THE
SALIENT
PRINCIPLES


OF


A
NOOTROPIC
DIETARY
LIFESTYLE


(Brain
Foods)









Author

Pankaj
Sapkal





This
subject
was
presented
by
myself


at
the
first
Pecha
Kucha
event
in
Pune,


And
then
later
was
also
printed


as
an
article
in
Pune
Mirror


(on
Sunday
13th
Dec
09).













Disclaimer:
This
article
outlines
only
basic
principles
which
are
more
preventive
than
curative.
These
are

applicable
to
most
people,
though
those
with
pre­existing
medical
conditions
should
refer
to
their
doctor
before

following
any
advice.
None
of
the
advice
in
this
article
is
intended
as
qualified
medical
advice.
Caveat
lector!



THE
SALIENT
PRINCIPLES
OF
A
NOOTROPIC
DIETARY
LIFESTYLE


(Brain
Foods)



­
Pankaj
Sapkal






PREAMBLE



We
all
know
and
recognize
that
just
as
foods
affect
the
body,
they
also
affect
the
mind.


Apart
from
mental
training,
it
is
quite
possible
to
also
optimize
our
intelligence
and
emotions
by

adjusting
our
dietary
habits
in
the
right
directions.
For
this
we
need
to
be
able
to
differentiate

between
the
various
aspects
of
the
mind
and
know
the
effect
of
various
nutrients.





ASPECTS
OF
THE
MIND



Very
broadly
speaking
we
may
classify
mental
functions
into
three
aspects
–

1.
Logical
Intelligence
(Linear
or
sustained,
focused
thinking
in
pre‐determined
directions,

intra‐systemic
thinking)


2.
Creative
Intelligence
(Out‐of‐the‐box
thinking
which
allows
the
mind
to
be
flexible
and
to

change
direction)

3.
Emotional
Stability
of
the
mind,
which
has
aspects
like
calmness,
happiness,
etc.



Now,
the
first
aspect
(Logic)
and
the
second
aspect
(Creativity)
are
often
considered
as
opposites,

in
the
sense
that
we
normally
categorize
people
as
being
either
creative
or
logical.


While
this
is
not
fully
accurate,
there
is
a
certain
physiological
basis
for
this
general
perception,

as
we
shall
see
shortly.

The
third
(Emotional)
aspect
of
the
mind
should
be
considered
as
the
substrate
‐
the
foundation,

based
on
which
the
first
two
aspects
can
operate.


Indeed,
if
emotional
stability
is
compromised,
the
most
logical
or
the
most
creative
minds
can

behave
in
absurdly
irrational
ways.





NUTRIENTS
AFFECTING
CREATIVITY
AND
LOGICAL
THOUGHT




When
we
look
at
the
various
micronutrients
and
minerals,
we
notice
an
interesting
dual
pair
that

is
connected
with
linear
and
lateral
thinking
–
Copper
and
Zinc.


The
Physiological
Role
of
Cu
and
Zn


We
all
know
of
the
beneficial
properties
of
anti­oxidants
–
we
are
told
to
have
foods
containing
anti­
oxidants,
since
free
radicals
or
oxidants
(which
are
byproducts
of
cellular
respiration)
are
what

damage
the
body
and
cause
faster
aging.


It
turns
out
that
the
body
cells
generate
the
most
damaging
oxidant
called
Super
Oxide,
as
a
waste­
material
of
the
energy
generation
process.
The
body’s
primary
weapon
which
helps
to
destroy
this

Super
Oxide
as
it
is
formed,
in
real­time,
is
called
the
Zn­Cu­Super
Oxide
Dismutase,
or
Zn­Cu­SOD.


Thus,
Cu­Zn
is
the
pair
that
jointly
constitutes
the
mother
of
all
anti­oxidants
–
SOD.






As
a
pair,
the
balance
of
Cu
and
Zn
is
very
important.
It
is
well
known
that
excess
copper
creates

the
symptoms
of
Zn
deficiency
and
low
copper
creates
the
symptoms
of
Zn
toxicity,
and
vice‐
versa.


It
additionally
turns
out
that
Cu
and
Zn
have
gender
specific
roles
to
play
in
the
body,
as
well.



Zinc
forms
a
major
component
of
semen,
and
copper
is
bound
to
estrogen,
the
female
hormone.


So,
while
Zn
and
Cu
are
clearly
needed
by
both
genders,
it
seems
that
each
is
also
gender

polarized.



Hence,
merely
as
a
mnemonic,
it
makes
some
sense
to
consider
Zinc
as
a
masculine
element,
and

Copper
as
a
feminine
element.



