The old saying goes, “You are what you eat,” but a just-published study out of the University of Warwick boils down to your brain is what you eat.
According to the study that was published in Nature Mental Health, scientists found a “profound” link between what you eat and your brain health.
Eating a well-balanced diet contributes to not only higher cognitive function and better brain health overall, but also better mental well-being, the researchers say.
And it was a huge study, using data from nearly 182,000 people who participated in the U.K. Biobank program, as well as in-person medical evaluations.
Dr. Richard Pemberton, a certified lifestyle physician and general practitioner at Hexagon Health, was not involved in the study, but said in a university release, “This exciting research further demonstrates that a poor diet detrimentally impacts not only our physical health but also our mental and brain health.”
“This study supports the need for urgent government action to optimise health in our children, protecting future generations,” Pemberton added. “We also hope this provides further evidence to motivate us all to make better lifestyle choices, to improve our health and reduce the risk of developing chronic disease.”