2223 healthy men and women between the ages of 32 and 62 were studied. Those who were overweight (as judged by a body mass index (BMI) greater than 25) performed worse on cognitive tests that measured learning and memory ability.

Interestingly, these findings held up even when the cognitive test scores were adjusted for high blood pressure and diabetes (both brain busters tend to be more common in those who are obese).

Earlier smartkit posts discuss how:

• children who are obese by age 4 are more likely to have lower IQ scores (25-30 points)
• the appetite control hormone leptin has recently been found to have an important role in learning and memory.

[Click here to jump to the abstract for the above 'obesity and brain power' study in the journal Neurology 2006;67:1208-1214]

Here’s some new research that will come as a surprise to most neurologists: Moderate iron deficiency- without overt anemia- can impair learning and memory.

Importantly, the study found that iron supplementation can reverse the cognitive dysfunction.

The study was published in the March 2007 issue American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Women who are pregnant or have heavy bleeding during their periods are felt to be most at risk for iron deficiency.

The study’s authors conclude:

Iron status is a significant factor in cognitive performance in women of reproductive age

To view the abstract, click here.

While earlier research has shown that iron deficiency can have a significant effect on the developing child’s brain power (e.g., poor school performance) the recent research breaks new ground in showing the susceptibility of adult brains to even mild to moderate iron deficiency without obvious anemia.

There is an ever-growing body of scientific evidence indicating omega-3 fats likely play a very significant role in depression. Unfortunately, because drug companies can’t really profit from omega-3 oils (non-patentable), I doubt you’ll currently find many physicians who understand the potential significance of such a simple intervention.

Just a quick stroll through the medical literature reveals the following interesting lines of recent research findings:

• People who are depressed have smaller amounts of grey matter in the cingulate cortex, the right amygdala, and the right hippocampus. Now, new research by Sarah Conklin from the University of Pittsburgh reveals that people who have higher blood levels of omega-3 fats have higher volumes of grey matter in these same brain regions.

• Last year, a study out of the University of Pittsburgh showed that those with lower levels of omega-3 fats in their blood were more likely to be impulsive and have a negative outlook on life. Additionally, those with higher levels of omega-3 fats were less likely to have mild or moderate symptoms of depression.

[Source: The 65th Annual Scientific Conference of the American Psychosomatic Society in Budapest, Hungary, March 7-10, 2007]

• Another study published in the December 2006 issue of Biological Psychiatry reveals that patients who had severe depression (i.e., MDD “Major Depressive Disorder” had a deficit of DHA (the brain’s major omega-3 fatty acid) in the orbitofrontal cortex. The study mentions how prior research reveals that people who suffer from severe depression (MDD) have a deficiency of omega 3 fatty acids in their blood cells.

[Source: Biol Psychiatry. 2006 Dec 21]

• A study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry reveals supplementing patients with suicidal behavior with omega 3 fats resulted in substantial reductions in this sort of behavior and improvements in well-being.

[Source: Br J Psychiatry. 2007 Feb;190:118-122]

• Another study published in the Journal of Affective disorders reveal that regular use of cod liver oil (which is rich in omega-3 fats) is associated with fewer symptoms of depression.

[Source: J Affect Disord. 2006 Dec 18]

• And finally, a meta-analysis (i.e., a review of many research papers) published in the December 2006 Journal of Clinical Psychiatry reveals “The preponderance of epidemiologic and tissue compositional studies supports a protective effect of omega-3 fat intake, particularly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), in mood disorders” (i.e., major depressive disorders). Furthermore, “meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials demonstrate a statistically significant benefit in unipolar and bipolar depression (p = .02)”

[Source: J Clin Psychiatry. 2006 Dec;67(12):1954-67]

Please note: I am not saying a couple of omega-3 pills a day will cure depression. Many patients do truly need antidepressant drugs. The neuroscientific literature does, however, strongly suggest these special fats do play a very significant role in mediating depressive disorders. While I’ve given a sampling of some of the most recent studies, if you go back further to 2005, 2004, etc…, you will find many dozens of papers supporting this view.

