Food preferences play a significant role in shaping our dietary habits. Highly palatable foods rich in sugars, fats, and salts often appeal to people’s tastebuds and provide immediate satisfaction. However, these foods are typically high in calories and low in essential nutrients, leading to weight gain and a higher risk of physical and mental health conditions.
Now, a new collaborative study from Fudan University in China and the University of Cambridge in the UK, published in Nature Mental Health, has shed light on how food choices are associated with cognitive function, mental health, metabolism, brain imaging, and genetics.
The study used a large sample of 181,990 participants from the UK Biobank to examine the consumption of various foods including vegetables, fruit, fish, meat, cheese, cereal, red wine, spirits, and bread. The findings revealed that 57% of participants had food preferences for a healthy balanced diet, which included a balanced mix of all the foods examined, with no excessive amounts in any category.
Furthermore, the study showed that those with a healthy balanced diet exhibited better brain health, cognitive function, and mental health than others. A comparison with three other diet groups—low-carb (18%), vegetarian (6%), and high protein/low fiber (19%)—revealed that people who consumed a more balanced diet demonstrated better fluid intelligence, processing speed, memory, and executive functions than those following the other diets. This was also reflected in better brain health, with higher gray matter volumes and better structural integrity.
The findings of this study underscore the benefits of a healthy, balanced diet in promoting cognitive function, brain health, and mental well-being. It highlights the importance of food choices in not only maintaining physical health but also in supporting optimal cognitive and mental function. Understanding the link between food preferences and brain health can potentially inform dietary recommendations and interventions aimed at improving cognitive function and mental well-being.
