A diet is a prescribed selection of foods. In the West, it’s long been advocated as a way of losing weight. Other benefits touted are improved health, sleep, circulation, and even a longer life. As consumers, we are constantly bombarded with new diets. From limited calorie intake to eating only certain foods (grapefruit, anyone?), we rush for speedy solutions and expect accurate results.
But what do these plans do to our brains? As genetically modified, overly processed foods have become tastier than ever, Western eating habits, with American fast food infiltrating cities around the world, have taken a turn for the worse. Food not only affects our figures but our brains and mental wellness. Is it possible to find better eating habits that will allow our brains and bodies to become in sync with each other?
Here we examine five popular diets and analyze their effects on the body and brain.
VEGAN DIET
HISTORY: The term vegan was coined by Donald Watson in 1944, combining the first three and last two letters of vegetarian. (Watson called it “the beginning and end of vegetarian.”)
WHAT IS IT? The vegan diet consists of not consuming meat or animal-derived products, including poultry, seafood, meat, dairy, whey, casein, eggs, honey, beeswax, and gelatin.
THE DIET TODAY: Although veganism has been around a long time (especially in places where animal products are not available), this diet has been popularized in the last 15 years with such books as “The China Study ” and “Skinny Bitch” which have put this way of living on the map by claiming a diet free of meat and dairy can cure many chronic diseases that plague our Western culture. A vegan diet contains many complex carbohydrates, which can speed up your metabolism. High metabolism = weight loss.
YOUR BRAIN ON THIS DIET: Our brains tend to thrive on a plant-heavy diet. Dark green vegetables and fruits are extremely high in vitamins, iron, calcium, and zinc. Leafy greens and fruits are chock-full of antioxidants, which fight off free radicals — unstable atoms, molecules and ions that can kill healthy brain cells. New studies have shown a diet rich in antioxidants can stave off Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The brain is more susceptible to damage when it’s not getting proper nutrients. Brain cells cannot repair or regenerate themselves once they have become weak or died.
CRITICS: A study at Oxford University in 2008 found that people on a meat-free diet are six times as likely to suffer brain shrinkage. Deficiency of vitamin B12 can cause inflammation of the nervous system.
CONCLUSION? If you’re going vegan — or vegetarian — be sure to take vitamin B12 and calcium to fortify your diet. A vegan diet also is ethical toward the treatment of animals and the environment.
RAW FOODISM OR RAWISM
HISTORY: Before we discovered fire, the original human diet consisted of raw fruits, nuts and plants. The raw-food diet was popular in the 1900s, and again in 1984 with Leslie and Susannah Kenton’s book, “Raw Energy: Eat Your Way to Radiant Health.”
WHAT IS IT? The rawism diet today promotes uncooked and unprocessed foods (usually vegan, although some allow for raw meat and animal products). Raw foodists believe that the way to a healthy and balanced life is through fresh fruits, vegetables and the enzymes living within them, which aid in the digestion and absorption of food. According to this theory, enzymes are at their peak and tend to hold their nutritional value when they are not cooked above 100° Fahrenheit.
YOUR BRAIN ON THIS DIET: Most American diets are packed with preservatives, high in fats and low in complex carbohydrates — candy, white bread, prepackaged snacks, and artificial sweeteners, often filled with high-fructose corn syrup and sulfuric acid. When a diet is too high in acidity, your mind tends to run slower. High acidic levels are to blame for many ailments such as headaches, depression, and mental dullness.
THE CRITICS: Some say that plant enzymes, cooked or raw, are made useless by acids in the human stomach, and aren’t necessary for human digestion. Moreover, aside from raw veganism, many believe that meat should be cooked, milk should be pasteurized, and raw vegetables should be washed thoroughly to prevent food-borne illnesses.
CONCLUSION? No one will contest the ban on processed foods, white flour, and white sugar. But leading this lifestyle is not for the faint of heart! Raw foodism requires tons of preparation; a food processor and a dehydrator will make your transition easier.
THE ATKINS DIET
HISTORY: The Atkins Nutritional Approach is a low-carbohydrate diet developed by Dr. Robert Atkins in 1963, inspired by a research paper by Gordon Azar and Walter Lyons Bloom published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Atkins published “Dr. Atkins’ Diet Revolution,” the first of his many books, in 1972. The diet was so successful with weight management that millions have been following this low-carb craze ever since.
