Following a balanced dietary pattern has the best effects on brain health, new study suggests.
- Dietary
patterns and food choices impact brain function, but the specific
relationship between food and the brain is complex.
- Researchers
are interested in finding out what diets optimize brain functioning and
health.
- One
study examined four dietary patterns and found that a balanced diet
containing several food types saw the most overall benefit in brain
health.
What people eat affects
their well-being, but sometimes it is hard to tell the precise effects of diet
on health.
Recently, a study published in Nature Mental
Health explored how dietary patterns impacted a number of
areas of brain health, including mental health, cognitive function, metabolic
biomarkers, and brain structure as measured using MRI.
In their
analysis of almost 182,000 participants, researchers found that those who
followed a balanced diet were likelier to have better mental health and
cognitive functioning.
They also noted genetic differences that may have influenced
the outcomes among different dietary groups.
While research will continue in this
area, the study points to the importance of making wise nutritional choices to
improve brain function and mental health outcomes.
How diet can impact brain function, mental health
People can develop preferences for certain foods, which can
impact overall dietary patterns over time. Researchers are interested in
discovering how these preferences can influence brain function and mental
health, and whether specific diets are better for mental health.
Some research supports the notion that certain diets and food
choices are better for mental well-being. In contrast, others may contribute to
poor mental health.
For example,
following a diet with high levels of fruits, vegetables, and fish may help to decrease the risk of depression.
Similarly, eating more fruits and vegetables, and getting
essential micronutrients may help reduce anxiety
risk, while eating a diet high in fat and refined carbohydrates may
increase this risk.
Diet can also
impact how well the brain functions. For example, following the Mediterranean
diet may help
slow cognitive decline.
Isabel M. Vazquez, MS, RD, a registered dietitian at Memorial
Hermann Health System, who was not involved in the recent study, noted the
following to Medical News Today:
“We know that diet plays a
significant role in brain health. Research suggests that diets rich in fruits,
vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats can support cognitive
function and reduce the risk of cognitive decline. Conversely, diets high in
processed foods, saturated fats, and sugars may have negative effects on the
brain.”
“Previous research has consistently shown that diet plays a
fundamental role in brain health, influencing cognitive functions and emotional
well-being. Nutrient-rich, balanced diets are often linked with reduced risk of
cognitive decline and better mental health outcome,” Vazquez added.
For the current study, researchers
focused on four main dietary patterns by looking at participants’ food
preferences:
1.
starch-free or reduced starch — this
group preferred fruits, vegetables, and protein but showed a lower preference
for starchy foods like bread or pasta
2.
vegetarian — this group preferred fruits
and vegetables but showed a lower protein preference
3.
high-protein and low-fiber — this group
preferred snacks and protein foods and had a lower preference for fruits and
vegetables
4.
balanced diet — this group showed
similar preferences in all food groups.
The researchers found consistency
with food preferences and actual food consumption traits.
The connection between diet and the brain
The researchers who conducted the current study looked at
data from the UK
Biobank, focusing on food-preference data. Researchers asked about food
preferences in several categories, including dairy, fruits, flavorings,
alcohol, meat, snacks, starches, and vegetables.
They then looked at the association between these dietary
preferences and several brain-related outcomes. First, they assessed mental
health, collecting data on components including anxiety and depressive symptoms, mania symptoms, psychotic experience, trauma, self-harm,
and well-being.
Higher scores indicated poorer mental health, except for the
well-being measurement, where a higher score suggested better mental
well-being.
Researchers further evaluated cognitive function with several
tests, looked at blood biochemistry and metabolic biomarkers, and examined
brain structure via MRI.
Finally, they looked at polygenic
risk scores for mental disorders, which measure how genetics factor
into risk for mental illness, and did a gene enrichment analysis.
The study found
that the balanced dietary subtype saw the most benefit of all four groups —
those in the balanced dietary subtype had lower scores for most mental health
measurements and higher scores for well-being.
This group also had the best-measured reaction time, while
the high-protein, low-fiber diet group scored the best on a cogntion test
involving symbol substitution
People in the
balanced dietary group also had higher levels of gray matter in certain areas
of the brain compared to the high-protein, low-fiber group.
However, the vegetarian group also showed higher levels of
gray matter in certain brain regions.
The balanced dietary group also had a relatively lower
genetic risk for most mental disorders. In contrast, the vegetarian group had a
higher genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and
several other mental disorders.
The high-protein and low-fiber group had a higher genetic
risk for ischemic
stroke.
A balanced diet is best for brain health
Researchers also found that several genes were different
between the balanced group and the high-protein, low-fiber group.
These genes were “enriched in biological processes related to
mental health and cognition,” which points to how genetics may be involved in
the observed outcomes.
Overall, the results show how following a balanced diet may
help improve brain health and mental well-being.
Molly Rapozo, RDN, registered dietician nutritionist, and
senior nutrition and health educator at Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa
Monica, CA, not involved in the research, shared her thoughts on the findings
with MNT.
“This study found that a ‘healthier’ diet with balanced
preferences in various food categories — fruit, vegetables, starches, protein,
and snack foods were noted — is associated with better mental health status,
higher levels of cognitive functions and fewer risks of mental disorders,” she
explained.
“It’s exciting to see this result in
such a large study (181,990 participants) with lots of data — behavioral,
neuroimaging, biochemical and genetic analyses. It was also found that
high-protein, low-fiber diets with an emphasis on snack foods were associated
with lower well-being scores, higher levels of inflammatory markers, and an
increased stroke risk. These findings appear to agree with what we already know
about diet and brain health.”– Molly Rapozo, RDN
Study
limitations and clinical implications
This study adds to the evidence suggesting that what people eat
affects multiple areas of health. However, the study also has certain
limitations.
First, it utilized data from the UK Biobank, which does not
entirely reflect the diversity of the population in the United Kingdom, where
the Biobank collects these data.
This is as the cohort was recruited over 20 years ago, and
while the cohort reflects the ethnic make-up of the UK in 2001, this has
changed since then. The cohort is also comprised of older individuals, and all
members of this cohort were between the ages of 53–87.
Then, the research focused mainly on healthy individuals.
Those who responded to food-like questionnaires and those who did not may have
also influenced the results.
The nature of the study also means that it cannot prove
causality. The average age of participants was around 71 years old, so future
research could focus on younger participants.
Researchers further note that while they were able to examine
levels of omega-3 and omega-6
fatty acids, they did not examine levels of tryptophan,
which is linked to mental health and cognitive function.
They also did not gather detailed information on how omega-3
and omega-6 fatty acids were involved in the dietary patterns. These choices
may have led to overlooked data, as these elements are important to serotonin synthesis
and, thus, to overall mental health.
Finally, some data collection relied on participant
reporting, which is not always factual. Researchers also focused on food
preferences rather than data on the actual foods that participants ate, and
they used simplified measurements of mental health factors.
Nevertheless, even taking these shortcomings into account,
the results point to the importance of following healthy dietary patterns to
support positive outcomes for brain health.
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