Why Your Diet Is So Important For Your Nervous System

How often do you think about your nervous system? Your brain has more nerve cells then the number of stars in our entire Milky Way galaxy, and they all communicate with the network of nerves that runs throughout your body. Your nervous system pilots your whole life, your whole sense of self. Are you taking good enough care of it?

Millions of people suffer from chronic nerve pain or damage. Some examples you may not have heard of include peripheral neuropathy, a condition where nerve damage causes weakness, numbness, or pain in the extremities, and trigeminal neuralgia, which affects one of the widest-reaching nerves in the face and brain. Trigeminal neuralgia affects as many as 12 in 100,000 people per year. It’s seen most often in people over 50, but now we’re realizing that it can strike at pretty much any age.

A 2011 study found that certain diet and exercise habits overall supported healthy function in the brain’s synapses and hormone regulation. They also greatly increased the brain’s chances of recovering from traumatic injuries that damage those neurons and synaptic functions. Among the researchers’ suggestions was avoiding saturated fats and sugars and focusing your diet around healthy nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids and curcumin. Though the study concluded by June of 2011, those findings are still supported by ongoing studies today, over seven years later.

So what foods are preferable for optimum nerve support? Water is one. Staying hydrated keeps the brain working at relatively full capacity, while dehydration can cause a cognitive slump. Here are some key nutrients:

1. Potassium. Found in bananas, oranges, cooked spinach, potatoes, and sweet potatoes.
2. Calcium. Found in seeds, beans, almonds, dairy products.
3. Folic Acid. A type of vitamin B found in leafy greens, citrus fruits, beans, and rice.
4. Vitamin B12. Typically found in animal meats, but also in eggs, milk, and some fortified grain and cereal products.
5. Lutein. Found in carrots, kale, spinach, pumpkin, corn, and egg yolks.
6. Zinc. Found in fortified cereals, whole grains, nuts, beans, dairy, and some seafoods — especially oysters.

You can read a little more about the science behind some of these nutrients and why they support your nervous system in this U.S. News Health article.

Certain diet styles support these nutrients over others. For example, the Mediterranean diet naturally contains many of these nutrients in high amounts, plus plenty of healthy fats. Fats are key to supporting fatty bits of your nervous system, such as the myelin sheaths that insulate and protect your nerves.

You have many resources available online, but the most important advice you can seek is from your doctor and nutritionist, who can give you personalized recommendations.