Zinc
and
Copper
also
produce
some
very
related
effects
on
the
human
mind.




In
its
positive
aspect,
Zinc
gives
the
mind
the
primary
ability
to
focus
in
a
specific
direction.
For

the
mind,
it
enables
logical
reasoning,
following
a
specific
path
to
its
conclusion
within
a
system.

This
is
the
reason
why
Zinc
has
been
used
with
great
success
to
remedy
Attention
Deficit

Disorder
(It
has
managed
to
enhance
attention
spans
of
even
Autistic
individuals).

In
its
negative
aspect,
these
same
qualities
can
turn
into
narrow‐mindedness,
or
a
one‐track‐
mind
that
cannot
change
its
path
so
easily
(a
trait
which
masculinity
is
so
notorious
for!),
thus

staying
locked
within
a
system.
Thus,
this
negative
aspect
is
precipitated
when
the
Cu‐Zn
balance

becomes
Zinc
heavy.



Copper,
on
the
other
hand,
allows
flexibility
of
outlook,
the
ability
to
smoothly
move
from
one

context
to
another,
out‐of‐the‐box
thinking
–
in
other
words,
creativity!

But
the
negative
aspect
of
this
trans‐context
movement
enabled
by
copper
is
fickleness,
jumping

from
one
thought
to
another
without
taking
anything
to
its
logical
conclusion.
This
will
happen

with
the
Cu‐Zn
balance
becomes
copper
heavy.



So
we
have
the
simple
rule
–
zinc
for
logical,
determined,
intra‐systemic
thinking,
and
copper
for

enhancing
creativity
and
out‐of‐the‐box
thinking.



Getting
Adequate
Copper
And
Zinc
In
The
Indian
Diet


One
must
keep
in
mind
is
that
a
vegetarian
diet,
though
healthy,
can
indirectly
cause
a
lowering

of
Zinc
in
one’s
body,
unless
it
is
balanced
adequately.


This
is
because
a
typical
vegetarian
diet
has
a
significant
amount
of
roughage/fiber
in
it,
‐
which

is
definitely
great
for
the
body.
Unfortunately,
Dietary
fibre
and
phytic
acid,
found
in
bran,

wholegrain
cereals,
pulses
and
nuts,
inhibit
zinc
absorption.

To
counter
this
slight
negative
aspect,
one
must
simultaneously
imbibe
curds
or
buttermilk
while

eating
roughage.
Curds
or
buttermilk
contain
bacterial
cultures,
which
break
down
the
phytates
–

thus
preventing
mineral
drain
from
the
body
while
retaining
the
beneficial
aspect
of
eating

roughage.


Note:
Curds
prepared
through
bacterial
cultures
are
useful,
while
a
lot
of
commercially
available

curds
may
be
entirely
useless
from
the
phytate­reducing
property
of
curds.
This
is
because

traditional
domestic
curdling
is
conducted
by
adding
a
teaspoon
of
curds
(containing
bacteria)
to

milk.
These
bacteria
release
acetic
acid
which
causes
curdling.
However,
a
lot
of
commercial
curd

manufacturers
bypass
the
bacteria
and
directly
add
acetic
acid.


Similarly,
cheeses
made
from
varied
bacterial
cultures
are
also
very
beneficial
in
the
diet.





Then,
to
get
more
Zinc,
one
can
also
make
sure
that
one
intakes
sufficient
amount
of
chickpeas

(chana),
other
beans,
or
supplements
the
diet
with
pumpkin
seeds.

Also,
it
should
be
borne
in
mind
that
since
zinc
and
copper
compete
for
absorption
by
the
body,
if

one
is
in
need
to
acquire
more
zinc
from
a
meal,
then
one
must
make
sure
that
copper‐rich
foods

are
not
taken
in
that
same
meal.



Getting
adequate
copper
in
the
diet
is
much
easier
for
women,
since
estrogen
has
copper‐
trapping
property.
So,
for
women,
typically
the
problem
is
excess
copper
and
rarely
copper

deficiency.

For
men,
the
easiest
way
to
get
copper
(apart
from
food)
is
to
drink
water
stored
overnight
in
a

copper
container.
(However,
permanently
storing
domestic
drinking
water
in
copper
vessels
is

not
recommended,
nor
is
cooking
food
in
copper
vessels,
since
excess
copper
can
cause
problems

to
anyone).

Owing
to
modern
practices,
our
food
often
becomes
more
copper‐heavy.


(Poultry,
for
example,
sometimes
becomes
copper‐heavy
even
though
it
should
not
be.
The

reason
is
that
commercially‐bred
chicken
are
often
routinely
fed
copper
sulphate
as
part
of

poultry
practices,
thus
creating
a
copper‐heavy
balance
in
the
food.
A
good
reason
to
prefer
Desi

chicken
or
free‐range
chicken).





