“It’s impossible to avoid them. For decades, we have been surrounded by sweet and fatty foods. And the body has not been dealing well with these eating habits. But what about the brain? Do our mental health, our moods and our brain abilities suffer from the wrong kind of nutrition.” This is the question so poignantly posed in the beginning scenes of Better Brain Health: We Are What We Eat, a documentary about how the type of food we consume can affect our mental health and how we can take charge of our lives.
The 2020 documentary takes a deep dive into the field of research that is increasingly showing that the food we consume can affect more than our appearance and physical wellbeing (36.5% of adults in America are obese). Enlightening and often surprising, Better Brain Health discusses the fact that even before our birth, our mental development is affected by the nourishment we receive in the womb. One study of 23,000 pregnant women found that eating large amounts of sugary foods increased the likelihood that their children would display antisocial behaviour and cognitive issues.
The website SUPPLEMENTSCOUTS states that omega-3s taken in the form of oily fish, vegetables, nuts or supplements develop the nerve cells in our brains, but that not all of us receive the required dose of this nutrient. “We are surrounded by processed foods. These often contain large amounts of fructose corn syrup, which can cause imbalances in the brain, affecting our decision-making and impulse control. Cutting these foods down and increasing your supplement intake can have incredible effects on improving this situation.”
Better Brain Health talks about research that indicates that consuming too much junk food and not enough vitamins can lead to agitation, listlessness and even aggressive behaviour. For example, a study in a British prison found that violent behaviour was less likely among inmates who took vitamin supplements. Another study found an increase in the instances of cannibalism in hamsters placed on a strict corn-based diet. This begs the question, so eloquently posed by the film, of whether appropriate nutrition can help to reduce the crime levels within our society.
