Quick food is dependent mainly on the amount and speed, meaning how fast it reaches your brain and how much was consumed. Food is made up of a complexity of chemicals that can cross our blood brain barrier with ease and cause immediate effects. The faster it gets to its action center, where it causes an effect, the easier the brain makes a distinction and makes associations with that particular food for future reference. For instance, if you eat a bag of sweets you will notice an almost immediate effect of satisfaction. Your brain will remember this sensation and will use its visual, taste and emotional systems to encourage future consumption. Fortunately for all of us, this does not happen with the majority of foods. Most things we consume are in the slow food category. In this category, the effects are not as noticeable, but can have long lasting effects. One key factor here is the group of aromatic amino acids. Aromatic amino acids such as tryptophan and phenylalanine are precursors of serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. These chemicals are involved in addiction, pleasure and mood.
WHAT SHOULD I EAT?
That is the million dollar question. Unfortunately, there is no straight answer for this question. There are multiple factors that can affect that decision such as epigenetics, genetics, quantities of food, taste, etc. It is almost impossible to come up with one perfect menu that would fit all. The good news is that we have a good idea of what is bad and what things we should avoid. As I mentioned earlier, the amounts of foods we consume have a lot to do with its effects on the brain. For instance, if you consume very little tryptophan (found in spinach, asparagus and seaweed) researchers have found that it can lead to depression and alter our mood. Consuming hallucinogenic drugs, will affect your brain by acting on pleasure centers and a high dopamine rush. Diets high in saturated fats and added sugars have been shown to contribute to behavioral problems such as ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder). Artificial food coloring and preservatives such as those added to kids drinks increase hyperactivity. There are many foods that have profound effects on your brain. The key is to find those that do not alter your emotional or mental state. A very popular diet trend now has been eating anti-oxidant rich foods. These include vegetables, real fruit, olive oil, fish, legumes, wine and nuts. These are slow acting foods and their effects are barely noticeable. One of our worst enemies is oxygen to our brains and these foods are not only healthy, but provide protection against it. Oxygen is why we age, and studies have shown that people that live longer, have rich anti-oxidant diets.
SUGAR OR COCAINE?
Sugar is one of the most important foods in our diets. It is our energy currency to function every day. Evolutionarily speaking, sugar is so essential, that we are wired to crave it and seek it. Without it, we would not be able to function. Sugar is a simple carbohydrate and it is found almost everywhere. There are many forms of sugar, like glucose, dextrose, fructose, lactose, starch, etc. We can also find it in a refined form in corn syrup, fruit juice, and table sugar. These refined sugars are bad for our bodies. We should always be seeking the good sugars from foods. Our ancestors only had natural forms of sugars available. Developing a craving for sugars back then was beneficial since it would encourage them to go hunt and search for fruits and vegetables. Today our modern world has developed, refined versions of sugars and synthetic versions of artificial sugars as well. The brain can’t tell the difference between them, so it craves natural sugar just as it does with refined table sugar. The effects can be seen today with diseases such as obesity.
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