What's REALLY in a 🧠brain scientist's fridge

Find out in Dr Miguel's guest post...all accessible from a regular supermarket near you

“Food should be a source of pleasure, not just a robotic prescription for health,” says Dr Miguel, originally from Spain, now living in London, UK

I’m delighted to be joined in this guest post this week by my friend Dr Miguel Toribio-Mateas who is THE leading person on brain foods, Who better to ask to share with us what’s in his fridge…?

Dr Miguel explains at a deep level the nutrient goodies you get from supermarket staples such as as frozen fish and mixed vegetables, tofu and Jersey milk. It just shows you don’t need a Whole Foods Market grocery budget to eat well.

If you want to learn more from Dr Miguel on how diet and lifestyle can improve your focus and maximise your brain function, follow him on his vibrant, warm, funny, deeply-informative and soul-searching Substack, The Creative Scientist.

Now let’s see what’s in that fridge…(and two freezers)…

by Dr Miguel Toribio-Mateas

1. Fatty/oily fish (Costco) 

I have been eating hardly any farmed fish just because of a personal preference to do with how fish may be treated on a fish farm. I’ve also become quite sensitive to the effect of fishing on the planet, so I've been eating a lot less bigger fish and much more small fish, like sardines. But this is for a feature on what's in my fridge/freezer, and sardines are in my pantry! 

Benefits:

• Essential fatty acids: Fatty fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA), crucial for brain health, supporting cognition, and reducing inflammation.

• Protein: High-quality protein, including all essential amino acids, supports tissue repair and your immune system.

• Low pollution: Kippers, being small and wild-caught, are less likely to accumulate high levels of *pollutants. This makes them a safer choice for regular consumption.

• No antibiotics: Opting for smoked salmon without antibiotics aligns with a preference for more natural fish sources, reducing exposure to antibiotic resistance.

2. Frozen Mixed Berries (Aldi)

They’re never missing from my freezer. They happen to be Aldi’s this time, but I get them from a range of places, focusing on the number of ingredients and going for whichever one has the most, or combining 2 different varieties to maximise the number of berries I put in my yoghurt/kefir. I tend to buy different types, so I keep it varied. The ones I’m using at the moment have blackcurrants, redcurrants, cherries, black grapes, raspberries, and blackberries.

Benefits:

• Polyphenols: Berries are rich in polyphenols, particularly anthocyanins, which give them their vibrant colours. These compounds are powerful antioxidants that can reduce inflammation and are linked to a lower risk of heart disease and even certain cancers. Gut microbes love berries, so they’re great gut foods. They also support brain health by improving memory and cognition.

• Fibre: Fibre in berries supports gut health by promoting healthy digestion and feeding beneficial gut bacteria.

• Antioxidants: Berries are high in antioxidants like vitamin C and E, which help combat oxidative stress and inflammation in both the gut and brain.

• Freezing benefits: Freezing berries can actually preserve their nutritional value, ensuring that polyphenols and antioxidants are retained. This makes frozen berries a convenient and nutritious option year-round.

  3. Homemade kefir and full fat Jersey milk (Aldi)

I have been obsessed with kefir for years. I love its tanginess and my gut loves it too. I used to be very IBS (I can still be when stressed!) and kefir always balances me, I find. 

Benefits:

• Polysaccharides: The fermentation process produces beneficial polysaccharides (actually in kefir they’re called kefiran exopolysaccharides) that act as prebiotics, feeding good bacteria in the gut.

• Probiotics: As a fermented product, kefir is rich in probiotic microbes which improve gut health and, indirectly, brain health through the gut-brain connection. 

  The last milk kefir I was involved in testing had 37 different microbes, including unique Lactobacillus, and some fungi that are incredible at regulating immune function. In terms of brain health, I’ve recently been involved in a research project where we provided children and young adults with ADHD with kefir and assessed their responses, which were very beneficial. The pilot study was published in 2022 and the updated protocol for a randomised controlled trial was published in the British Medical Journal in December 2023. The clinical trial has now concluded and we’re analysing the data, which is looking good.

  So I love kefir for both personal and professional reasons. 

• Protein: Contains all essential amino acids, making it an excellent source of protein that supports tissue repair and growth. This includes both gut and brain tissue. 

• Essential fatty acids: Full fat Jersey milk is nice and creamy and provides essential fat-based nutrients such as vitamins A and D, which are highly beneficial for brain health.

4. Sourdough bread (Aldi)

I buy different varieties (rye, seeded, etc) to keep it diverse. The reason why it’s in this feature is because I stock up and freeze. I keep it in my spare freezer so I never run out. Sardines in olive oil on toasted sourdough are my obsession at the moment! 

