Review: Brain Food: How to Eat Smart and Sharpen Your Mind

Brain Food: How to Eat Smart and Sharpen Your Mind by Lisa Mosconi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

We have among the most complex brains among all animals, and also the most demanding as a result. This book is an important one as it brings together current research to recommend how we can eat for better brain performance and safeguard ourselves from dementia in later years.
A very small fraction of dementia cases is caused due to the genes (<1%), and brain health in later years is largely determined by what we eat, and also our lifestyle. This book covers all aspects holistically though the emphasis is on the diet.

This book has a wealth of information on the impact of fats, sugar, vitamins, protein on brain health. It starts off with the benefits of hydration, with plain water being the best (filtered of harmful germs but not purified which tends to remove useful minerals), with other options being coconut water, aloe vera juice or green tea. There is a detailed discussion on fatty acids – Omega 6 & Omega 3. Most of us do not get enough Omega 3 in our diet, the recommended proportion being Omega 6: Omega 3 - 2:1. Fish apparently is the best source (not an option for vegetarians like me), with there being other vegetarian options such as flaxseed, hemp seeds, chia seeds and others.

There is a discussion around the benefits of Phospholipids, Tryptophan, Phenylalanine, Choline, Vitamins, Pre- & Pro-biotics and how we can obtain these from the foods we eat. The foods to avoid finds good coverage as well especially trans-fats, sugar, processed food, etc. Glucose is vital for the brain, but processed sugar elevates the risk of diabetes, heart health and is also bad for the brain. There are, however, various natural ways to obtain the glucose we need.

There is brief coverage on other aspects of brain health –exercise, walking, sleep, relationships and other aspects of lifestyle. At the end of the book is a discussion on a few diets across the world which have been found to improve health and promote longevity. There is also a list of healthy brain foods provided as part of the book.

This is an important book to understand how we can modify our diets to improve brain health. While the foods options discussed are largely relevant to the US and the western world, it is quite possible to make suitable modifications to other cuisines as well based on the ingredients discussed.

My rating: 4.5 / 5.


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