The human brain is amazing. It is composed of basic cells called nerve cells ‘Neurons”. Brain tissue magnified heavily under an electron microscope shows that neurons look like little trees and there are vast arrays of neurons connected in the brain. It’s like having elaborate networks in the brain that basically look like a forest. Every time we have a thought, what happens is an electrical charge goes down the axon of a nerve cell and jumps to another nerve cell connected at the synapse of that cell. Nerve cells in the brain communicate with themselves and other organs of the brain telling them what to do. It’s an amazing network that shapes, our thoughts, feelings, behavioural patterns and habits.
It is truly important that we keep our neurons healthy with a diet that supports brain health. What we eat impacts on the functioning of the brain. Neurogenesis, which is the process by which new neurons are made and synaptic plasticity which is a measure of the number of connections in the brain are key. Basically, the more connections we have between our neurons, the better they can communicate with each other. This means that our cognitive skills such as thinking, learning, remembering, concentrating and planning begin to improve to name a few.