Ask A Pro: Dr. Larry McCleary

Dr. Larry McCleary is the former Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Denver Children’s Hospital and author of The Brain Trust Program: A Scientifically Based Three-Part Plan to Improve Memory, Elevate Mood, Enhance Attention, Alleviate Migraine and Menopausal Symptoms, and Boost Mental Energy.

Through his work with children, he has studied the impact of food on the human brain. Below is my interview with him, where he shares some of his work and recommendations for the best brain foods. For more information on Dr. McCleary or brain food, check out his site.

A Sizable Apple: With your studies in neurosurgery, what sorts of foods have you found to be the most beneficial to fighting neurological disease?

Dr. McCleary: I am a pediatric neurosurgeon. That means I do brain surgery in children. Many years ago I was looking for additional ways to help these kids recover better and faster from the serious brain problems they were experiencing. At the time, doctors were using sugar water IVs to provide support. I knew there had to be a better way to provide the brain all the nutrients it required. As a point of reference, the brain comprises 2.3% of the total body weight, yet consumes almost 25% of the energy. That means it is over 10 times as active as the rest of the cells in the body. It also lacks the ability to store any considerable supply of nutrients, so it must receive a continuous, high stream of nutrients to function optimally. Based on these observations, I began researching additional nutrient sources for my patients.

I should also add that although I worked with children, the same applies for adult brains and nutrient requirements. Just think of the aging or stressed brain as a sick brain. Whether young or old, sick brains have similar nutritional needs. I started providing essential fatty acids (such as exist in cold water fish body oil, or krill oil, amino acids (the building blocks of protein), high amounts of minerals and vitamins, and later on unique anti-oxidant formulations to diminish the damage caused by free-radicals that are generated during normal metabolic activity, and in higher amounts in sick brains.

I love spices because they also contain a broad range of anti-oxidants and healthy plant nutrients (called phyto-nutrients). They also are generally calorie free. At the top of the list are cinnamon, turmeric (the spice in curry and mustard), ginger, sage, rosemary, basil, cumin, coriander, clove, and related seasonings. So, spice up your diet for variety and healthy eating.

Nuts and seeds (almonds, pistachios, hazel nuts, cashews, brazil nuts, walnuts, etc., and pumpkin, flax, and sunflower seeds) are chocked full of healthy fats (mono and polyunsaturated fats), vitamins and minerals. They contain magnesium and potassium-both heart and brain-healthy nutrients.

Green tea and an occasional glass of red wine are also brain healthy. Coffee consumption, if you tolerate it, has been associated with lower risk for Alzheimer's disease and memory loss.

So, to summarize, the nutritional bottom line is to eat a broad range of colorful foods and spices and to avoid foods that contain empty calories such as trans-fats (partially hydrogenated vegetable oils), refined carbohydrates and starchy foods (bread, potatoes, pancakes, cookies, cakes, candies, etc), and go easy on artificial sweeteners. I also recommend the avoidance of MSG, the flavor enhancer found in many Chinese restaurant dishes. It tends to over stimulate the brain and harm nerve cell function.

ASA: How does what we eat affect our brain?

Dr. McCleary: We are what we eat. This is even more true for the brain because it is 60% fat and the fats we eat end up essentially unchanged in the very membranes that surround and affect the function of each nerve cell. Eat good fats and other nutritional raw materials and you and your brain will be happy!

ASA: What have you found about diets change as we age?

Dr. McCleary: The nutritional requirements are fairly similar regardless of age. What changes is the number of calories we eat as we age. In general, activity levels decline and with that is an associated fall in energy (food) requirements. This drop in intake makes it more difficult to maintain high essential nutrient consumption while calories are falling. That means vitamin levels fall, for example. So the choices and consumption of nutrient dense foods of the type we have discussed, at the exclusion of empty calorie foods, becomes more important as we age. A multi-vitamin and mineral supplement would be a good idea for everyone, but is essential as we age.