 If you think about it, that wrinkly 3 pound mass in your head is kind of a big deal. Well, one, your brain is an energy intensive organ which approximately uses 20% of your body's energy and two, you have 100 billion microscopic neurons in your brain which produce and send more messages than all the phones in the world combined. These brain functions are directly related to the foods that you put into your body. Either you opt for the fast food chicken burger or a well balanced put a bowl. The food you consume has an influence on your thoughts and emotions. With that said, let's take a look at the shocking effects of food on your brain. Gut brain axis. Gut feeling and butterflies in the stomach are two expressions suggesting that your gut and brain are connected both physically and biochemically in multiple ways. The communication network between these two organs is known as the gut brain axis. The gut is your second brain which interacts with your brain to influence your emotions and decisions. A group of researchers from APC Microbiome Ireland at the University College Cork published a study in the journal Molecular Psychiatry that explained the role of some food groups in increasing the beneficial bacteria in your gut and consequently improving brain health. Its high in prebiotic and fermented foods are known as psychobiotic diet which can reduce the participants perceived stress levels and enhance the quality of sleep. The gut brain axis is important when managing stress. When it's unbalanced it impedes our ability to deal with stress effectively. A psychobiotic diet supports the production of healthy gut microbiome which produces serotonin. This is a precursor hormone for melatonin that regulates our 24 hour internal clock and circadian rhythm. Brain Development If you think that children moving from their classroom to home is super fast, the rate of their brain development is just as fast. Nutrition has been described as one of the single most important environmental factors on newborns during pregnancy and it continues to be important throughout infancy and the formative years of child development. According to researchers Lisa Sanders and Stephen Cecil, choline plays a vital role in the development of the brain during pregnancy where it may influence the closure of the neural tube and contribute to lifelong memory and learning. There is also a study investigating the health benefits of tachosahexonic acid, DHA, which is present in mothers milk and fatty fish like salmon, tuna and mackerel. The high amount of this fatty acid that accumulates in the brain during infancy is associated with better development of language, cognition, social and motor skills as the infant transitions into childhood. Mediterranean Diet Greece Italy Morocco Spain What do these countries have in common? Well, all these countries border the Mediterranean Sea, which predominantly follows the Mediterranean diet consisting of an adequate intake of fruits, nuts, vegetables, cereals, legumes and fish. According to a study led by Almedina Sanchez Viegas, published in the journal Public Health Nutrition, adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern guarantees sufficient fish consumption, which is the primary source of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are long-chain, polyunsaturated fatty acids that cannot be synthesized in the human body and must be acquired through diet. A randomized control trial conducted by researcher Jessica Bayes and colleagues at the University of Technology, Sydney has proven that a Mediterranean diet may alleviate symptoms in young men living with moderate to severe depressions. Participants consisted of 72 young men between the ages of 18 to 25, and they were randomly allocated to either a Mediterranean diet support group or a befriending support group. All participants who got nutritional help by learning how to consume a Mediterranean diet improved their depressive symptoms. Sleep and wakefulness One night you have a greasy fast food meal for dinner, and the next day you feel groggy. When this happens, it's not difficult to put two and two together. High carbohydrate meals often lead to impairment in your sleep quality. This has been proven by a group of researchers at Columbia University. In a study titled, fiber and saturated fat are associated with sleep arousals and slow wave sleep. It was demonstrated that people who consume more sugar and simple carbohydrates, such as white bread, bagels, pastries and pasta at night, wake up more frequently and don't get as much deep sleep. On the flip side, eating complex carbohydrates that contain fiber provides a more stable blood sugar level. This in turn may help you experience deeper, more restorative sleep. Cognitive performance Those who eat the rainbow were found to experience slower rates of memory decline. And no, we're not talking about artificially colored foods like M&Ms or Skittles. Simply put, eating the rainbow means consuming various colorful fruits and vegetables. Researchers Thomas Holland and colleagues investigated 1,000 older people and followed them for approximately seven years. As part of the research, they were asked to fill out diet surveys and complete cognitive and memory tests annually. It was found that diets rich in flavonols, natural substances with antioxidant-like properties, reduced cognitive decline compared to diets low in flavonols. In other words, the more colorful your food is, the better it is for your memory and cognitive function. Saying you are what you eat is an understatement. In fact, you are more than what you eat. Neuroscientist Claire Williams, in a Cerebrum Dana Foundation article, says that our diet is only one of the chunks that contribute to our brain wellness. The other chunks include physical activity, hydration, ample sleep, and social connectedness. Also, brain health is not a sprint, it's a marathon. There's no instant fix to improve your brain health. However, the good news is that you can begin right now by introducing brain-friendly meals, physical activities, and good sleep routines into your everyday life. Until next time, thanks for watching. And remember, you matter.