Research paper
Gómez-Pinilla F. Brain foods: the effects of nutrients on brain function. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2008 Jul;9(7):568-78. doi:10.1038/nrn2421
Why we cite it
Reviews 160+ studies on how dietary factors influence neuronal function and synaptic plasticity, identifying BDNF as a central molecular mediator linking nutrition to cognition. Relevant to this project because it provides the neuroscience behind why food choices affect not just body weight but also mental clarity, mood, and decision-making capacity — strengthening the case that dietary changes have cognitive as well as physical consequences.
About the author
Fernando Gómez-Pinilla, PhD, is Professor at UCLA with dual appointments in the Department of Neurosurgery (David Geffen School of Medicine) and the Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology. Director of the Neurotrophic Research Laboratory (NeuroLife Lab). BA University of Chile (1977), MS Neurobiology University of Chile (1979), PhD Anatomy & Cell Biology UCLA (1986). Over 150 peer-reviewed articles; D-index ~87 with ~32,000-35,000 citations. Research focuses on how nutrition and exercise affect brain function through neurotrophic mechanisms, particularly BDNF-mediated synaptic plasticity.