Diet and your Brain
The next day, another article reveals that actually some of the stuff in that chocolate bar was rather good for you, and so in moderation it's OK. Similarly with the glass of the old red wine you have a penchant for - not so clever in big quantities, but a bit here and a bit there it appears could actually have beneficial effects.
The bottom line? Research suggests that virtually all foods have something in them that is 'bad' for you, and some stuff that is 'good' for you. Faced with this knowledge, should you suffer paralysis by analysis like Burridan's ass and give up eating? And what's the link between what you eat and how you think, anyway? If your mind is a temple but your body isn't, then does it really matter?
Common Sense is Healthy
The best approach seems to be one of common sense. As the Romans would say numquam nimis, or roughly, moderation in all things. And this is sage advice with diet, if you are what you eat, then why not have a little of everything but not overindulge any one item.
A combination of foods from different food groups probably seems the safest - hedging your bets rather than putting all your eggs in one basket, or one mouth, as the case may be.
Brain Food
Do some foods directly 'help' the brain? Well, some research suggests that brain health can be improved by intake of omega-3 fatty acids and fish oils. These are naturally present in the cold-water fish, for instance the likes of salmon or cod or herring.
It is believed that these help the communication between the brain cells, perhaps by making cell membranes more fluid. Therefore whilst it seems nothing is ever conclusive when it comes to the effects of food groups on the body, most of the experts in this field appear to agree that ensuring you have sufficient intake of omega-3 in your diet is a good idea for the health of your brain.
Food and Concentration
Generally, there is an established link between the food we eat and our concentration. Research shows that if we do not eat breakfast, we find it a lot harder to concentrate and performance suffers. Therefore one of the top tips for those taking an exam is to make sure that they eat breakfast - this is really important if you want to function as well as you can in the exam.
Similarly too much of particular carbohydrates like sugars can cause all sorts of problems from person to person, from making you irritable and depressed through to creating attention disorders. So again, the moderation in all things idea comes to the fore.
In the end, eating a balanced and mixed diet and not eating to excess seems to be what all the advice on diet and the brain boils down too.
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