Best Foods to Boost Your Brain and Memory
Your brain is the control center of your body, it’s in charge of keeping your heart beating and lungs breathing and allowing you to move, feel and think.
That’s why it’s a good idea to keep your brain in peak working condition.
The foods you eat play a role in keeping your brain healthy and can improve specific mental tasks, such as memory and concentration.
The following foods are important to boost your brain and memory:
FATTY FISH
Fatty fish is often at the top of the list of food for healthy brain.
This type of fish includes salmon, mackerel and sardines, which are all rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids.
About 60% of your brain is made of fat, and half of that fat is the omega-3 kind.
Your brain uses omega-3s to build brain and nerve cells, and these fats are essential for learning and memory.
Omega- 3s also may slow age-related mental decline and help ward off Alzheimer’s disease.
Insufficient omega-3s is linked to learning impairments, as well as depression.
One study found that people who ate baked or broiled fish regularly had more gray matter in their brains. Gray matter contains most of the nerve cells that control decision making, memory and emotion that is improving mood, as well as protecting your against decline.
Overall, fatty fish is an excellent choice for brain health.
COFFEE
If coffee is the highlight of your morning, you’ll be glad to hear that it’s good for you.
Two main components in coffee — caffeine and antioxidants — help your brain.
The caffeine in coffee has a number of positive effects on the brain, including
- Increased alertness:Caffeine keeps your brain alert by blocking adenosine, a chemical messenger that makes you sleepy.
- Improved mood:Caffeine may also boost some of your “feel-good” neurotransmitters, such as serotonin.
- Sharpened concentration:One study found that when participants drank one large coffee in the morning or smaller amounts throughout the day, they were more effective at tasks that required concentration.
Drinking coffee over the long term is also linked to a reduced risk of neurological diseases, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.This could at least be partly due to coffee’s high concentration of antioxidants.
BLUEBERRIES
Blueberries provide numerous health benefits, including some that are specifically for your brain.
Blueberries and other deeply colored berries deliver anthocyanins, a group of plant compounds with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Antioxidants act against both oxidative stress and inflammation, conditions that may contribute to brain aging and neurodegenerative diseases.
Some of the antioxidants in blueberries have been found to accumulate in the brain and help improve communication between brain cells.
Animal studies have shown that blueberries help improve memory and may even delay short-term memory loss.
Try sprinkling them on your breakfast cereal or adding them to a smoothie.
TURMERIC
Turmeric is a key ingredient in curry powder and has a number of benefits for the brain.
Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, has been shown to cross the blood-brain barrier, meaning it can directly enter the brain and benefit the cells there.
It’s a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound that has been linked to the following brain benefits:
- May benefit memory:Curcumin may help improve memory in people with Alzheimer’s. It may also help clear the amyloid plaques that are a hallmark of this disease.
- Eases depression:It boosts serotonin and dopamine, which both improve mood. One study found curcumin improved depression symptoms just as much as an antidepressant over six weeks.
- Helps new brain cells grow:Curcumin boosts brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a type of growth hormone that helps brain cells grow. It may help delay age-related mental decline, but more research is needed.
To reap the benefits of curcumin, try cooking with curry powder, adding turmeric to potato dishes to turn them golden or making turmeric tea.
BROCCOLI
Broccoli is packed with powerful plant compounds, including antioxidants.
It’s also very high in vitamin K, delivering more than 100% of the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) in a 1-cup (91-gram) serving.
A few studies in older adults have linked a higher vitamin K intake to better memory.
Beyond vitamin K, broccoli contains a number of compounds that give it anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, which may help protect the brain against damage.
PUMPKIN SEEDS
Pumpkin seeds contain powerful antioxidants that protect the body and brain from free radical damage.
They’re also an excellent source of magnesium, iron, zinc and copper.
Each of these nutrients is important for brain health:
- Zinc:This element is crucial for nerve signaling. Zinc deficiency has been linked to many neurological conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, depression and Parkinson’s disease.
- Magnesium:Magnesium is essential for learning and memory. Low magnesium levels are linked to many neurological diseases, including migraines, depression and epilepsy.
- Copper:Your brain uses copper to help control nerve signals. And when copper levels are out of whack, there’s a higher risk of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s.
- Iron:Iron deficiency is often characterized by brain fog and impaired brain function.
DARK CHOCOLATE
Dark chocolate and cocoa powder are packed with a few brain-boosting compounds, including flavonoids, caffeine and antioxidants.
Flavonoids are a group of antioxidant plant compounds.
The flavonoids in chocolate gather in the areas of the brain that deal with learning and memory. Researchers say these compounds may enhance memory and also help slow down age-related mental decline.
In one study including over 900 people, those who ate chocolate more frequently performed better in a series of mental tasks, including some involving memory, than those who rarely ate it.
Chocolate is also a legitimate mood booster according to research. One study found that participants who ate chocolate experienced increased positive feelings, compared to participants who ate crackers.
NUTS
Research has shown that eating nuts can improve markers of heart health, and having a healthy heart is linked to having a healthy brain. Nuts can improve cognition and even help prevent neurodegenerative diseases.
Also, another large study found that women who ate nuts regularly over the course of several years had a sharper memory, compared to those who didn’t eat nuts.
Several nutrients in nuts, such as healthy fats, antioxidants and vitamin E, may explain their brain-health benefits.
Vitamin E shields cell membranes from free radical damage, helping slow mental decline.
While all nuts are good for your brain, walnuts may have an extra edge, since they also deliver omega-3 fatty acids.
ORANGES
You can get all the vitamin C you need in a day by eating one medium orange.
Doing so is important for brain health, since vitamin C is a key factor in preventing mental decline.
Eating sufficient amounts of vitamin C-rich foods can protect against age-related mental decline and Alzheimer’s disease.
Keep your brain alive always as you await our next write-up.
* Bose Banji – Idowu, a Chartered Accountant is a Health and Wellness Coach. She is the founder of Healthy You platform with sole aim of reaching out to members on Healthy living. Email: bose.banji@gmail.com. Tel:+2348023362189