Your mental energy and ability to concentrate depend to a very large extent on the types of food you eat. Unfortunately, most people fall short when it comes to understanding how to best feed the brain. Here’s a short tip you may find helpful:

One of the quickest things you can implement to improve brain power is to modify the protein to carbohydrate ratio of your lunch. While it’s all too easy to down a large, tasty plate of food- most of us wind up ruining the rest of the afternoon’s mental productivity by consuming meals that are loaded with excess carbohydrates.

The modern diet suffers horribly from a surplus of carbs-with most meals having a protein to carb ratio in excess of 4:1. According to multiple lines of research, however, the human brain tends to perform much better with a ratio that is closer to 1:1 [Sample reference provided below].

So in other words, most people would do well to markedly reduce the amount of carbs in their lunches. By doing so, you’ll also lessen the chance you’ll become one of the 1 in 3 Americans who are slated to develop diabetes, which in itself is a major player in ruining the integrity and health of your brain cells.

[Reference: Fischer K, Colombani PC, Langhans W, et al. Carbohydrate to protein ratio in food and cognitive performance in the morning. Physiol Behav. Mar 2002;75(3):411-423.]

It is estimated that more than 1 in 3 Americans take vitamin supplements every day. Many believe that by taking these pills, they can improve brain function. B Vitamins are especially popular.

Do they work?

My suspicion is, as long as you don’t have a significant deficiency, they are probably not doing your brain very much good.

In fact, a meta-analysis was published in the January issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine that looked at this very issue.

The study looked at 14 trials that tested the cognitive benefits of taking vitamin B6, B12, and folic acid. Unfortunately, on most tests of mental function, no improvement was seen. [Reference below]

Now this is not to say vitamins can’t boost brain power. The question, however, becomes: Where are you getting them from? The majority of recent research indicates you have to go to the raw food source as opposed to a pill.

Importantly:

• Vitamins are just part of the food, and contain just a tiny fraction of the hundreds of beneficial organic compounds (i.e., phytochemicals) present in a fruit or vegetable. For example, many people associate Vitamin C with oranges. An orange, however, contains over 190 phytochemicals, and the vast majority of these will never make their way into a vitamin pill.
• The hundreds of beneficial organic compounds in raw food are balanced, and work synergistically. This is just not possible when a few vitamins are synthetically isolated in pill form.

Raw food is the greatest supplement of all.

If you’d like to read more on the brain boosting effects of phytochemicals, here are a few earlier smartkit posts that I recommend:

• What a glass of fruit or vegetable juice can do for your brain
• Green leafy vegetables most able to slow the rate of cogntive decline
• Grape Juice reverses brain aging
• Strawberries prevent memory loss

Reference: Arch Intern Med. 2007;167:21-30. Vitamin B6, B12, and Folic Acid Supplementation and Cognitive Function.

If you’ve ever tried to chew Vivarin instead of swallowing it, you’re well aware of the fact that caffeine- as available in its raw form- has a horrible, bitter taste.

A molecular biologist who owns a coffee shop in North Carolina, however, has figured out a way to turn caffeine into small, flour-like particles and eliminate the bad taste so it can be added to baked goods like donuts, cakes, and pastries.

Currently, he’s getting a patent on the process and trying to see if Starbucks and Krispy Kreme might be interested.

Is this something you’d eat?

Over the past 4 years, I’ve eaten a lot of dark chocolate, and some of the world’s best bars have made their way through our kitchen. Amedei, Valrhona, Michel Cluizel, El Rey, Domori, Bonnat. The nice thing about chocolate is that it is a very affordable luxury. You can grab yourself the world’s finest bar for less than $20.

Besides tasting great, there’s been a bunch of research over the past couple years showing dark chocolate may actually have some health benefits. For example, studies have shown dark chocolate can lower the “bad” LDL cholesterol, as well as blood pressure in patients with hypertension. And for those interested in improving cognitive performance, please see an earlier Smartkit post about how dark chocolate can boost brain power by improving verbal and visual memory, as well as reaction time. What I haven’t really posted about yet, however, is chocolate’s ability to induce euphoria. All varieties can do it, but I believe dark chocolate does it best. The numerous feel-good chemicals include:

• theobromine (a stimulant)
• anandamide (marijuana like substances)
• phenethylamine (aka PEA, “love drug”
• caffeine
• and cocoa flavanols

This brings me to CocoaVia, a new chocolate bar put out by the Mars Company that is just starting to become readily available.

