“The Five Foods That Do Wonders for Your Brain”

Here’s a link to an article by Nina Shadi that specifies five foods that grease the wheels of brains health: http://www.2baware.net/healthy-foods/five-foods-that-do-wonders-for-your-brain/

Ms. Shadi writes that “As you may know, food and calories fuel your body each day giving it the energy it needs to functions. But you also need fuel for brain as well, and there are certain foods that are better than others. Honestly, there are foods that are simply essential for brain health and strength.  Although there are many foods that support brain health, below we will discuss five foods that do wonders for your brain.”

Her five foods that “do wonders for your brain” includes:

1. Oily fish
2. Blueberries
3. Pumpkin seeds
4. Avocado
5. Chocolate

While I like all of these, the pumpkin seeds and avocado were a bit of a surprise for me.  Read her article to find out why she chose them.

Image credit: <a href='http://www.123rf.com/photo_9979398_human-intelligence-and-brain-function-represented-by-gears-and-cogs-in-the-shape-of-a-head-represent.html'>lightwise / 123RF Stock Photo</a>

 

I Love the Georgetown Lombardi Arts & Humanities Program (and I’ve only read about it)

Somebody smart once told me a good way to get a traumatic event (like a brain tumor) out of your head was to write it down. The Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center - http://lombardi.georgetown.edu/artsandhumanities/index.html - does all that and more. 

What do I mean, “more?”

Well, according to their website “Painting, weaving, drawing, beadwork, basketry, quilling, collage, quilting and needlework are some of the activities offered while waiting for appointments, during chemotherapy treatment, or when confined to inpatient areas. Participants engaged in art making report feeling relaxed, productive and happy.”

I’ve corresponded with Nancy Morgan who runs the “Writing & Health Initiative” and learned that “each week, two writing workshops called ‘Writing for your Health’ are offered for people with cancer and other community members.”

How cool is that?

Their website also describes their music and emerging theater programs.

Of course I didn’t learn about all this on my own. The wonderful and talented Amy Marash of cancer is SO FUNNY - http://cancerissofunny.blogspot.com - told me about Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and their wonderful programs.

The Curcumin Controversy

Want to see cancer doctors, patients, caregivers and other assorted stakeholders get all hot and bothered?  Ask them about the curcumin and cancer.

According to the American Cancer Society’s website, “Turmeric is a common food flavoring and coloring in Asian cooking. Animal and laboratory studies have found that curcumin, an antioxidant that is an active ingredient in turmeric, demonstrated some anticancer effects. However, clinical research is needed to determine curcumin's role in cancer prevention and treatment in humans. Several types of cancer cells are inhibited by curcumin in the laboratory, and curcumin slows the spread of some cancers in some animal studies.”

As you can image, there are now studies galore with results and opinions vigorously pro and con. The pro side is convinced that this works. The con side needs more evidence and thinks that the “pro” side is not demanding the rigorous studies needed before clutching to a possible solution.

The Inspire online conversation is a great example of this discussion - http://www.inspire.com/RachelIdon/journal/curcumin-against-cancer/?reply_sort=asc&page=2#replies - and has been, in turns, thoughtful, concerned, upbeat and pessimistic. If nothing else, it’s passionate. I see 100 replies to Rachelldon’s original www.1uponcancer.com posting entitled “Curcumin has cancer fighting properties” - http://www.1uponcancer.com/2012/12/22/curcumin-has-cancer-fighting-properties/

The lead sentence in the article reports that “Curcumin, in the Indian spice, turmeric, is proving to help  suppress or prevent cancers; specifically cancer of the breast, prostate, esophagus, mouth, intestines, stomach, and skin as well as leukemia.“

The article goes on to say that the “UCLA Johnson Comprehensive Cancer Center found promising news with head and neck cancer. Curcumin suppressed the disease in human cells and mice when applied as a paste. In a follow-up 2010 study, head and neck cancer patients took 1,000-mg tablets for a short time period. The result was reduction in pro-inflammatory cytokines (proteins) that feed cancer. And inhibition of the cell-signaling pathway driving tumor growth.”

So what do I think of all of this? I guess I want to believe that curcumin helps, that curcumin helps fight cancer. At the same time, I often reflect back on Barbara Strauch’s comments from her insightful book entitled The Secret Life of the Grown-Up Brain in which she noted that, “For years, scientists believed diet had little impact on our brains because they thought most nutrients didn’t cross the blood-brain barrier.” The blood-brain-barrier is real. Cells linking blood vessels in the brain are packed close together to keep out certain large molecules and maintain a chemical balance.

So for now I remain confused, hopeful and thinking that Indian food for lunch, with lots of turmeric, would taste just fine.

Image credit: <a href='http://www.123rf.com/photo_12707543_turmeric-powder-spice-pile-with-garlic-and-spoon.html'>foryouinf / 123RF Stock Photo</a>