This is your brain on food

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This is your brain on food

By HEATHER HADDON

Last Updated: 4:48 AM, October 17, 2010

Posted: 2:01 AM, October 17, 2010

Think a glass of wine chills you out? Try a mound of potatoes instead.

Just like alcohol or drugs, food and spices can excite, calm or rattle the

brain, with neuroscientists making new discoveries into how amino acids and

other natural compounds steer our mood swings.

" The distinction of what is a drug and what is food is blurring completely.

Natural things are also drugs, " said Wenk, a professor at the Ohio State

University and Medical Center and the author of the new book " Your Brain on

Food. "

Nutrients within foods stimulate different regions of the brain, opening a flood

of chemicals like dopamine and serotonin that promote well-being. Compounds also

enhance brain activity and protect the brain from aging.

On the flip side, a lack of certain amino acids can cause depression and, in

severe cases, madness. Scholars now blame the Aztecs' penchant for sacrifice and

cannibalism on a maize-based diet that lacked tryptophan, which is vital for

creating feel-good serotonin. Even today, countries that consume less tryptophan

have higher suicide rates, according to a 2007 study.

" Certain diets influence certain behaviors, " Wenk said. " If you want to

understand how your brain works, we have to look at everything you consume. "

Wenk, a specialist in Alzheimer's disease, started delving into the medicinal

impact of food while studying how natural plants could impact memory. People

from the Indian subcontinent, he found, are much less likely to develop

Alzheimer's. The reason? They scarf down a lot of curry, which contains an

antioxidant that keeps brain cells from aging.

The glow created by chocolate and coffee isn't just caused by caffeine, but also

by a rush of dopamine that triggers the brain's pleasure receptors. Chocolate

also releases a form of opiate that causes that la-la feeling, along with a

small amount of a substance akin to marijuana. With all that pleasure packed

into a Hershey bar, it's a miracle the feds don't regulate the stuff, Wenk

joked.

Meat and potatoes also affect moods, but more subtly, Wenk writes. Potatoes calm

people down by releasing glucose into the blood, as does milk, especially in

babies.

Sadly, the brain is a cruel master and tends to reward what is bad for the rest

of the body. The brain craves sugar to communicate with other neurons and is

particularly ravenous for it in the morning. Choline, which aids movement and

learning, is found in baked goods.

" It's never simple, " said Wenk, who advises moderation in coffee and chocolate

consumption. " Things that are often good for the brain aren't good for the body.

You can't just live on Twinkies and doughnuts and beer. "

Active ingridients

What different foods do to your brain:

Nuts, eggs, milk: These all produce the amino acid tryptophan, which produces

the happy-inducing substance serotonin. Without enough tryptophan, you tend to

feel depressed and angry

Potatoes, bagels and rice: Have a calming effect by releasing glucose into the

blood

Fava beans: In high doses, they enhance mood by helping to produce dopamine, the

brain’s reward chemical

Nutmeg, saffron, fennel, dill, cinnamon, and anise: They contain properties that

are chemically similar to mescaline. In big quantities, the spices can cause

feelings of euphoria

Coffee: Releases dopamine that triggers rewarding and pleasurable feelings

Sugar: Vital to feed your brain, and helps you pay attention and learn new

things. Its absence causes sensations of craving and desire

Chocolate: Contains compounds that contribute to a good mood, while also

soothing and mellowing