What is special about CocoaVia? Out of all the bars I’ve ever eaten, I’m close to concluding it packs the greatest feel-good punch. Thought it was a fluke the first time I tried it, but after having eaten about 10 over the past few weeks, I’m basically convinced.

What is unique about CocoaVia’s composition? The thing that made me want to go out and give it a try is that it’s processed differently from normal chocolate. Under normal manufacturing conditions, almost all of the health-giving plant chemicals (flavanols) are stripped right out. The Mars Company has apparently spent a fortune trying to figure out a way to create chocolate that still retains all these healthy flavanols. In the last year or two, they’ve succeeded, and their top-secret, specially processed flavanol-rich chocolate is called CocoaPro.

And CocoaVia is the world’s first chocolate bar made with CocoaPro.

If any of you chocoholics out there give it a try, I’d be very curious to hear if you notice a similar effect. Please feel free to let me know in the comments section what you think.

A note of caution, though: I personally don’t think CocoaVia tastes very good. Additionally, I’ve noticed a few pimples and zits eating CocoaVia- something that also commonly occurs with other Mars chocolates like Dove and M&M’s.

If you really want all the brain and health benefits that chocolate flavanols confer, you may prefer to go straight to the raw cacao beans. Most health food stores now sell these chopped in the form of cacao nibs.

You must cut a birthday cake into exactly eight pieces, but you’re only allowed to make three straight cuts, and you can’t move pieces of the cake as you cut. How can you do it?

The truth, however, is that this new study published in The Lancet shows that folic acid provided cognitive benefits for those with high homocysteine levels. Patients (drawn from the Netherlands) that had normal homocysteine levels were not included in the study.

Is your homocysteine normal or elevated? If it is high, this study (along with several older studies) indicates your brain will likely benefit from folic acid supplementation.

Interestingly, however, there are many metabolic experts who believe that if your homocysteine level is at the upper limits of normal, there is still a benefit to be had from taking extra folic acid.

The metabolism of folic acid and homocysteine are closely intertwined. It has been shown that those who don’t consume enough folic acid will in turn have elevated homocysteine levels.

What are some good natural food sources of folic acid?

• Black-eyed peas, boiled, 1 cup: 210 mcg
• Lentils, 1/2 cup cooked: 179 mcg
• Beans, white, boiled, 1/2 cup 144 mcg
• Black-eyed peas, 1/2 cup cooked 120 mcg
• Broccoli, cooked, 1 cup 104 mcg
• Spinach, cooked, 1/2 cup 103 mcg
• Romaine lettuce, 1 cup 76 mcg
• Orange juice, 1 cup 75 mcg
• Wheat germ, raw, 2 Tbl 50 mcg
• Papaya cubes, 1 cup 53 mcg

[Source for Folate Food Content: Northwestern University]

The Lancet Folate study: Durga J, et al “Effect of 3-year folic acid supplementation on cognitive function in older adults in the FACIT trial: a randomized, double blind, controlled trial” Lancet 2007; 369: 208-216.

“My refusing to eat meat occasioned an inconveniency, and I have been frequently chided for my singularity. But my light repast allows for greater progress, clearness of head and quicker comprehension.”

Hundreds of millions of students and workers all over the world consume drinks and pills in the hopes of magically relieving fatigue and boosting their energy levels without suffering any downside. Hence the popularity of Red Bull, Monster, Mountain Dew, Coke, Pepsi, energy pills, caffeine pills, amphetamines, cocaine, and of course coffee.

I’m a firm believer that when it comes to brain circuitry and energy metabolism, Newton’s Third Law still holds: Every action has an equal an opposite reaction.

Based on my years of studying the brain and expertise as a neurologist, I am deeply convinced that, on a fundamental level, the consequences of a chemical energizer are twofold:

• As high up as the drug brings you, you will afterwards sink to an equally commensurate low
• Pushing neural circuits into overdrive stresses the hardware, and leads to cumulative wear-and-tear type brain damage

In life, there are always tradeoffs, and everything has a benefit and a risk. Surely, there are times when it is worthwhile to consume a chemical energizer. The important point is to realize there is a downside to taking it, and therefore only use the minimal amount needed to get the job done.

Taking a large dose initially doesn’t mean the beneficial effect will last longer. It just means your handgun gun just magically became a nuclear bunker buster.

