Health Hotline Magazine | November 2021

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By Lindsay Wilson

“You are what you eat.”

Some variation of this phrase has been around since the 1800s and we’ve all heard it countless times, but there’s a reason for its longevity: it’s true! We know that diet plays a fundamental role in the health of our physical bodies—the nutrients from the foods we eat provide the very foundation of the structure and function of our bodies—and our brains are no di erent. Just as our bodies require good nutrition to stay healthy, so do our brains. A growing body of research shows that food plays a critical role in not just our physical health, but in our mental and emotional health too. The food we eat impacts many aspects of brain health and can either reduce or increase inflammation, oxidative damage, and neurotransmitter production. Nutrient-dense foods rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber, pre- and probiotics, and healthy fats are the foods that nourish our brains, while processed foods stripped of vitamins, minerals, and fiber and full of unhealthy refined vegetable oils, sugar, and artificial ingredients leave our brains starving, irritable, anxious, and sad.

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