BRAIN FOOD CHOICES

brain

FOOD

Certain foods such as nuts, grains, eggs and fi sh, can help to maintain or improve the health of your brain. Additionally eating the right foods to keep your brain healthy can dramatically decrease your risk of developing neurological problems later in life.

HERE ARE SOME SUGGESTIONS FROM METROPOL:

BLACKCURRANTS

Deemed a ‘superfood’, these are high in antioxidants, including vitamin C, and can help boost your immune system. Blackcurrants are rich in an omega-6 fatty acid called gamma-linoleic acid.

EGGS

Rich in B vitamins and a nutrient called choline, eggs can help to slow cognitive decline and defi ciencies such as depression and dementia. Choline helps create the neurotransmitters responsible for mood and memory.

FATTY FISH

Trout, salmon, and sardines all contain large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. Sixty percent of your brain is composed of fat containing omega 3s, essential in the production of brain and nerve cells.

FRUITS

Certain fruits including oranges, capsicums, guava, kiwi fruit, tomatoes, and strawberries, contain high amounts of vitamin C, which helps prevent brain cells from becoming damaged.

LEAFY GREENS

Broccoli, spinach, and kale contain various nutrients such as vitamin K, lutein, folate, and beta carotene. Vitamin K helps with the formation of fat inside brain cells and has been seen to improve memory.

The BrainTree Wellness Centre is an innovative, world-first facility in Ōtautahi-Christchurch that supports people living with neurological conditions to live well in the community. Come in for a visit, we are open from 8:30am to 5pm weekdays with a café.

BE PART OF THE LARGEST GENETIC INVESTIGATION INTO EATING DISORDERS IN THE WORLD

If you are aged 16 years or over and have experienced an eating disorder at some point in your life, you are invited to participate in this groundbreaking research. You can take part from your home – the study involves an online survey and a do-it-yourself “spit kit” to provide a saliva sample for DNA. Study researchers will analyse DNA from saliva samples to pinpoint specific genes associated with eating disorders. This will allow researchers to identify genetic factors that determine why some people experience eating disorders, while others do not, and why some people living with eating disorders respond to certain treatments, while others do not. The New Zealand arm of the Eating Disorders Genetics Initiative (EDGI) is run by researchers from the Department of Pathology and the Department of Psychological Medicine at the University of Otago, Christchurch.

EDGI aims to accelerate discovery in anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder. If neither you, nor any immediate blood relative, has experienced an eating disorder, you may also be eligible to enrol in a control group. Help the team reach their target of 3500 New Zealanders involved today.

For more information, visit edgi.nz