Do you know what your brain needs? Optimism, happiness, love, and laughter. It also needs the right kind of food. You can’t afford to let your brain go hungry as it needs a steady flow of nutrients for energy and repair. It requires healthy fats, proteins, carbs, vitamins and minerals to function at its best, especially when you’re gearing up for a big exam. Crucial board exams like CBSE are already stressful, and as a student, you might even start obsessing about what you need to do to ace the test as the D-Day approaches. But if your body and mind are not healthy enough, exam anxiety could manifest as health problems. So, prepare for CBSE class 12 board exam to the best of your capacity and include brain foods in your everyday diet. Brain food makes your brain happy and gives your brain the fuel it needs to perform well in your CBSE exam.
Now, this blog will tell you all about nutritious food choices that you can make to do well on your CBSE by allowing your brain to thrive.
How Food is Good for Brain
The human brain is like an expensive automobile that requires premium quality fuel and engine oil to function fully. If you're feeling anxious about your upcoming board exam, you may think that you can take care of your worries by grabbing a slice of pizza and binge-watching TV shows. Occasional indulgence with comfort food like pizza, chocolate cakes and fizzy drinks can boost your mood momentarily, but beyond that, they will not nourish your brain cells and neurons. To achieve that, you need to understand how nutrition affects your brain and cognition.
Energy metabolism for cognition-intensive work
Unlike popular perception, using your brain consumes immense energy. So, to maintain and improve brain function, you need to produce enough energy from food and transfer the same to the neurons. Physiological processes associated with energy management in neurons can seriously affect synaptic plasticity. Any metabolic disorder often causes impaired cognition.
Nourishing Cognitive Abilities
Scientists have identified several dietary micro-components with nutritional impact on cognitive abilities. Dietary components affect multiple brain processes by modulating synaptic transmission, membrane fluidity, neurotransmitter and signal-transduction pathways. Recent evidence shows the capacity of nutrients to impact synaptic plasticity, related to neural pathways.
Regulating mood, inducing sleep and inhibiting pain
Neurotransmitters like serotonin regulate emotions, appetite and sleep quality. A significant portion of serotonin in your body is produced in the gastrointestinal or digestive tract by enterochromaffin cells. The production of neurotransmitters in the digestive tract also depends on the intestinal microbiome or gut bacteria present in your intestinal tract. So, what students eat while studying for exams impacts emotions, stress levels, and cognition. You should eat food that is beneficial to the gut microbiome and contains nutrients vital for the development and growth of neurons and brain cells.
Overcoming oxidative damage
High metabolic activities and the abundance of oxidizable molecules make your brain vulnerable to regular oxidation-related decays and damage. Common oxidizable molecules are the plasma membranes of neuron cells. A diet rich in antioxidant micronutrients reverses the oxidation-related cell damage and improves neural functioning.
Macronutrients
Macronutrients are the most significant part of your diet, and comprise protein, fat and carbohydrate. They are considered as the best foods for your brain as they help to produce energy, maintain body structure and other physiological systems.
Protein
Proteins are essential for your brain because they help maintain mental clarity and balance mood. Protein helps build muscle mass, which is critical for a healthy body and will keep you feeling energised. Additionally, animal proteins such as eggs, chicken, and turkey contain Vitamin B12, which is essential for brain functioning. Eating enough protein and fat can also help you maintain your weight and stop your body from fighting against itself!
Fat
Fatty acids derived from saturated and unsaturated fat constitute the basic building block of a neuron cell membrane. One of the essential nutrients for a healthy brain is docosahexaenoic acid or DHA. It is available in eggs, salmon, and sardines. DHA helps the brain develop to its full potential and supports learning and memory. You can also find DHA in supplements or by eating DHA-fortified foods. Saturated fats like coconut oil and butter can also help increase serotonin levels in your brain.
Carbohydrate
Glucose synthesised from a carbohydrate-rich diet is an efficient source of energy. As a highly active body organ, your brain requires a constant flow of energy, especially for neural activities involving a high level of cognitive processing. Protein and fat can also source energy, but they are not easy to process. While preparing for significant life events like CBSE exams, lack of enough carbohydrates in your diet can result in cognitive fatigue and over-stress.
Micronutrients and Minerals
Vitamins, minerals and a few organic compounds are micronutrients and counted among the best foods for your brain. They help maintain health,
immunity, and your body’s internal homeostasis, including temperature and fluid balance inside and outside the cells. The common micronutrients impacting the functioning of brain cells and neurons are,
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Curcumin
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Flavonoids
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Vitamin B complex
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Vitamin D
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Vitamin E
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Choline
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Calcium, zinc, selenium
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Copper
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Iron
Brain-Healthy Foods to Have Before CBSE
Some of the best brain-healthy foods are high in omega-3s, omega-6s, and antioxidants. These nutrients will help your brain function optimally and protect it from fatigue and diseases. Some of the primary examples of these brain-healthy nutrient-rich foods and food items are:
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Fish contains different kinds of omega-3 fatty acids, which can help protect the cells in your brain. Omega-3 also supports memory and focus.
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Leafy greens contain folate, protecting the brain from cognitive decline associated with ageing. Spinach is an excellent source of folate.
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Olive oil contains oleocanthal, a compound that helps prevent dementia by clearing amyloid plaques out of the brain.
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Pumpkin seeds and nuts contain magnesium, selenium, zinc, potassium and iron, which are essential for memory retention and cognition, and vitamin E, which helps reduce cholesterol levels and prevents blood clots.
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Avocado has fatty acids that help create healthy nerve cells in the body.
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Blueberries are loaded with antioxidants that protect your brain against cognitive decline as you age.
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Dark chocolate (70% cacao content) contains caffeine, which stimulates dopamine release in the body and helps promote memory retention.
While discussing brain food for studying exams, we wish to emphasise on the importance of water in your diet too. Don't forget to drink plenty of water. Drinking water contributes to good brain health because it helps remove waste and enhances the flow of nutrients across cell membranes.
Foods to Avoid
Food is good for brain. It can be tempting to comfort yourself with junk foods when feeling anxious. But they are full of empty calories. While your stomach feels full, you end up losing appetite for nutrient-rich foods. So, stay away from junk foods while preparing for exams like CBSE. It's also important to limit your caffeine intake when stressed out. Caffeine can cause anxiety when consumed in large quantities, which is not good when you're already anxious about taking an exam.
To Wrap Up
All in all, the right food makes your brain happy. Eating a brain-healthy diet means getting the proper nutrients from the right foods. By sticking to a brain-healthy diet, you can improve your memory, mood, and focus. Now that you know about brain food for CBSE students, it’s time to review your diet. Are you eating brain foods for memory development and adequate cognition?
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