human brain weighs less than 1.5 kilograms. Despite its low weight, the brain is an energy-intensive organ, consuming as much as 20% of the energy produced by the body. It should not come as a surprise, therefore, that eating well is important for our creativity. In this article, you will learn which nutrients are needed by your brain, why you should not overeat, and which foods should be consumed only occasionally to maintain your mental performance in the long-term.

Małgorzata Pielichowska

Brain structure and your diet: why overeating is bad for your brain

Overeating is one of the factors that negatively affect brain function. As a highly energy-consuming organ, the brain is rich in organelles called mitochondria, whose purpose is to produce energy, coming mainly from glucose and oxygen, but also from fatty acids (during periods of prolonged starvation). As a side effect of the process, free radicals are also produced, highly reactive molecules which inflict damage on cell structures, including neurons. Eating more than your body needs along with a sedentary lifestyle lead to overproduction of free radicals, which promotes brain ageing processes.