Food and the brain: what to eat for brain health

Forgot where you placed the car keys? Struggling to concentrate by mid-afternoon? It’s tempting to start searching for the best brain food to give your mind a ‘boost’. But the relationship between food and the brain is a little more interesting than that.

“The brain is an extraordinary organ from a nutrition perspective. Despite accounting for only a small proportion of our body weight, it has enormous energy demands and billions of cells constantly communicating. It makes sense that what we provide it through our diet matters,” says Shaun Ward, H&B senior scientist.

So, what are the best foods to eat for brain health? Shaun takes us through the foods and nutrients that matter, what the science tells us and why your overall diet for brain health matters more than any single ‘brain food’.

Some nutrients become part of the physical structure of brain cells. Others are needed to produce chemical messengers called neurotransmitters or support normal energy metabolism and nervous system function.¹ Then there are compounds such as polyphenols, found in foods like berries, cocoa and tea, which are being investigated for their effects on blood flow, cell signalling and inflammation.²

So, while no single food is going to suddenly give you a photographic memory, what you regularly eat can provide the building blocks your brain needs to function normally.

Omega-3 DHA: a building block for your brain

There’s a reason omega-3 comes up so often when we talk about brain health. DHA, a long-chain omega-3 fatty acid found mostly in oily fish and algae, quite literally becomes part of your brain.

“If I had to prioritise one nutrient for brain health, DHA would be difficult to look past,” says Shaun. “It’s the main omega-3 fatty acid in the brain and actually becomes part of its structure.³ That makes the recommendation to regularly eat oily fish feel much more tangible – you’re providing a nutrient that the brain itself contains in large amounts.”

In fact, DHA makes up more than 90% of the brain’s omega-3 fatty acids and around 10–20% of its total fatty acids. It’s particularly concentrated in grey matter – the areas packed with nerve cells that help us process information. Research suggests DHA is involved in processes including neurotransmitter release, cell signalling and synaptic function – the communication between nerve cells that underpins processes such as learning and memory.³

Choline: an underappreciated brain nutrient

Choline might not get as much attention as omega-3, but it’s another important brain health nutrient that many of us may not be getting enough of. In fact, researchers have described it as an “underconsumed and underappreciated essential nutrient”.⁴

Your body uses choline to make acetylcholine, a chemical messenger that brain cells use to communicate with each other and which plays an important role in memory, learning and attention. Choline also helps maintain the structure of our cells, so it’s involved in both building brain cells and helping them communicate.⁵

B vitamins: behind-the-scenes brain helpers

B vitamins are actually a family of eight different vitamins, each with its own role in keeping our brain and nervous system working normally.⁶ But their roles often overlap and complement each other, which is why it makes more sense to think about getting a good mix rather than focusing on just one.

Different B vitamins help our cells release energy from food, support the normal functioning of the nervous system and take part in the chemical reactions needed to make neurotransmitters – the messengers brain cells use to communicate. Vitamin B6, for example, is involved in making several neurotransmitters, while folate and vitamin B12 work closely together in processes involved in normal brain and nerve function.⁶

Magnesium: supporting brain signalling

Magnesium is another important mineral for the brain, playing a role in hundreds of processes throughout the body. In the nervous system, it supports normal nerve function and energy production, while also helping control the electrical activity that allows nerve cells to send signals to one another.⁷ Emerging research is also exploring whether magnesium may influence specific aspects of cognitive health, although there isn’t enough evidence to say that simply getting more will improve your memory or focus.⁸

Polyphenols: going beyond the essentials

“The next frontier in nutrition isn’t just preventing deficiencies – it’s understanding whether we can optimise health beyond conventional nutritional guidance,” says Shaun. “Polyphenols are particularly exciting in brain health because we’re beginning to understand how these compounds may influence things like blood flow and cell signalling, rather than simply thinking of them as antioxidants.”⁹

Polyphenols are a huge family of naturally occurring compounds produced by plants.⁹ Unlike vitamins and minerals, we don’t need a certain amount to prevent a deficiency. Instead, they represent a more future-facing area of nutrition research. Scientists are investigating how polyphenols may influence cell signalling, blood vessel function, blood flow, inflammatory and oxidative processes.⁹

What about creatine for the brain?

