Best foods that develop the brain
- Best foods for baby and toddler brain development.
- Eggs.
- Seafood.
- Leafy green vegetables.
- Lean beef (or meat alternative) .
- Yogurt.
- Nuts & seeds.
- Beans. Beans offer several beneficial nutrients for a developing brain including zinc, protein, iron, folate and choline.
Best Foods to Boost Your Brain and Memory
Foods that are good for your brain can help keep this crucial organ healthy and can improve your ability to do specific mental tasks, such as memory and concentration.
Your brain is kind of a big deal.
As 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 eating certain foods can help you keep your brain in peak working condition.
This article lists 11 foods that boost your brain.
1. Fatty fish
When people talk about brain foods, fatty fish is often at the top of the list.
This type of fish includes salmon, trout, albacore tuna, herring, and sardines, all of which are rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids
About 60% of your brain is made of fat, and half of that fat is comprised of omega-3 fatty acids
Your brain uses omega-3s to build brain and nerve cells, and these fats are essential for learning and memory
Omega-3s also offer several additional benefits for your brain.
For one thing, they may slow age-related mental decline and help ward off Alzheimer’s disease
On the flip side, not getting enough omega-3s is linked to learning impairments, as well as depression
In general, eating fish seems to have positive health benefits.
Some research also suggests that people who eat fish regularly tend to have more gray matter in their brains. Gray matter contains most of the nerve cells that control decision making, memory, and emotion
Overall, fatty fish is an excellent choice for brain health.
SUMMARY
Fatty fish is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, a major building block of the brain. Omega-3s play a role in sharpening memory and improving mood, as well as protecting your brain against cognitive decline.
2. 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 — can help support brain health.
The caffeine found 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 feel sleepy
- Improved mood. Caffeine may also boost some of your “feel-good” neurotransmitters, such as dopamine
- Sharpened concentration. One study found that caffeine consumption led to short-term improvements in attention and alertness in participants completing a cognition test
Drinking coffee over the long-term is also linked to a reduced risk of neurological diseases, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. The largest risk reduction was seen in those adults who consumes 3-4 cups daily
This could at least be partly due to coffee’s high concentration of antioxidants SUMMARY
Coffee can help boost alertness and mood. It may also offer some protection against Alzheimer’s, thanks to its content of caffeine and antioxidants.
3. 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 can 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
11 studies, blueberries could help improve memory and certain cognitive processes in children and older adults
Try sprinkling them over your breakfast cereal, adding them to a smoothie, or enjoying as is for a simple snack.
Blueberries are packed with antioxidants that may delay brain aging and improve memory.
4. Turmeric
Turmeric has generated a lot of buzz recently.
This deep-yellow spice 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
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. Curcumin boosts serotonin and dopamine, both of which improve mood. One review found that curcumin could improve symptoms of depression and anxiety when used alongside standard treatments in people diagnosed with depression
- 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
Keep in mind that most studies use highly concentrated curcumin supplements in doses ranging from 500–2,000 mg per day, which is much more curcumin than most people typically consume when using turmeric as a spice. This is because turmeric is only made up of around 3–6% curcumin
Therefore, while adding turmeric to your food may be beneficial, you may need to use a curcumin supplement under a doctor’s guidance to obtain the results reported in these studies.
Turmeric and its active compound curcumin have strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits, which help the brain. In research, it has reduced symptoms of depression and Alzheimer’s disease.
5. 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 (160-gram) serving of cooked broccoli
This fat-soluble vitamin is essential for forming sphingolipids, a type of fat that’s densely packed into brain cells
A few studies in older adults have linked a higher vitamin K intake to better memory and cognitive status
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
Broccoli contains a number of compounds that have powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, including vitamin K
No comments:
Post a Comment