Samantha Ruth Prabhu has often spoken openly about wellness, healing, and listening to one's body. In a recent conversation on her YouTube channel, the actor sat down with nutritionist Rashi Chowdhary to talk about perimenopause – the transitional phase that leads up to menopause. The discussion focused on symptoms that many women struggle with but rarely talk about. These included sudden weight gain, poor sleep, anxiety, and one very common issue: brain fog.
During the chat, Samantha asked the nutritionist about how to deal with brain fog. Rashi Chowdhary broke down why this happens and what can be done to improve cognitive function.
What Is Brain Fog?
Brain fog is not a medical condition. It is a term used to describe feeling mentally slow, forgetful, unfocused, or confused. Many women experience it during perimenopause due to hormonal and metabolic changes.
Why Does Brain Fog Happen?
Explaining the science in simple terms, Rashi Chowdhary said hormones play a big role. “Our brain has estrogen receptors. These estrogen receptors pick up glucose and fire it up into ATP. That is how memory builds,” she explained. During perimenopause, estrogen levels start dipping. Because of this, these receptors do not work as fast, which can slow down thinking and memory.
She also pointed out another reason. “Because we have insulin resistance, our blood glucose keeps fluctuating. Suddenly, the brain does not have a steady supply of glucose,” the nutritionist said. This uneven fuel supply makes thinking feel sluggish. According to her, all of this together leads to brain fog.
Nutritionist Tells Samantha How To Deal With Brain Fog
When Samantha Ruth asked how to make cognitive function “A++”, Rashi Chowdhary shared a few practical habits that can help.
1. Start Your Day With Healthy Fats
The nutritionist suggested beginning the morning with fats instead of sugar. “Take one teaspoon of ghee, butter, or coconut oil,” she said. She advised adding fresh turmeric root with black pepper. “These work as nootropics and support brain health,” she added. She stressed using turmeric root, not the powdered version.
2. Add Lion's Mane Mushroom
Rashi Chowdhary said she loves lion's mane mushroom for brain support. Half a teaspoon of powdered form can be added to coffee, liquorice tea, or any morning drink.
3. Use Smart Supplements
They also spoke about creatine monohydrate and CoQ10. Rashi Chowdhary explained that creatine also acts as a nootropic and supports brain energy.
Nutritionist Gives Samantha 3 Tips To Tackle Brain Fog, Expert Fact-Checks
Dr Ravina Patel, a gynaecologist at Mayflower Women's Hospital, Ahmedabad, spoke to NDTV, fact-checking the claims made by nutritionist Rashi Chowdhary.
1. Begin Your Day With Healthy Fats
Speaking about healthy fats, she said, "Everyone, irrespective of their age, especially women, needs to start their day with healthy fats to maintain stable blood glucose levels for the rest of the day. It can be from nuts and seeds or from fats like ghee and coconut oil."
She explained that adding turmeric and black pepper to fat makes sure your body absorbs curcumin efficiently due to the presence of piperine. If you consume it with fat, it won't cause iron deficiency or anaemia in the long run.
"Stable blood sugars are what can keep brain fog at bay, and there is generalised inflammation too, so if you can't consume the aforementioned concoction, any healthy fat source works for you," the expert further noted.
2. Add Lion's Mane Mushroom To Your Diet
Coming to the second point, where nutritionist Rashi Chowdhary suggested that lion's mane mushroom supports the brain, Dr Patel clarified that there are not enough human studies to prove that its consumption can improve brain fog during perimenopause.
"It's been used for centuries in Asia for neurodegenerative diseases, but also for other chronic inflammatory conditions and digestive issues. And the evidence of a medicinal plant and food plant used in Chinese traditional medicine is anecdotal," she added.
"Most studies have been conducted in cognitively compromised subjects," the expert mentioned, suggesting that a person take any supplements containing vitamin B complex, omega-3 fatty acids, and EGCG (green tea). They all promote good health.
3. Start Taking Smart Supplements
For the last tip, in which nutritionist Rashi Chowdhary suggested taking creatine monohydrate and CoQ10, Dr Patel explained, "CoQ10 is produced by the body as well as available from food sources like nuts, seeds, vegetables, and legumes."
"So she's not wrong, but a healthy diet and a balanced nutrient profile would almost render all the supplements useless unless the symptoms are not manageable through diet and exercise," the doctor mentioned.
"Her (referring to nutritionist Rashi Chowdhary) advice is not sustainable, not affordable," concluded Dr Patel.
Also Read | Gynaecologist Tells Samantha Why Age Should Not Pressure Women To Have Kids
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