Harvard says: Our Brains need Good Food

Harvard contributor, Dr.Eva Selhub MD, in 2022, wrote an interesting blog about the importance

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate sleep and appetite, mediate moods, and inhibit pain. Since about 95% of your serotonin is produced in your gastrointestinal tract, and your gastrointestinal tract is lined with a hundred million nerve cells, or neurons, it makes sense that the inner workings of your digestive system don't just help you digest food. The digestive system also guide our emotions. What's more, the function of these neurons is highly influenced by the billions of "good" bacteria that make up your intestinal microbiome. These bacteria play an essential role in your health. They protect the lining of your intestines and ensure they provide a strong barrier against toxins and "bad" bacteria; they also limit inflammation; they improve how well you absorb nutrients from your food; and they activate neural pathways that travel directly between the gut and the brain.

Studies have compared diets, and found that those who eat the traditional western diet vs the Mediterranean diet, or Japanese diet, have a 25% to 35% lower outcome of depression than those who eat a traditional diet.

Scientists account for this difference because these traditional diets tend to be high in vegetables, fruits, unprocessed grains, and fish and seafood, and to contain only modest amounts of lean meats and dairy. They are void of processed and refined foods and sugars, which are staples of the "Western" dietary pattern. In addition, many of these unprocessed foods are fermented, and therefore act as natural probiotics.

This may sound implausible to you, but the notion that good bacteria not only influence what your gut digests and absorbs but also affect the degree of inflammation throughout your body, as well as your mood and energy level, is gaining traction among researchers.

Their Advice:

Dr. Axe another advocate of healthy nutrition equals healthy minds suggests the following healthy foods to add to our diets: Avocados, Beets, Berries (such as blueberries), Bone broth, 5. Cruciferous vegetables (like broccoli), Celery, Coconut oil, Dark chocolate, Eggs, Extra virgin olive oil, Green leafy vegetables, Herbs (such as rosemary), Oily fish (like salmon), Turmeric, Nuts (such as walnuts), Coffee and tea, Seeds, Beans, Lean red meat, Tomatoes, Whole grains, Wine and grapes, Oranges, Peanuts, Soy, Brain supplements

Others recommend that we start paying attention to how eating different foods makes you feel — not just in the moment, but the next day. Try eating a "clean" diet for two to three weeks — that means cutting out all processed foods and sugar. See how you feel. Then slowly introduce foods back into your diet, one by one, and see how you feel.