Top Food Swaps for Better Brain Health

Make these to boost your brain today!

By Austin Perlmutter, MD

Healthy Brain Food Swaps

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When it comes to protecting and optimizing brain health, small changes can make a big difference. The foods we eat influence inflammation, blood sugar, neurotransmitter production, and even the aging of our brain cells. To be clear, there’s no "magic bullet" food for brain health, yet there are clear patterns of eating that support long-term cognitive function—and others that may increase our risk for brain fog, mood issues, and neurodegenerative disease.

I am often asked about first steps for improving diet to protect and enhance brain health. With this in mind, here are three of my top food swaps to support a better brain.

1. Swap Soda for Sparkling Water

Why it matters:

Sugary sodas are among the worst dietary offenders for brain health. Sugar-sweetened beverages are loaded with added sugars that can lead to inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, poor vascular health and higher risk for cognitive decline, brain atrophy and depression. This includes high-fructose corn syrup, cane sugar and many other forms of sugar and sweetener. Artificially-sweetened beverages may not carry the same caloric load, but emerging research suggests they are still linked to worse overall and brain health compared to unsweetened beverages, in part because they seem to alter the microbiome unfavorably.

The better choice:

Instead of sweetened soda, opt for sparkling water with no added sweeteners. Personally, I prefer those with a small amount of actual fruit juice as opposed to those with “natural flavors” if I’m opting for flavored versions. You can also add a squeeze of lemon or lime or some berries to your club soda or seltzer water to further ensure minimal processing. One additional note: many sodas are caffeinated, so if you're looking for your caffeine fix, consider unsweetened coffee or tea as a better option.

2. Swap Processed Snacks for Brain-Friendly Whole Foods

Why it matters:

Highly processed snacks like chips, cookies, crackers, granola bars, muffins and more are often just dessert in disguise, consisting of heavily refined carbs, unhealthy fats, and tons of sugar and additives. These ingredients are linked to dysfunction of the microbiome, as well as worse metabolic and immune health—all factors directly tied to cognitive and emotional well-being.

The better choice:

Reach for nutrient-rich snacks that help stabilize blood sugar and offer brain-boosting fats and polyphenols. Nuts, berries and other unprocessed snacks have been studied and found to support better brain function. For example, blueberries are proposed to act across a range of brain-supporting pathways including reduction of brain inflammation, decreased oxidative stress in the brain and even reduction of amyloid plaque formation.

Some great healthy snack options include:

• A small handful of walnuts or almonds (rich in omega-3s and minerals)

• Pumpkin or sunflower seeds (high in magnesium and zinc, and an excellent travel snack)

• Berries (packed with brain-supporting polyphenols), especially blueberries, raspberries and other colorful berries

• A few squares of dark chocolate with small amounts of added sugar (I shoot for 70% or higher) for polyphenols (there are no-sugar options but this is an acquired taste!)

• Hummus and raw veggies, or apple slices with unsweetened almond butter for healthy carbs and fat combo

  
  

3. Swap Unhealthy Fats for Healthier Versions

Fats to avoid or decrease:

While research has shown that the fat phobia of the past decades was somewhat unfounded, there’s still significant value to the brain from decreasing consumption of certain fatty foods and increasing the consumption of others. Some fats worth avoiding are those found in fried foods, especially trans fats, which are linked to inflammation and higher risk of cognitive impairment and dementia. Another group of fats in the spotlight are those found in “seed oils” like canola, corn, sunflower and cottonseed oil. Seed oils have been overly villainized relative to the amount of data for their health harms, but due to their heavy levels of processing, there are often better alternatives to include in our diets.

Fats to prioritize:

The brain is mostly fat (when you strip out the water weight). To this end, it makes sense to prioritize better building blocks around our dietary lipid intake. For example, omega-3 fatty acid consumption (found in nuts and seeds as well as seafood) are tethered to better brain health. Roughly half of the brain's fats are omega-3 fats. Of particular value and importance are DHA and EPA, two omega-3 fats primarily found in marine foods like sardines, mackerel, anchovies, salmon and other cold-water fish.

Additional healthy fats include monounsaturated fats (found in nuts, seeds, avocados and other plant-based foods) but especially those found in olive oil, which may have an especially beneficial effect on brain health. I personally shoot for about one to two tablespoons (15-30 ml) of extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) daily

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