“Creatine is a great example of how quickly brain nutrition is evolving,” says Shaun. “Most people still associate it entirely with muscle and exercise, yet we’re now studying whether its role in cellular energy could matter to the brain too. The evidence isn’t strong enough for firm conclusions yet, but it’s exactly the kind of research I’ll be watching closely over the next few years.”

Your brain needs a continuous supply of energy. Creatine forms part of a system that helps our cells rapidly regenerate ATP – the molecule they use as an immediate source of energy.¹⁰ This has led researchers to ask whether having more creatine available could also support the brain when its energy demands are particularly high.

There are some intriguing findings. A recent review of 16 human trials involving 492 adults found evidence of improvements in memory, alongside some positive findings for attention and processing speed. However, there was no significant improvement in overall cognition or executive function and the certainty of much of the evidence was considered low.¹¹

One particularly interesting small study looked at what happens when the brain is put under stress from sleep deprivation. Fifteen adults were given a single high dose of creatine or placebo while being kept awake overnight. Creatine helped counter some of the decline in memory and processing performance caused by sleep deprivation, with effects lasting several hours. But the study was small, used an unusually high dose and needs to be replicated before we can draw firm conclusions.¹²

When the European Food Safety Authority assessed the wider human evidence, it concluded that a cause-and-effect relationship between creatine supplementation and improved cognitive function had not been established.¹³ Results across studies and cognitive tests remain inconsistent, particularly at more typical doses.

“I’m sceptical whenever one food gets labelled a ‘brain superfood’,” says Shaun. “The most interesting thing about brain nutrition is actually how many different biological systems are involved. Fish, eggs and blueberries may all be described as brain healthy foods, but the reasons they’re interesting are completely different.”

So what does that look like on your plate?

Here’s perhaps the most important point in this article: your brain doesn’t experience foods in isolation. You don’t eat a blueberry and reset your memory. You don’t eat salmon once and permanently top up your brain with omega-3. It’s what you eat repeatedly over weeks, months and years that creates your overall dietary pattern.

There probably isn’t one perfect ‘brain diet’. Any healthy, varied diet that regularly brings together omega-3s, B vitamins, choline, magnesium and polyphenol-rich plant foods is likely to be a good place to start. But if there’s one dietary pattern that brings much of this together particularly well, it’s the Mediterranean diet. Mediterranean-style eating typically emphasises vegetables, fruit, legumes, nuts, wholegrains and extra virgin olive oil, alongside regular oily fish and seafood.¹⁸

There’s also a brain-focused variation. The MIND diet (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) combines elements of Mediterranean and DASH-style eating, while placing particular emphasis on foods such as leafy greens, berries, nuts, wholegrains, beans, olive oil and fish.¹⁹

Ultimately, don’t get too caught up in whether Mediterranean, MIND or another healthy diet earns the title of ‘best’. When it comes to eating for your brain, the overall pattern matters more than any single ‘brain food’.

When it comes to eating for your brain, there’s no single food that does it all. Instead, focus on variety: oily fish, berries, eggs, leafy greens, nuts, seeds and wholegrains all bring different nutrients and plant compounds to the table. A Mediterranean-style diet is one way to bring many of these foods together regularly.

And food is just one piece of the puzzle. Discover more everyday ways to support your mind in our brain health tips or put your mind to work with the best brain exercises.

Disclaimer – This article provides informational advice and is not a substitute for medical care. Working with experts for accuracy, we take great care to ensure the information is up-to-date and relevant. However, you should always consult your GP or healthcare professional before using supplements or alternative products, particularly if you have medical conditions or are under supervision.