WHAT IS IT? The concept of this diet is relatively simple: Cut out all carbohydrates and eat an unlimited amount of protein and fat. Low-carb dairy such as butter and heavy cream are permitted, but high-carb dairy like yogurt and ice cream are not. Only low-carb vegetables are allowed; most fruits are not. Many root plants and beans are excluded because of their high carbohydrate count.
YOUR BRAIN ON THIS DIET: Carbohydrates provide the body with energy. Eliminating them will send the body into an abnormal state. With minimal fruit and vegetable intake, the body has trouble sustaining itself. Your body and brain might have to duke it out over this dilemma. The brain uses as much as 20 percent of all carbohydrates that you consume. Healthy brain function is the result of a well balanced diet. Complex carbohydrates, such as those found in whole grains, spinach, and beans, provide time-released energy which keeps you going through the day. Your brain uses more sugar than any other organ in the body. Too much sugar is unhealthy, but low blood sugar can slow down brain function. You also will not be getting enough antioxidants, which protect the brain from disease.
CRITICS: Some studies have found that the diet also contributes to heart disease, kidney stones and more.
CONCLUSION? Although you will probably lose weight quickly with this diet, it should only be a short-term plan.
MACROBIOTIC
HISTORY: Macrobiotic, from the Greek macro (long or large) and bios (life), was formalized and popularized by George Ohsawa in the 1960s, based on his recovery from tuberculosis, in 1911, using a diet recommended by Dr. Sagen Ishizuka and others. Ohsawa and his disciples spread this diet around the world. Ohsawa believed that all food is governed by yin and yang forces. An imbalance, or too much yin and not enough yang, can cause stress and disharmony to the body.
WHAT IS IT? The diet is based on whole grains and locally grown produce, as consuming imported foods is said to bring sickness to the body. Followers of this lifestyle believe that whole grains such as brown rice, rye, spelt and barley are the perfect balance of yin and yang. No white or refined sugars or leavened baked goods. Nightshade vegetables — peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, spinach, potatoes, beets, and avocados — are used sparingly (if at all).
A macrobiotic diet will consist of eating 50 to 60 percent whole grains, 30 percent locally grown fruits and vegetables, and 5 to 10 percent soup, soy, beans and sea vegetables.
There are a few key guidelines which also must be adhered to when following this diet:
• Ohsawa believed that food should be chewed 30 to 50 times per mouthful for it to be properly digested.
• Stop eating when full.
• Cook according to the season.
YOUR BRAIN ON THIS DIET: While fiber does not directly affect the brain, its nutrients do. Foods high in fiber will allow the absorption of nutrients that improve overall mood, memory, and attention span. When you eat soluble fiber, you take longer to chew, which sends a message to the brain that you are full.
CRITICS: Some have said that the macrobiotic diet can bring about malnutrition, but many believe it is a healthful way of life.
THE BLOOD TYPE DIET
HISTORY: Dr. Peter D’Adamo, a naturopath, founded the diet in 1996 with his book “Eat Right 4 Your Type.” “Blood is life itself,” D’Adamo writes. “Blood is magical. Blood is mystical.” Blood type is “the key that unlocks the door to the mysteries of health, disease, longevity, physical vitality, and emotional strength.”
WHAT IS IT? Dietary recommendations are broken down by blood groups: A, B, AB, and O. (Positive or negative Rh factors are irrelevant.) D’Adamo claims certain lectins (sugar-binding proteins) can harm various blood types.
- Blood Type O (“the hunter”) should have a high-protein diet and avoid whole wheat completely. O’s are more prone to a sluggish thyroid, weight gain and hyperactivity.
- Blood Type A (“the cultivator”) should not eat any red meat and would benefit from a leafy green vegetarian diet. Type A’s tends to have a more sensitive immune system and should try to avoid smoking.
- Blood Type B (“the nomad”) thrives when consuming meat and dairy products because they have strong digestive abilities, but they are more vulnerable to autoimmune diseases.
- Blood Type AB (“the enigma”) is a hybrid between A and B types. It is suggested that people with this mix should eat fish and stay away from cured meat, since it is linked to cancer. AB tends to have low levels in stomach acids, which can create an overgrowth of certain bacterias.
YOUR BRAIN ON THIS DIET: This diet can be plant- or meat-based, depending on your blood type, so it’s difficult to assess its effects on the brain.
CRITICS: The consensus among most scientists, doctors, and nutritionists is that the Blood Type Diet is unsupported by scientific evidence.
