The role of nutrition in optimising cognitive function

Have you ever noticed your mood and behaviour change depending on what you eat?

Nutrition plays a huge role in our mental health and cognitive functioning. It is a fact not widely recognised that what we eat, and the microbiome of our gut is a massive contributor to our mind, emotions, cognition and mental health.

Research shows that the nervous system and the intestine communicate through a bidirectional network of neural pathways called the brain-gut axis. This means that the brain influences intestinal activities, and the gut equally influences mood, cognition and mental health. Within the gut there is beneficial and dysbiotic bacteria, which affects the central nervous system physiology. Gut-dysbiosis is when the microbiome is imbalanced. During gut-dysbiosis, neural pathways are dysregulated and associated with neuro-inflammation. Some neuro-inflammatory conditions include multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, but also mood disorders such as anxiety and depression.

There are certain food components in particular that cause inflammation in the gut; sugar, gluten and dairy are among the most common dietary triggers for gut-dysbiosis.

Research has shown the consequences of malnutrition manifesting in impaired cognitive tasks with IQ scores typically lower in children with a history of malnutrition compared to those who receive the correct nutrition. Furthermore, attentional deficits, poor memory and restlessness were also found to be a consequence of malnutrition. Multiple connections have been made between sugar, hyperactivity and the risk for ADHD. Higher intakes of refined sugars, saturated fats and sweetened desserts (ice cream, cake) is significantly associated with worse inattention, aggression, and delinquency. In contrast, a high protein diet is associated with better scores on these measures. 

The proteins found in gluten and dairy products can also contribute to mental and behavioural disorders. Dairy products like cheese and butter contain a protein called casein (which is different from lactose - a milk sugar). Grains like wheat, rye, and barley contain a protein called gluten. During digestion, casein becomes casomorphin and gluten becomes gliadorphin. For most people, these substances are easily digested into amino acids. However, for those with intolerances, they have an inactive dipeptidyl peptidase IV, a zinc-dependent enzyme that breaks down both casein and gluten, leaving these opioid peptide substances to build up. Both casomorphin and gliadorphin are morphine-like compounds which attach to opiate receptors in the brain. These substances can act like an addicting drug in children, causing fatigue, irritability, and brain fog. 

However, research has found that patients with celiac disease (gluten intolerance) had remission of neurological illnesses when they adopted a gluten-free diet and expressed that the gluten molecule caused an autoimmune reaction in the brain rather than in the intestinal tract.

Furthermore, casomorphin was found to cause histamine release. Histamines have been known to trigger inflammatory responses such as itching as part of an immune response to foreign pathogens.

How do we approach this?

At The Key Clinic, examining potential gut-dysbiosis and food intolerances is the first step we take to improving your gut health and thus, overall health. Our drug-free approach identifies personal biochemical imbalances that can impact cognition, behaviour, and mental health. Our aim is to provide targeted and personalised nutrient therapy aimed at balancing the gut microbiome. We analyse the unique biochemistry of each individual through a detailed consultation with a biomedical practitioner, following on from this your practitioner will recommend a series of tests based on your symptoms. These tests will pinpoint biological imbalances likely to be the root cause of cognitive and behavioural difficulties and devise a unique treatment plan using highly targeted supplementation to correct these imbalances. 

The Key Clinic’s approach is derived from the research of Dr William J. Walsh who observed that nutrient imbalances are a distinctive feature of mental and behavioural disorders and abnormal levels of key nutrients can have an adverse effect on brain chemistry and mental health.  

We are all biochemically unique and have different physiological and psychological responses to different foods. The right nutrition for one person might be the wrong nutrition for another and by eliminating offending substances and tailoring dietary requirements to the individual, one can rapidly improve cognitive functioning and mental health. What we eat is particularly important and understanding your personal biochemistry will enable you to unlock your cognitive potential and optimise your mental health in the most natural and non-invasive way.

Author: Annabel Thomson, The Key Clinic

References: 

Galler et al. (1983). The influence of early malnutrition on subsequent behavioural development I. Degree of impairment in intellectual performance. Journal Of The American Academy Of Child And Adolescent Psychiatry, 22(1), 8-15.

Greenblatt, James (2023). Dietary influences on behavioural problems in children. MOSAIC DIAGNOSTICS. https://mosaicdx.com/resource/dietary-influences-on-behavioral-problems-in-children/

Hirning, Terri. (2015). The role of diet and the gut in mental health. MOSAIC DIAGNOSTICS. https://mosaicdx.com/resource/the-role-of-diet-and-the-gut-in-mental-health/

Kurek, M., Przybilla, B., Hermann, K., & Ring, J. (1992). A naturally occurring opioid peptide from cow's milk, beta-casomorphine-7, is a direct histamine releaser in man. International archives of allergy and immunology, 97(2), 115–120. https://doi.org/10.1159/000236106

Rutsch A, Kantsjo JB, Ronchi, F. (2020). The gut-brain axis: how microbiota and host inflammatory influence brain physiology and pathology. Immunol. 11:604179. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2020.604179/full