Benefits:

• Polysaccharides: The fermentation process breaks down starches into simpler polysaccharides, making sourdough bread easier to digest and beneficial for gut health. The polysaccharides present in sourdough include xylans and arabinoxylans, both types of hemicelluloses and, in simpler terms, relatively water-soluble fibres.

  Depending on the grain used, eg oats or barley, there may even be some beta-glucans. Beta-glucans are another type of polysaccharide that might be present in sourdough breads made with these grains. They are known for their beneficial effects on cholesterol levels and heart health, as well as their role in improving immune function and gut health.

• Protein: Depending on the flour used, sourdough can be a good source of protein, including essential amino acids like lysine, particularly in rye or whole grain varieties.

5. Farmhouse mixed vegetables (Tesco) 

I’m never without this or a “Mediterranean Mix," which also has tomatoes and courgettes, but that I haven’t been able to get recently. This one is from Tesco and has peas, carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli. I mix in some frozen runner beans, too, and I tend to cook this straight from frozen in my 1970s pressure cooker, the one my mum used when I was growing up, and that’s still working beautifully!

Benefits:

Polysaccharides: These vegetables are rich in dietary fibre, supporting healthy digestion and gut microbes.

Antioxidants: High in various antioxidants, such as beta-carotene in carrots and sulforaphane in broccoli, which protect against oxidative stress and inflammation.

Polyphenols: Broccoli and other vegetables contain polyphenols that support both gut and brain health through their anti-inflammatory properties.

6. Tofu by The Tofoo Co (Sainsbury)

I absolutely love tofu. If it’s firm, I pan fry it in olive oil and tamari sauce. If it’s silken, I scramble it as if it was eggs. Beautiful! I’m never without it in my fridge. I stock up.

Benefits:

Protein: Tofu is a complete protein source, offering all essential amino acids necessary for repair and growth.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids: Tofu contains essential fatty acids, beneficial for brain health. Specifically, tofu contains alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a type of omega-3 fatty acid. ALA is an essential fatty acid, meaning it must be obtained through the diet. It's important for cardiovascular health, reducing inflammation, and supporting brain function. However, it's worth noting that the ALA found in tofu and other plant sources needs to be converted by the body into the more active forms of omega-3s, EPA and DHA, a process that is relatively inefficient in humans.

But the way I look at it food should be a source of pleasure, not just a robotic prescription for health, mostly because health is not just about food. It’s about love, and connection, and respect for oneself, and many other things that can't be measured and served on a plate. 

Tofu is also a source of linoleic acid, an essential omega-6 fatty acid. Omega-6 fatty acids get all the bad reputation because they’re supposed to be inflammatory, but that’s just one side of the story. They’re also important for skin and hair growth, bone health, and regulating metabolism. Like omega-3s, they play a crucial role in brain function and normal growth and development.

Phytoestrogens: Tofu also contains phytoestrogens, particularly isoflavones, which are plant-derived compounds that can mimic the effects of oestrogen in the body, albeit with much weaker activity. These phytoestrogens can bind to oestrogen receptors and have been shown to have both oestrogenic and anti-oestrogenic effects, depending on the body's existing level of oestrogen. They have been studied for their potential roles in reducing the risk of certain cancers, osteoporosis, and heart disease, as well as in alleviating menopausal symptoms. The impact of phytoestrogens on health can vary widely among people, influenced by factors such as the amount consumed and individual hormonal status, but also by the presence of specific gut microbes that help digest them and transform them into readily available forms that humans can use. One such microbe is Adlercreutzia equolifaciens, a wonder bug that transforms soy isoflavones into equol, a powerful antioxidant that mimics oestrogen in women and benefits men in many other ways

So that’s it’s for today. It’s time to get dinner on…

If you’d like to plug into more about foods for a healthy brain come join me over at The Creative Scientist.

* As an aside it’s worth mentioning the dangers of fish accumulating pollutants from their environment, including mercury, micro-plastics, and persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Mercury is a heavy metal that can have significant neurotoxic effects, especially concerning for pregnant women and young children, but also for anyone who lives with a mental (eg anxiety, depression), neurodevelopmental (ADHD, autism), neurological (MS) or neurodegenerative (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s) condition- or has any of those running in their families. Microplastics, tiny plastic particles that fish can ingest from polluted waters, raise concerns about their potential health impacts on humans when we consume fish. POPs, which include substances like PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane), are chemical contaminants that can persist in the environment and bioaccumulate in the food chain, posing risks to both wildlife and human health through potential carcinogenic and endocrine-disrupting effects. The accumulation of these pollutants in fish depends on various factors, including the fish's habitat, diet, and position in the food chain, with larger and longer-lived species generally accumulating higher levels.