10 ways the food you eat affects your brain

What is the brain?

The most complex part of the human body, the brain is involved in learning and memory, emotion, touch and movement. It controls everything from our breathing, temperature and hunger to our behaviour. Following a healthy diet and lifestyle provides the nutrients and conditions the brain needs to work to the best of its ability.

What is a brain-friendly diet?

Eating a wide variety of fruit and vegetables provides vitamins, minerals and protective compounds, known as antioxidants, that help to nourish the brain and protect it from a form of damage known as oxidative stress.

Research cites the Mediterranean diet for its benefits to brain health. This is a diet high in fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, nuts, seeds and healthy oils and fats, and is believed to help slow the rate of cognitive decline, lower the risk of cognitive impairment and potentially reduce the risk of dementia.

How does the food I eat affect my brain?

1. Provides fuel

Although the brain accounts for just two per cent of our body weight, it consumes a massive 20 per cent of the energy we get from our diets, making what we eat really important for keeping the brain happy.

The preferred source of energy for the brain comes from carbohydrates from wholegrains, starchy vegetables, fruit, rice, potatoes and lactose (the sugar found in milk). These healthy carbs are broken down by the body into glucose, then used by the brain as energy. Without an adequate intake, the brain cannot function correctly – so you may experience brain fog, lack of focus and even irritability.

As well as fuelling the brain, glucose helps with the production of the feel-good chemical, serotonin, which is responsible for balancing our mood and relieving anxiety.

Some scientists believe refined table sugar – the white stuff you add to tea and coffee, and found in biscuits, cakes and confectionery, may produce addiction-like effects in the brain. However, there are mixed views on this with no conclusive evidence to date.

Enjoy wholesome carbs with our recipes for wholemeal wraps with minty pea hummus & beetroot, cod & olive tagine with brown rice, and brown rice tabbouleh with eggs.

2. Builds the foundations

Certain fats are key to the brain as they form a crucial component of our cell walls and help nerve cells, called neurons, to function. We know approximately 60 per cent of the brain is made up of a type of poly-unsaturated omega-3 fat called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). One study showed that levels of DHA may even predict how well children are able to concentrate and learn.

Omega-3 fats, containing DHA, are found most notably in fatty fish, like salmon and sardines although nuts, like walnuts, and seeds such as flaxseed may be helpful too. These fats are especially important for brain development in the womb as well as in early childhood. Most brain cells are developed before birth and the rest in the first year of life. This means it’s important to include sources of omega-3 fats during pregnancy and early childhood.

There is evidence to suggest that a lack of these fats in the diet may have an adverse effect on cognition and that eating plenty of them may be linked to reduced risk of dementia. Despite these encouraging findings, cause and effect has yet to be established – so again, larger studies are needed before we can determine the exact relationship between the fat we eat and our brain health.

To boost the beneficial fats in your diet, try our recipes for sesame salmon, purple sprouting broccoli & sweet potato mash, grilled aubergines with spicy chickpeas & walnut sauce, and apricot & seed overnight chia.

3. Act as co-factors helping the brain function

B vitamins as well as vitamins C, D and E are all essential for brain health and development. Research shows that a nutrient-rich diet can mean a lower risk of developing cognitive problems later in life.

Vitamins E, C, B1, B6 and B12 play an important role in our nerve cells. Studies also identified vitamins B, E, C and D as being important for brain function. What’s more, the B group as well as vitamin C are essential for energy production in the brain too.

Try celeriac ribbons tossed with chard, garlic & pumpkin seeds, kale with chana & coconut and spinach, sweet potato & lentil dhal.

4. Helps the brain adapt

Magnesium is a mineral that’s found in foods like avocado, spinach, brown rice and nuts, one of its many uses is that it improves neural plasticity, meaning the nerves are more able to adapt and avoid damage. As a result, consuming magnesium may improve memory, help to fight stress and depression and be crucial for the production of energy and for building neurotransmitters (the nervous system’s chemical messengers).

Enjoy our delicious chickpea, spinach and almond butter bowl or our spicy red lentil chilli with guacamole and rice.

5. Influence how we process information

We now know there is a two-way communication between our gut and central nervous system. We often refer to this as the 'gut-brain axis', as this describes the link between cognitive and emotional areas of our brain with our gut.

There’s been a lot of interest in the role the gut bacteria play in the health and workings of our brains. It’s believed they may influence how we process information, and may be linked to anxiety and depression. A small study involving 20 healthy participants found that, compared to those taking a placebo, people who took a probiotic supplement experienced fewer negative thoughts associated with sad moods. A further study showed that a group of healthy women who ate a probiotic-rich yogurt for four weeks had a reduced emotional response when shown photos of people who were fearful, angry or sad.

While these studies are encouraging, they are limited in size and further research is needed before we can draw firm conclusions as to how and why our gut microbes might affect our mood.

In the meantime why not include more fermented foods in your diet with our raspberry kefir overnight oats, homemade kimchi and simple sauerkraut?

6. Improve your cognitive performance

Get your breakfast right and you may enhance your morning and perform better at cognitive tasks. Aim to switch cereals and toast for lean proteins and beneficial fats. Adding protein in the form of milk, yogurt, eggs or beans will help manage appetite and provide the essential amino acids (the building blocks) needed for cell growth and brain development. Combining these with beneficial fats, such as those found in nuts, seeds and oily types of fish, like salmon, may also help you think more clearly.

Try our breakfast egg wraps, superfood scrambled eggs, smoked salmon and lemon scrambled eggs and slow cooker breakfast beans.

7. Optimises focus and concentration

The brain is made up of 80% water, which explains why staying well hydrated is important for us to think clearly. If our hydration drops, even slightly, we can start to feel the effects in the form of headaches, fatigue and poor concentration.

Read more about hydration and how much water you should drink.

8. Sharpen your thinking

Caffeine is consumed all over the world, and is found in a wide variety of food and drinks. In small doses, it is a performance-enhancing substance, acting on the central nervous system to delay tiredness and increase alertness. The caffeine found in tea may be beneficial for cognition in older adults, but may be problematic for those who have trouble sleeping.

Human studies have reported better cognitive function amongst tea and coffee drinkers, and a recent analysis of caffeine concluded that it was consistently associated with a lower risk of Parkinson’s disease, depression and cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Learn more about caffeine, including how it affects your body.

9. Maintains clarity

If you regularly find it hard to concentrate, you may be experiencing brain fog. This condition is especially common during peri-menopause, but may also be caused by stress, depression or a side effect of prescribed medication.

Eating regularly may help stabilise blood sugar levels and provide adequate fuel to the brain. Try to have protein at every meal and include wholegrains, fruit and vegetables to give your brain the vitamins and minerals it needs to function optimally.

10. Supports memory

A nutrient called choline contributes to storage of memories. We can make small amounts of choline in the liver, but most of it comes from the foods we eat.

Eggs are nutritionally rich, supplying almost every nutrient you need. They are one of the best dietary sources of choline. Other food sources include cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, poultry, fish and dairy foods.

Enjoyed this? Now read…

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What are probiotics and what do they do?
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What is the dopamine diet?
What is the volumetrics diet
Best iron supplements

This article was last reviewed on 24^th March 2025 by Kerry Torrens.

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