What would it look like if you take all moisture out of your brain and break it down to its constituent nutritional element? Most of the weight of your dehydrated brain would come from fats also known as lipids. In the remaining brain substance, you would find proteins, amino acids, traces of micronutrients., and glucose. The brain is more than just the sum of its nutritional parts. But each component does have a distinct impact on functioning, development, mood, and energy. So that post-lunch apathy or late-night alertness you might be feeling. Well, that might be simply the effects of food on your brain. OF the fats of your brain, the superstars are Omega 3 and Omega 6.

These essential fatty acids have been linked to preventing degenerative brain conditions and must come from our diets. So eating omega-rich foods, like nuts, seafood, seeds, and fatty fish, is crucial to the creation and metabolism of cell membranes. And while Omegas are good fats for your brain, long-term consumption of other fats, like trans, and saturated fats may compromise your brain health. Meanwhile, proteins, and amino acids, the building block of growth and development, manipulate how we feel and behave. 

Amino acids contain the precursor of neurotransmitters, the chemical messengers that carry the signals between neurons, affecting things like moods, sleep, attentiveness, and weight. They're one of the reasons we might feel calm after eating a large plate of pasta or more alert after eating protein-rich food. The complex combination of compound food can stimulate brain cells to release mood-alerting norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin. But getting to your brain cells is tricky. and amino acids have to compete for limited access. A diet with a range of foods helps maintain a balanced combination of brain messengers and keeps your mood from getting skewed in one direction or the other. Like the other organs in our bodies, our brain also benefits from a steady supply of micronutrients. Antioxidants in fruits and vegetables strengthen the brain to fight off free radicals that destroy brain cells, enabling your brain to work well for a longer period.
 And without powerful micronutrients, like the vitamins B6, B12, and folic acid, our brains would be susceptible to brain disease and mental decline. Trace amounts of the minerals iron, copper, zinc, and sodium are also fundamental to brain health and early conjunctive development. For the brain to efficiently transform and synthesize these valuable nutrients, it needs fuel and lots of it. While the human brain only makes up about 2% of our body weight, it uses up to 20% of our energy resources. Most of the energy comes from carbohydrates that our body digests into glucose or blood sugar.
 The frontal lobes are so sensitive to drops in glucose, in fact, that changes in mental function are one of the primary signals of nutrient deficiency. Assuming that we are getting glucose regularly, how does the specific type of carbohydrates we eat affect our brains? Carbs come in three forms: starch, sugar, and fiber. While on most nutrition labels, they are all lumped into one total carb count, the ratio of the sugar and fiber subgroups to the whole amount affects how the body and brain respond. A high glycemic food, like white bread, causes a rapid release of glucose into the blood and then comes the dip. Blood sugar shoots down, and with it, our attention span and mood On the other hand, oats, grains, and legumes have slower glucose release, enabling a steadier level of attentiveness. For sustained brain power, opting for a varied diet of nutrient-rich foods is critical. When it comes to what you bite, chew, and swallow, your choices have a direct and long-lasting effect on the most powerful organ of your body.