THE
EMOTIONAL
SUBSTRATE
OF
THE
MIND



Having
accounted
for
linear
and
trans‐contextual
thinking,
we
come
to
the
aspect
of
the
mind

which
supports
these
two
think‐types.
A
primary
component
of
what
we
refer
to
as
emotionality

is
easy
excitability
or
depressability.



The
brain
does
not
have
its
own
energy
storage
system.
So,
it
is
dependent
on
the
rate
at
which

sugar
is
provided
to
it
by
the
body
–
almost
a
real‐time
supply
system,
akin
to
the
industrial

paradigm
of
just‐in‐time
manufacturing.

While
excess
sugars
are
bad,
carbohydrates
are
also
forms
of
sugar.
The
more
complex
a

carbohydrate,
the
longer
it
takes
for
the
body
(the
pancreas,
to
be
more
specific)
to
break
it

down.
Thus
complex
carbohydrates
provide
your
body
and
brain
with
energy
at
a
healthier
pace,

which
is
more
even
and
longer
–
exactly
how
it
should
be.



However
processed
foods
are
generally
simpler
carbohydrates,
or
sugars.
In
the
modern
lifestyle

of
refined/processed
foods,
the
pancreas
is
often
under
chronic
stress,
providing
the
brain
with

erratic
spurts
of
energy.
This
causes
confused
thinking,
excited
thinking
or
lethargic
thinking
–
precipitating
an
overall
emotional
personality,
which
can
easily
become
bipolar
–
swinging

between
different
moods.
When
this
erratic
pattern
of
energy
supply
happens
in
a
long‐term

manner,
it
can
form
chronic
and
lifelong
habits
of
eccentric
emotional
behavior.


(It
is
easy
to
see
how
such
bipolar
thinking
can
be
aggravated
when
combined
with
a
Cu‐Zn

imbalance)


So
one
of
the
primary
healthy
eating
habits
to
enable
level‐headed
thinking
is
to
ingest
complex

carbohydrates
as
far
as
possible,
and
to
avoid
simpler
carbohydrates
as
far
as
possible.






About
Fructose



Synthetic
Fructose
is
sweeter,
cheaper
and
a
lot
unhealthier
than
other
sugars.
So
it
is
obviously

abundantly
used
in
a
lot
of
commercial
sweet
preparations.




Fructose
also
reduces
the
absorption
of
minerals
to
the
body,
like
Zinc,
iron,
magnesium,
etc.




Fructose
is
implicated
in
a
large
number
of
metabolic
problems
which
have
neurological
side‐
effects.
It
also
lowers
folic
acid
(Vitamin
B9)
significantly,
and
hence
indirectly
lowers
Vitamin

B12
absorption.
Tryptophan,
an
amino
acid
that
produces
Serotonin
(a
feel‐good

neurotransmitter)
is
also
lowered
by
Fructose
malabsorption.




Hence
regularly
consuming
excess
fructose
can
eventually
give
you
metabolic
problems,

digestive
problems,
and
also
make
you
unhappy.




Trying
to
cheat
with
sugar
substitutes
is
not
a
good
idea
‐
synthetic
sugar
substitutes
are
often

neuro‐excitators,
and
prolonged
consumption
can
cause
long‐term
mental
issues.






OTHER
PROCESSED
FOOD
PROBLEMS



In
addition
to
sugars
which
affect
the
brain,
MSG
(monosodium
glutamate,
or
ajinomoto)
which
is

so
commonly
included
in
foods
(readymade
noodles,
for
example)
is
also
a
neuro‐excitator,

producing
confusion
and
unclear
thinking.
Its
actually
a
kind
of
a
neurotoxin,
cheating
your
brain

into
thinking
that
the
food
is
tastier
and
more
filling.
While
it
is
especially
bad
for
children,

manufacturers
do
not
hesitate
to
include
it
in
foods
targeted
to
children,
like
noodles.





OTHER
NUTRIENTS
IMPORTANT
FOR
LEVEL­HEADED
THINKING



B
Vitamins

Specifically,
the
B
Vitamins
are
important
for
retaining
good
mental
health.


Vitamin
B12
deficiency
is
implicated
in
a
range
of
mental
problems,
the
least
of
which
are

confusion,
mental
fatigue
‐
progressive
depletion
has
been
implicated
in
diseases
like
Alzheimers

and
Parkinsons.


