Photo: Ritesh Man Tamrakar, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

As an engineering student, your brain is your most powerful asset. From tackling complex equations to developing innovative solutions, cognitive function is crucial for your academic success. Did you know that your diet plays a significant role in optimizing your brainpower? Let's delve into the science behind brain-boosting foods and highlight some key resources at the Alma Jordan Library that can further your understanding of this vital topic.

The Science Behind Nutritious Foods for the Brain

The brain is a high-energy organ that utilizes 20% of the body's energy. Your food choices can hinder cognitive abilities such as memory retention, concentration, and mental acuity. Harvard Health suggests that specific foods offer benefits for brain health.

Healthy foods, such as fish, berries, nuts, and leafy green vegetables, are all important for supporting brain function by providing nutrients.

Key Nutrients for Brain Health

• Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Essential for brain cell maintenance and forming connections, omega-3s found in fatty fish like salmon are vital for learning and memory.
• Antioxidants: Blueberries, known for their antioxidant properties, help protect the brain from stress and inflammation that can impact function.
• Vitamin E: Nuts such as almonds and walnuts are sources of vitamin E, which helps combat the decline associated with ageing.
• Folate: Leafy greens like spinach and kale are packed with folate, a nutrient for brain health that reduces the risk of neurodegenerative diseases.

Top Foods to Boost Brain Performance

An article from Thrive Global highlights power foods" that can improve brain function and are easy to include in your meals.

• Dark Chocolate; Contains caffeine and flavonoids that enhance memory and cognitive abilities.
• Avocados; Rich in fats that promote blood flow, to the brain.
• Whole Grains; Provide sustained energy by releasing glucose into the bloodstream. Turmeric is famous, for its ability to reduce inflammation and enhance brain function by increasing brain derived factor (BDNF) a protein for learning and memory.

When it comes to making choices that can improve brainpower having a grasp of food science is essential. McGill University highlights the significance of understanding the chemistry, biology, and nutrition of foods in determining how different components influence our health and cognitive functions.

For students studying engineering, incorporating brain-boosting foods into your diet can be as simple as starting your day with a smoothie filled with berries, spinach and flaxseeds in omega 3s. Snacking on dark chocolate between classes and including fish and whole grains in your meals can help maintain consistent energy levels throughout the day.

To delve deeper into the link between diet and brain health the Alma Jordan Library provides an array of resources. Some recommended books available include:

Functional Foods and Biotechnology by Kalidas Shetty (Editor); Dipayan Sarkar (Editor)

ISBN: 9781003003830

Publication Date: 2019

The first of two related books that kick off the Food Biotechnology series, Functional Foods and Biotechnology: Sources of Functional Foods and Ingredients, focuses on the recent advances in the understanding of the role of cellular, metabolic, and biochemical concepts and processing that are important and relevant to improve functional foods and food ingredients targeting human health benefits. This volume explores sources of ecologically-based diversity of functional foods and food ingredients that are available to enhance diverse nutritional values and functional benefits of foods for better human health outcomes, especially focusing on emerging diet and lifestyle-linked non-communicable chronic disease (NCDs) challenges. 

 

Nutrition in Neurologic Disorders by Ethem Murat Arsava (Editor)

ISBN: 9783319531700

Publication Date: 2017

This book offers focused and concise coverage of all issues relating to malnutrition in the field of neurology, and in particular addresses practical aspects of nutritional support from a neurology perspective. In addition to providing basic knowledge on important nutritional concepts (body metabolism, assessment and diagnosis of malnutrition, epidemiology, enteral/parenteral nutrition), detailed information is presented on nutritional support for various neurologic disorders handled in a variety of settings, including the neuro-intensive care unit. Much consideration is also given to the diagnosis and management of dysphagia, which is a common and highly critical cause of malnutrition in these patients. Finally, the newly developing concept of neuro-nutrition (or brain foods) - the use of certain nutrients for treatment of neurologic disorders - is discussed. 

 

 

Food As Medicine by Maurice M. Iwu

ISBN: 9781315371627

Publication Date: 2016

This comprehensive book documents African plants used for functional and medicinal foods. It contains more than 60 detailed monographs of African foods, describing foods with various characteristics such as prebiotic, probiotic, satiety, immune modulation, stress-reduction, sports performance, mental acuity, sleep-supporting, metabolic syndrome, antioxidant, and unsaturated fats. Plant description, botanical names and synonyms, plant part used, habitat and distribution, folk use, nutritional content, and chemistry are all fully detailed. The book highlights indigenous African food processing technologies up to the modern era.

