While nootropics - more commonly known as smart drugs' or foods that act as cognitive enhancers - were first identified more than 50 years ago, they have yet to become widely recognized as a legitimate way to improve cognitive performance. In fact, many medical practitioners and healthcare professionals still consider them little more than pseudoscience.
Yet, globally, there are countless examples of cultures and ethnic groups whose people eat highly specific diets, based on a few core ingredients, which have been reported to lead to longer lives and higher cognition rates across the lifespan. All the while, brain health decline is emerging as a major global health issue - further heightened following the COVID-19 pandemic - characterized by deficits in brain cellular function, cognition, learning, memory and healthy aging.
Denise McInnis, vice-chief of the Three Rivers Mi'kmaq Band in Newfoundland, shared her kelp lasagna recipe with Tim D'Souza, executive chef at Western's nootropics food lab (L to R). The new collaboration will next be tested for its brain health benefits. (Christopher Kindratsky/Western Communications)
In an effort to weave Indigenous and regional understandings of foods with properties to promote brain health together with Western scientific evidence, Raymond Thomas, biology professor and expert in circular food systems, has launched Canada's first nootropics food lab at Western. Thomas and his team, including an in-house chef and food developer, will create new recipes and cooking techniques while testing, validating and assessing the safety, as well as the health benefits of these culinary creations using the latest advancements in biochemistry, metabolomics and bioinformatics.
Chef Tim D'Souza and professor Raymond Thomas at the official launch of the nootropics food lab. (Christopher Kindratsky/Western Communications)
And, Thomas says, most importantly, the food has to taste good too.
"It starts with flavour. The food has to taste good, or it doesn't work," said Thomas, Western Research Chair in Leadership. "We want people to eat these products, foods and drinks to get the cognitive boost and nutritional value. It's early days but we're already really excited about the results both in the kitchen and the analytical lab."
Some foods that have been shown scientifically to support cognitive function, like blueberries, kale, salmon and eggs, contain specific lipid (commonly known as fat) compounds that enhance neurotransmission (transfer of information in the brain) and minimize oxidative stress (imbalance of antioxidants leading to cell damage and disease), which both boost brain energy.
This biochemical bounce' is believed to improve memory, increase concentration and raise mental alertness.
"Due to the structural and functional importance of lipids in the brain, foods with high nootropic value often boast essential lipids, which help to improve signalling between neurons, cell membrane structure and prevent age-related decline," said Thomas. "We're looking for foods with these essential lipids so we can create recipes in the kitchen using them as the key ingredients."
Work together with respect
One guiding principle for the nootropics lab is Etuaptmumk, a Mi'kmaq term introduced by Elders and knowledge keepers Albert and Murdena Marshall, which emphasizes the importance and integration of Indigenous knowledge. It provides a pathway for collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, prioritizing respect for the knowledge of each group as they work together.
As a first foray into culinary collaboration for the nootropics food lab, Thomas reached out to Denise McInnis, vice-chief of the Three Rivers Mi'kmaq Band in Newfoundland, after learning she had developed a popular dish from seaweed in her community: lasagna with kelp noodles.
Thomas is familiar with the region as he leads the Marine Biomass Innovation Project, which is based in Bay St. Georges and Bay of Islands on the west coast of Newfoundland.
This past week, McInnis visited London, Ont. and collaborated with Tim D'Souza, the lab's executive chef to make kelp lasagnas. McInnis shared her insights on cooking with kelp while D'Souza, who trained in Italy, was able to talk construction and layering.
"My family has always used kelp for fertilizer for our crops and I used to joke that it looked like lasagna noodles," said McInnis. "Finally, I harvested some to see if I could make a lasagna with it and I did. It tasted and looked great and I knew kelp had a lot of great nutrients, so we've been making it ever since."
D'Souza enjoyed the experience and said, like in life, you can never stop learning in the kitchen. As much as everyone thinks everything they make is original, it's not, D'Souza added.
"You really notice it when you start looking into recipes from other countries and cultures. Sometimes the differences are subtle, but so many cooks have a unique way of preparing a meal, whether it's a technique or an ingredient," said D'Souza. "There is always something to learn and now I've learned how to make lasagna with kelp thanks to vice-chief Denise."
After testing the kelp lasagna for flavour (high marks were achieved!), Thomas and his team now have samples in the lab to check the ingredients for both nutritional and nootropic value. The experience demonstrated the lab's commitment to Etuaptmumk, or two-eyed seeing, by guiding the creation of new knowledge with the kelp lasagna.
Kale and other dark, leafy greens have proven to have cognitive benefits, so Thomas predicts kelp will pass the nootropic test. Kelp is also high in iodine, which is critical for neurotransmitters, and the production of thyroid hormones, which regulate metabolism and other bodily functions.
In the lab, Thomas and his team are studying food metabolomics, which provide critical chemical information about how different compounds in foods, including lipids, contribute to health benefits, flavour and even food quality.
"Lipids in your diet impact metabolism, energy storage and nutrient absorption," said Thomas. "Fats get a bad rap, but there are good fats that are essential to healthy living and, we believe, better brain health."
In fact, past studies have shown poor or unbalanced lipid concentration in humans is linked to higher cases of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and ALS.
"Studying lipids in foods helps us identify therapeutic targets for promoting brain health and cognitive function," said Thomas. "In the lab and the kitchen, we want to create meals, drinks, spices and snacks that taste great but hold a greater purpose in enhancing brain health. We know the answers are out there in the natural world. We just need to find them."