It
is
to
be
noted
as
a
highly
significant
fact
that
Vitamin
B12
is
not
made
by
any
plant
or
animal
but

*only*
by
bacteria.
So,
for
those
who
are
not
getting
the
B12
from
other
animals
(who
got
it
from

their
intestinal
bacteria)
have
to
absolutely
make
sure
that
their
regular
diet
contains
home­made

curds
or
buttermilk
or
cheese
or
other
fermented
food
products.
Prolonged
deficiency
of
B12
results

in
erosion
of
the
myelin
sheath
of
neurons,
leading
to
steady
and
irreparable
damage
to
the
brain.





Especially
for
Women,
B12
deficiencies
will
enhance
PMS‐related
mental
symptoms.


As
mentioned
earlier,
Vitamin
B9
(Folic
Acid)
is
lowered
by
consumption
of
Fructose.
B9
and
B12

are
quite
closely
related
and
often
complement
each
other's
functions.






Choline



Choline
is
an
important
ingredient,
which
is
the
precursor
to
the
neurotransmitter
Acetylcholine

(which
is
very
important
in
cognitive
functions
like
memory,
mood
and
intelligence).
Adequate

Choline
in
the
diet
helps
to
prevent
homocysteine
accumulation
(Homocysteine
accumulation
is

implicated
in
PMS).
From
the
mental
perspective,
Choline
will
keep
you
calm,
as
well
as
keep
the

heart
healthier.



Cow's
milk
(preferably
from
the
Zebu
or
Indian
cow's
milk),
moong
daal
(especially
sprouts),
egg

yolk,
etc.
are
good
sources
of
Choline.
Choline
is
especially
important
for
intake
in
infants,
as

adequate
stores
of
Choline
can
buffer
a
child
in
later
years
against
neurological
damage.
As
a
mark

of
its
importance,
consider
that
human
milk
is
abundant
in
Choline.








Taurine



Taurine
is
another
important
brain
nutrient,
which
is
present
in
mother's
milk.
It
also
acts
as
a

major
inhibitory
neurotransmitter
(meaning
that
it
helps
keep
you
calm).



Taurine
is
apocryphally
believed
to
be
the
source
of
the
strength
of
the
ox
or
the
bull.
Taurine
is

obtainable
from
mother’s
milk
and
cow's
Milk.
Zinc
is
supportive
to
the
action
of
Taurine.







Flaxseed



Flaxseed
chutney
(also
known
as
Javas
or
Alsi
in
Maharashtra)
is
very
good
for
enhancing
the

good
fatty
acids.
In
addition,
it
helps
regulate
the
estrogen‐progesterone
balance,
thus
calming

mood
swings
for
women.
There
are
studies
showing
that
flaxseed
is
as
effective
as
oral
hormone

replacement
therapy
for
women.
Flaxseed
is
also
great
for
men,
because
of
its
high
level
of
good

fatty
acids.








FASTING
­
A
BENEFICIAL
DIETARY
PRACTICE



Fasting
initiates
a
beneficial
process
in
the
body
called
Ketosis
(not
to
be
confused
with
diebetary

ketoacidosis).




In
fasting,
the
liver
starts
converting
body
fat
to
fatty
acids
and
something
called
ketone
bodies.

The
body
switches
its
energy
source
from
glucose
to
ketone
bodies.
Ketone
bodies
have
been

found
to
alter
the
very
pattern
of
energy
metabolism.
More
surprisingly,
ketone
levels
after
a
2

day
fast
have
been
found
to
almost
completely
reverse
some
mitochondrial
abnormalities.


Additionally,
ketones
seem
to
play
a
significant
role
in
protecting
the
neurons
from
Alzheimers

and
Parkinsons,
and
also
promote
growth
in
neuron
cultures.




(This
may
have
a
direct
bearing
on
the
Indian
tradition
of
fasting
periodically
‐
called
"langhan"

or
"Upwaas".
This
practice
is
followed
quite
regularly
as
a
means
of
spiritual
as
well
as
corporeal

purification
‐
especially
by
traditionalists.)





NOTE:
Synthetic
nutritional
supplements
are
not
recommended
as
their
bio­absorbability
is
low
and

can
cause
toxicities.
Hence,
supplements
must
be
considered
as
the
last
resort,
and
only
after

carefully
educating
oneself
about
their
toxicities
and
side­effects.






‐‐‐
The
End
‐‐‐



NOTE:
This
article
outlines
only
basic
principles
which
are
more
preventive
than
curative.
These
are

applicable
to
most
people,
though
those
with
pre­existing
medical
conditions
should
refer
to
their

doctor
before
following
any
advice.
None
of
the
advice
in
this
article
is
intended
as
qualified
medical

advice.