Back in college, I never thought twice about downing an oversize vanilla cappuccino to help get in the studying mood. In actuality, all that was probably needed was a few sips at the start and maybe another couple sips an hour or two later.

Just because Monster Energy shoves 16 ounces of caffeinated sugar into a can doesn’t mean you need to drink all of it.

One important determinant of blood vessel health is cholesterol levels, with the LDL subtype of cholesterol being “bad” for your arteries and HDL being “good” (Click here for a Smartkit post on how to naturally raise your HDL).

Came across a couple of interesting studies that show how high-flavanol dark chocolate can lower LDL cholesterol levels. One study was published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association 2006 Nov;106(11):1804-13 (abstract), out of the University of California, Davis. The author’s conclude:

The data suggest that the incorporation of this snack food into a balanced diet represents a practical dietary strategy in the management of serum cholesterol levels.

Another study was published in the journal Hypertension in 2005 Aug;46(2):398-405(abstract). This latter study also found that flavanol-rich dark chocolate also had a powerful ability to lower blood pressure in patients with essential hypertension.

Unfortunately, most chocolate your buy, even dark chocolate, has little in the way of the healthy flavanols after all the processing it goes through. If you’re looking for flavanol-rich chocolate, the best bet is go with cacao nibs. I just bought some the other day, and, while they’re not really that sweet, the taste isn’t all that bad. Cacao nibs are basically little chopped pieces of raw cocoa beans.

• In the 1950s, school kids were given daily cod liver oil
• Fish oil improves learning and memory in children
• Ritalin substitute: Improve Focus and Concentration
• Potent Brain Food: Fortify with DHA and avoid memory loss
• Fish Consumption Slows Brain Decline

The best dietary source of these omega-3 fats is fish. Specifically “fatty fish”, like:

• Salmon
• Atlantic halibut and mackerel
• Bluefish
• Herring
• Sardines
• Herring

However, our fish supply is slowly but steadily being contaminated by hundreds of toxins being dumped in the oceans. One wonders: are there not any vegetarian sources of omega 3 fats?

Indeed, there are:

• flaxseeds and flaxseed oil
• walnuts
• hemp seeds
• leafy green vegetables

Unfortunately, however, most naturally occurring vegetarian sources of omega 3 fatty acids are not very rich in DHA (a very important type of omega 3 fat).

Recently, a reader emailed me and asked if Spirulina and Chlorella are significant sources of DHA, and after looking into the issue, I believe they are not.

For vegetarians who eat eggs, there are eggs from chickens that are fed flax and microalage that contain significant amounts of DHA (60-100mg DHA/egg and 100-150mg DHA/egg respectively (source: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 78, No. 3, 640S-646S, September 2003).

Additionally, there are now several companies that make vegetarian DHA capsules from a microalgae-based process. These are widely available at health food stores.

I strongly suspect it is just a matter of time, however, before scientists learn how to genetically modify common plants to produce large amounts of DHA and other omega 3 fats.

How much DHA is recommended per day? According to the source listed above: 100-300mg/day

Patients with high-normal uric acid levels were found to have lower scores on tests of:

• mental processing speed
• verbal memory
• working memory

The question remains whether readily available drugs that reduce uric acid levels (i.e., allopurinol, probenecid, sulfinpyrazone) may benefit brain function in older adults with high uric acid levels.

Interestingly, a diet rich in purine rich foods is thought to elevate uric acid levels. Purine rich foods include animal meats- particularly beef, pork, and lamb. Shellfish is also thought to be a purine-rich food.

While researchers don’t fully understand the underlying pathophysiology that may explain the correlation between high uric acid levels and impaired brain power, nonetheless, it is known that high uric acid levels do correlate with several dementia risk factors such as:

• type 2 diabetes
• high blood pressure
• atherosclerosis

Article: “Serum Uric Acid and Cognitive Function in Community-Dwelling Older Adults,” David J. Schretlen, PhD, Anjeli B. Inscore, PsyD, H. A. Jinnah, MD, PhD, Vani Rao, MD, and Barry Gordon, MD, PhD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Godfrey D. Pearlson, MD, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Hartford Hospital/Institute of Living, and Yale University School of Medicine; Neuropsychology, Vol 21, No. 1