Our Stomachs Are Full, But What About Our Minds?

Satisfying Our Stomachs—But What About Our Brains? Our diet and lifestyle have a far greater impact on our health than we realize. Eating and eating well often do not align. Our stomachs may be satisfied, but what about our brains? It is possible to benefit from the healing properties of healthy foods in treating disease just as much as in preventing it. Prof. Dr. Nuray Yazıhan, Scientific Coordinator of the Functional Food and Healthy Life Institute, stressed the need to evaluate healthy living through a holistic approach and warned that brain health must not be neglected. Drawing attention to the rise in neurological problems following COVID-19, Prof. Dr. Nuray Yazıhan provided valuable information about healthy foods that will nourish our brains. Prof. Dr. Nuray Yazıhan, Faculty Member of the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pathophysiology, and the Interdisciplinary Food Metabolism Clinical Nutrition Department at Ankara University Medical School, also serves as Scientific Coordinator of the Functional Food and Healthy Life Institute, established by Karma Group. As the healthy nutrition trend gains momentum, information pollution in this field is also increasing. The Functional Food and Healthy Life Institute, comprising expert names in the field, aims to guide modern people facing various health challenges on the basis of scientific data and to improve quality of life. Prof. Dr. Nuray Yazıhan, who emphasized that poor eating habits and intense stress invite disease and that a holistic approach to health is necessary, said: "For a healthy life, physical, mental and spiritual health should be evaluated and supported as a whole. Societies where healthier diets, such as the Mediterranean diet, are widely practiced have longer lifespans. We see that they adopt a lifestyle that emphasizes the importance of exercise and an active way of living, as well as closer and warmer human relationships, and spending enjoyable time with family and friends."

Enemies of brain health: Poor nutrition, excessive stress and COVID-19

Drawing attention to the increase in neurological diseases, and particularly noting that this increase has become more pronounced following COVID-19, Prof. Dr. Nuray Yazıhan stated: "We can assert that insufficient and unbalanced eating habits; deficiencies in protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals; inadequate digestion of food; absorption disorders or intolerances are an important factor in the rise of neurological diseases. Furthermore, being under excessive or constant stress disrupts our hormone and metabolic balance, negatively affecting our brain health. Particularly after COVID-19, an increase in neurological problems is being observed. Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease particularly affect aging individuals severely. According to TÜİK data from 2019, eight out of every hundred people over 65 in Turkey have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and this rate is rising rapidly and appearing at even earlier ages. Our eating habits and lifestyle are very influential factors in the emergence of disease. It is a fact that the frequency of chronic diseases, particularly cancer, autoimmune and neurological diseases, is rising rapidly in our country and throughout the world. In a comprehensive study dated 2023, approximately 40 percent increase was reported in autoimmune disorders affecting the immune system and neurological disease diagnoses in people who had COVID-19." Foods our brains love...

Consume powerful antioxidant foods and healthy fats!

The Western dietary model, fast food consumption, and excessive consumption of acidic beverages and foods harm our health. Research shows that people who have applied brain-protective dietary models for long periods experience less cognitive impairment and less neuronal damage. Regarding brain-friendly foods, Prof. Dr. Nuray Yazıhan made the following recommendations: "In recent studies, consumption of dark red fruits with strong antioxidant effects, sumac, clove and similar spices is important. In particular, foods containing polyphenols, carotenoids, resveratrol, glutathione, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, B-group vitamins, sphingolipids, serine and choline should be used as supplementary." To support neuronal structure, consumption of healthy fats such as olive oil, coconut oil, fish oil and krill oil has been shown to protect against many neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and dementia. Oily seeds; raw nuts such as walnuts and almonds are rich in fats and minerals such as magnesium and zinc that support brain development. With these properties, they have a place in all diets supporting brain health." Prof. Dr. Nuray Yazıhan, Scientific Coordinator of Karma Group's Functional Food and Healthy Life Institute, also provided important information on matters to be paid attention to particularly with regard to both brain development and physical health in children. Recommending the consumption of antioxidant fruits instead of fruit juices, Yazıhan warned against avoiding refined sugars, processed meats, acidic carbonated beverages and fast food type foods. Prof. Dr. Nuray Yazıhan finally emphasized that in their place, dietary models that reduce inflammation—that is, swelling, acidosis and oxidation—in the body show positive effects for both body and mental health.