 

 

 

Functional Foods by Leah Coles (Editor)

ISBN: 9780429090783

Publication Date: 2013

This title includes a number of Open Access chapters. This new book presents a variety of important research on functional foods-foods that have another role related to disease prevention or health. The first section of the book includes chapters on the complicated relationships between nutrition, physical and mental health, and disease. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For further exploration on this topic, you can search the library's catalogue and online databases to discover a wealth of additional resources.

Be sure to visit the Alma Jordan Library to view our display on Power Foods for the Brain, check out resources on this topic, and deepen your knowledge of brain health.

Do you have any recipes or snacks that help boost brain function? Feel free to share them in the comments section!

References

Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry. “What Is Food Science?” Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry, McGill University. Accessed March 19, 2024. https://www.mcgill.ca/foodscience/what-food-science.

“Foods Linked to Better Brainpower.” Harvard Health, March 6, 2021. https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/foods-linked-to-better-brainpower.

Kodoth Prabhakaran, Nair. 2020. Food and Human Responses: A Holistic View. Book. Cham: Springer.

Sons, Tammy. 2017. “Power Foods for The Brain.” Thrive Global, blog. Medium, August 31. https://medium.com/thrive-global/power-foods-for-the-brain-56a28e94ff55.

In order to protect the public from emerging food safety risks such as food fraud and bioterrorism, it is necessary to identify and effectively implement appropriate measures at all stages of the food chain (Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards 2018).

Implementing a food safety management system (FSMS) is a strategic decision that any organization involved in the food industry should make to enhance its performance in food safety. It is crucial to minimize food safety hazards to prevent potential risks for consumers when they consume food products (ISO 2018). By adopting an FSMS, an organization can guarantee that its products are safe for consumption, ultimately increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty. Therefore, prioritizing food safety and taking proactive measures to ensure the safety of food products is imperative for any organization involved in the food industry. Two food safety management systems that organizations can implement are:

• HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points); and
• Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).

HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) is a systematic approach to food safety management that helps identify, evaluate, and control hazards throughout the food production process. The main goal of HACCP is to prevent, eliminate, or reduce hazards to acceptable levels to ensure the safety of food products.

Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) is a set of guidelines and practices that ensure the production of safe and high-quality products. GMP covers various aspects of manufacturing, including facilities, equipment, personnel, sanitation, record-keeping, and quality control.

Both HACCP and GMP are essential in the food industry to ensure the safety, quality, and integrity of food products throughout the manufacturing process.

The Staff of the Engineering Division at the Alma Jordan Library has mounted a display highlighting standards and other reading materials on the importance, benefits, and implementation of HACCP and GMP. Stop by and browse the books on display, and remember... all the books on display are available for check out.

References

ISO (International Organization for Standardization). 2018. Food Safety Management Systems — Requirements for Any Organization in the Food Chain. ISO 22000:2018. Geneva: ISO.

Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards. 2018. Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for the Food Industry – Requirements. TTS 642:2018. Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards.

Selected E-Books

Science and Strategies for Safe Food by Surender S. Ghonkrokta

ISBN: 9781315199146

Publication Date: 2017-05-25

Food system has become complex with globalisation and there are stringent requirements from food business operators. In this respect there is a need to bring together aspects of food security, food safety management, food quality management, food analysis and risk analysis. This book focuses on all these aspects hence it would find wide application amongst academia, researchers, food regulators, auditors and consumers.

 

 

 

 

 

Handbook of Food Processing by Theodoros Varzakas (Editor); Constantina Tzia (Editor)

ISBN: 9780429157370

Publication Date: 2015-10-22

Packed with case studies and problem calculations, Handbook of Food Processing: Food Safety, Quality, and Manufacturing Processes presents the information necessary to design food processing operations and describes the equipment needed to carry them out in detail.

 

 

 

 

 

Food Plant Sanitation by Michael M. Cramer

ISBN: 9780429185175

Publication Date: 2013-05-29

Food safety and quality are primary concerns in the food manufacturing industry. Written by an author with more than 35 years' experience in the food industry, Food Plant Sanitation: Design, Maintenance, and Good Manufacturing Practices, Second Edition provides completely updated practical advice on all aspects of food plant sanitation.

 

 

 

 

Quality Assurance for the Food Industry by J. Andres Vasconcellos

ISBN: 9780429210006

Publication Date: 2003-12-29

Food companies, regardless of their size and scope, understand that it is impossible to establish a single division devoted to "quality", as quality is the responsibility and purpose of every company employee.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Food Quality Assurance by Inteaz Alli

ISBN: 9780429204739

Publication Date: 2003-08-27

The field of food quality assurance has evolved substantially over the past decade, and certain key developments have become widely accepted. These include Quality Systems (e.g., ISO 9000) and HACCP.