Food & Supplements for Brain Health & Cognitive Performance | Huberman Lab Essentials

About this video

• Video Title: Food & Supplements for Brain Health & Cognitive Performance | Huberman Lab Essentials
• Channel: Andrew Huberman
• Speakers: Andrew Huberman
• Duration: 00:32:35

Overview

This video discusses how food and supplements impact brain health and cognitive performance. It covers essential nutrients for neuronal structure and function, such as omega-3s, phosphatidylserine, choline, creatine, anthocyanins, and glutamine. The video also explores the complex mechanisms behind food preferences, including taste, gut signaling, and belief effects, and offers strategies for rewiring these preferences to favor healthier choices.

Key takeaways

• Neuronal Structure and Function: Fats, specifically omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) and phospholipids like phosphatidylserine, are crucial for building and maintaining neuronal membranes, which regulate brain cell communication.
• Focus and Cognition: Dietary choline is essential for acetylcholine production, a neuromodulator vital for focus and concentration. Creatine can serve as a fuel source in the brain and may support mood regulation and motivation circuits.
• Brain Health and Longevity: Anthocyanins found in dark berries have data supporting their role in enhancing brain function, possibly by reducing inflammation. Glutamine, an amino acid found in protein-rich foods and some vegetables, may help offset sugar cravings by signaling satiety to the brain.
• Food Preference Mechanisms: Food choices are influenced by three main signals: direct taste perception (sweet, bitter, umami, salty, sour), subconscious gut signals about nutrient content, and learned associations or belief effects about a food's benefits.
• Rewiring Food Preferences: It's possible to change food preferences through consistent exposure and by pairing less desirable but healthy foods with those that provide a metabolic benefit, leveraging the brain's reward system and belief effects.