New Delhi: Personalised nutrition or individually tailored nutrition is an attempt to deliver nutritional intervention suitable to each requirements based on complex relationships between an individual food consumption, phenotypic type (Weight, BP, Cholesterol, Glucose, hormone levels, environmental factors like stress, physical activity, diet). Neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, gut–brain disturbances, and nutrient deficiencies disrupt brain health. Dr Karthigaiselvi. A, Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Gleneagles BGS Hospitals, Kengeri, Bangalore, explained how peronalised nutrition can affect the brain.
Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, vitamin D, magnesium, coenzyme Q10, polyphenols, L-carnitine, prebiotics, and probiotics are to be supplemented based on individual requirements, which improves Brain Health. While fad diets promise quick results, a personalized approach helps to achieve sustainable long-lasting results.
How to plan a personalised diet?
Personalised plans are realistic, simple, and feasible. It also improves anxiety, stress through an individual nutrition plan. Provision of the right balance of nutrients through customised individual meal plan, regular follow-ups improve brain health. Consideration of concerns related to gut health, lifestyle, and allergies is an added advantage.
Personalized nutrition helps to choose and incorporate B Vitamins like thiamin, niacin, Vitamin B12, Folate through inclusion of lean meat, Poultry, Fish, dairy, whole grains, vegetables, DHA-rich fatty fish like salmon, tuna, sardines, flax seeds, walnuts, soya products in balanced form. Inclusion of all these foods in appropriate quantities as per individual requirements fosters communication between brain cells by reducing inflammation, and Vitamin D enhances the production of dopamine, serotonin, and mood-regulating neurotransmitters. Egg, milk, yoghurt, cheese, and lentil consumption are not only for healthy muscles, but they are also linked to better cognitive abilities.
Beneficial bacteria present in the gut aid digestion, absorption of nutrients, regulation of mental health, cognitive function, and immunity. Dietary fiber acts as a substrate for bacteria, which helps in the production of short-chain fatty acids by fermentation. Ingesting fiber and fermented foods like yoghurt facilitates a favourable medium for beneficial bacteria and improves the gut. It also helps in the synthesis of enzymes and hormones. A healthy diet with fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, cereals, pulses, with restricted sugar and processed foods found to be positively correlated with cognitive reserve and cognitive function. The gut microbiota composition changes in adult life as the bacterial diversity decreases. Personalized plans help to maintain the gut microbiota, which keeps the brain healthy. It improves mood, feel less hungry, better sleep quality and energy levels. Unhealthy diets, sedentary lifestyle, and emotional stress affect brain health.
Physical activity is another key factor in maintaining brain health. Regular exercise in the form of cardio, strength training, and yoga increases blood flow to the brain, promotes the growth of brain cells, and improves mood and overall health. A common source is consuming too many ultra-processed food-based products, additives, and stripped of nutrients, such as packaged snacks, desserts, sugary breakfast cereals, processed meats, sweetened beverages, and instant soups.
Binge drinking and excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, chronic stress, depression, and the lack of deep sleep affect mental health. Adopting a balanced diet and lifestyle modification through staying physically active, engaging in mental stimulation, and maintaining social engagement can reduce stress, improve mood, and overall cognitive function. Hence personalised nutrition plan by qualified experts focuses on individual requirements with regular follow-ups, protects and improves cognitive decline and memory rather than a common general nutrition plan.
Personalised plans are realistic, simple, and feasible. It also improves anxiety, stress through an individual nutrition plan. Provision of the right balance of nutrients through customised individual meal plan, regular follow-ups improve brain health. Consideration of concerns related to gut health, lifestyle, and allergies is an added advantage. Health News Health News: Latest News from Health Care, Mental Health, Weight Loss, Disease, Nutrition, Healthcare
