Feeding Your Mind: Enhancing Brain Health with Good Nutrition

The middle of another year is here with us again. It’s time for mid-year performance reviews, end of term and or mid semester exams in various schools. In Ghana for instance, our junior high school students are preparing for BECE, their first ever national examination in early July, whilst senior high students are preparing for WASSCE.

June can be a busy month for students, professionals and most working people as they focus on activities that require optimum brain function. Nutrition plays a significant role in supporting cognitive function, memory, and focus, making it essential for academic performance and professional success.

Thus, throughout this month we will discuss how the food we eat influences the functioning of the brain and offer practical nutrition and lifestyle advice to enhance brain health and performance.

The first consideration is a balanced diet that incorporates a variety of nutrient-dense foods.  A food is said to be nutrient dense when it provides a high amount of essential nutrients while containing relatively few calories. Eating nutrient dense foods supply the body with essential nutrients that fuel the brain to function well. Nutrient-dense foods include food groups such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, tubers, fish and healthy oils.

Let’s start with fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are often eaten inadequately by most people. A study that surveyed Ghanaian adolescents in schools (both junior and senior high) found low intakes of fruits and vegetables. Only 36% of the adolescents ate adequate fruits, 27% consumed adequate vegetables, and 28% had adequate intake of both fruit and vegetables. Considering the nutrition needs of this age group and the potential role that the nutrients in fruits and vegetables play in enhancing brain health, it is important to encourage them to try to include fruits and vegetables in their daily meals.

Commonly available fruits like mangoes, pawpaw, avocados and bananas contain a wealth of antioxidants, vitamins and other essential nutrients that support brain health.

Some of these fruits (e.g. mangoes) are currently in season and are therefore readily accessible and affordable.

With the onset of the rains, green leafy vegetables are also becoming more affordable and can even be easily cultivated in most backyards.

We recommend that both students and working people make a conscious effort to eat enough nutrient dense fruits (especially brightly coloured fruits that are in season) and vegetables (especially green leafy vegetables) to derive maximum nutritional benefits for optimum brain function. Planning to eat a minimum of 2 servings of fruits each day (a serving of fruit is roughly the size of your clenched fist) and a dish that incorporates generous quantities of vegetables (such as vegetable stews, soups and salads) is a good starting point to help achieve adequate intake of fruits and vegetables.  We will focus on other food groups and specific nutrients in subsequent weeks. If you have specific dietary requirements or health goals, you can consult a registered dietitian to provide personalized guidance.

This article was compiled by the www.fullproofnutrition.com team and expertly reviewed by Laurene Boateng (PhD, RD).

Reference

Seidu, A.-A.; Aboagye, R.G.; Frimpong, J.B.; Iddrisu, H.; Agbaglo, E.; Budu, E.; Hagan, J.E., Jr.; Ahinkorah, B.O. Determinants of Fruits and Vegetables Consumption among In-School Adolescents in Ghana. Adolescents 2021, 1, 199-211. https://doi.org/10.3390/adolescents1020016

Do you have any questions? Click here to ask our dietitians.