NutritionScience

Could the secret to feeling less depressed, stressed, and anxious be on your dinner plate? A massive study published in the British Journal of Nutrition says YES, and it’s all about a special group of brain-boosting nutrients. Scientists studied over 3,000 adults to see how food affects mental health. They focused on six key “methyl donor” nutrients. Think of them as your brain’s repair crew! We’re talking B-Vitamins like Folate and B12, plus powerhouses like Choline and Betaine. You find these in eggs, beets, beans, lentils, leafy greens, and salmon. ...

Illustrative story. Consult your doctor. My grandpa put mushrooms on his birthday cake. My mom actually called poison control… but his cardiologist just asked for the recipe. Turns out, there is a “longevity vitamin” hiding in the produce aisle, and it’s so important that your body built a VIP entrance in your cells, called SLC22A4, just to pull it inside. But here is the problem: You can’t make this molecule yourself. You have to eat it. And after age 60? Your levels plummet. ...

While “calories in, calories out” is technically true based on the First Law of Thermodynamics, it’s a misleading oversimplification. The type of calories you consume directly alters the “calories out” side of the equation through the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF). For example, your body uses 20-30% of the calories from protein just to digest it, compared to only 5-10% for carbohydrates and 0-3% for fats. Does that mean you should just eat more protein? Not necessarily as we’ll get to in a future post. ...