This is part of the reason why coffee seems the ideal way to wake ourselves up and stay alert. Caffeine also causes a release in adrenaline, so your heart beats faster, and dopamine, the brain chemical which makes us feel good and promotes the release of hormones. And I thought this was all due to the good-looking men at my local café, not the coffee!

But for longer term concentration and alertness, breakfast is the most important start to the day.

The brain needs glycogen, derived from all the carbohydrate foods, including sugars, in our diet. The level of sugar in our blood is very responsive, and fluctuates up and down throughout the day. Blood sugar levels fall during the night and we need to literally ‘break the fast’. Every time we eat, our blood sugar rises, giving our brain a source of energy on which to function, falling before the next meal. If you’re feeling light-headed, tired, unable to concentrate or irritable by lunchtime, go and eat, your blood sugar is falling and you need another supply of fuel.

Many people don’t like to eat first thing in the morning, and for some, it will be because eating breakfast makes you feel hungry all morning. This is actually a good sign, particularly if you are trying to lose weight. By eating, you have given your metabolism a kick-start, and are burning off the kilojoules/calories you have eaten, using the ‘fuel’ more effectively. Just as a fire needs fuel to burn well, the same is true for us; otherwise we will just ‘smoulder’ and our metabolism remains sluggish.

A good breakfast provides a slow supply of fuel, lasting over several hours.

Brain Power
Apart from a regular supply of fuel, what else does the brain need to make us brainy, improve our memory, or slow down the aging process?

Many of you will be thinking fish, and you’re not wrong. The brain is composed largely of fats, so it is not surprising some types of fats affect our brain function. It is one of the omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, DHA, which is the most important for brain development. A baby’s brain accounts for 28% of its body weight at birth and is a staggering 80% of its adult size by the time a toddler is two years old. Found in every brain cell, a steady supply of omega-3 fats is needed to protect the new nerve connections made as learning and memory increase. The effect of these fats, found mainly in oily fish, has not been lost on British students. In several university towns in Britain, one of the major supermarkets saw fish sales increase by over a third during the summer exam period last year!

Iron is also essential for a baby’s brain development. Iron is needed to help nerves send signals efficiently, and chemical messengers work effectively. Having too little iron at an early age not only inhibits these processes but can have long-term effects. Research shows children, who had iron deficiency for any length of time as babies, struggling at school well into their teens.

Brain development really starts from the moment of conception. This is why women planning a pregnancy are recommended to take extra folic acid as a supplement in addition to folate-rich or fortified foods, such as green, leafy vegetables, oranges, bread and breakfast cereals.

Iodine is also crucial, and it appears our iodine levels are decreasing due to an increased use of non-iodised salt like rock salt. Although its exact role is still unclear, zinc is known to be involved with the developing nervous system, and several of the brain’s messengers are dependent on zinc. Our main sources of zinc are red meat, wholegrain bread and milk. The brain is greedy though, and appears to develop at the expense of other organs or overall body weight and growth if food is scarce.

Growing Old Gracefully
There’s no reason why our brain shouldn’t keep 95% of its intellectual capacity until we are at least 80 years old. But I’m sure I’m not the only one who has ‘senior’ moments. One of the mechanisms suggested to help us reduce these frustrating ‘lapses’ in memory is to eat foods which help make the chemical messengers so vital to brain function. One such food is an egg, because it is a rich source of the B vitamin, choline, along with milk, liver and soybeans. Our brain also needs the protection offered by the anti-oxidant properties of fruits and vegetables. The essential omega 3 polyunsaturated fats are susceptible to oxidation damage, and although the brain only represents 2-3% of body weight, it uses 20-25% of the body’s total oxygen requirement. Specific fruits and vegetables, such as cranberries and blueberries, have been under scientific scrutiny, although much of the research remains inconclusive.

Food for Thought
No foods can promise to make you a genius, but there do appear to be those which help the brain to function better, in addition to a regular eating pattern. The brain is a ‘gas guzzler’, so a regular supply of good quality fuel is essential.

There are also those brain foods which simply make us feel good, for example - chocolate! Whilst it might not have a direct influence on our brain capacity, it really does affect our mood. Chocolate (and other foods we enjoy purely for pleasure) causes the release of endorphins, which makes us feel good. But, before you go reaching for the whole box, more is not better – a little will do, and any form of activity or exercise will have the same effect – the so-called ‘runner’s high’. So, should you go for a run or reach for the chocolate? The choice is yours……..but you could really cheer yourself up by going for both!