According to Fernando Gómez-Pinilla, PhD, a neurobiologist at UCLA who studies the impact of certain foods on the brain, the key is to avoid fried foods and add more omega 3 fatty acids to your diet. Omega 3s are essential for normal brain functioning because they are our primary source of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), the most abundant omega 3 fatty acid found in the cell membranes of brain cells. Scientists believe that DHA protects against "normal wear and tear" on the brain, helps promote brain growth, enhances learning and memory and improves communication between synapses.
Life is about choices, and selecting the right nutrients plays a key role in maintaining a healthy body and brain. In general terms, you want to follow a diet rich in fruits and veggies and other unprocessed foods. Eating this way will improve blood flow and mental sharpness, and can reduce your risk for stroke, neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and dementia, depression, schizophrenia, mood disorders and even Parkinson's.
Egg yolks contain choline, a nutrient that is important for memory. Studies show that deficiency in choline may contribute to age-related mental decline. Your body can't make choline, it must be gotten through diet, and most of us don't get enough. A recent government survey showed that only 2 percent of post-menopausal American women and less than 10 percent of the general U.S. population consume the recommended amount of choline. One hard-boiled egg contains about 20 percent of your daily choline needs.
Popeye is known for his brawn, but his brain must be pretty powerful too thanks to all that spinach he eats. Spinach and other dark, leafy greens like chard, kale and collard greens are rich in folic acid which is essential for the metabolism of the long chain fatty acids in your brain.
Enjoy: Daily
Rich in vitamin B12, iron and zinc, lean beef is one of the best foods for your brain. These vitamins and minerals have been shown to maintain healthy brain tissue. In addition, iron deficiency may affect mental performance.
Enjoy: 3 times a week
Here are even more reasons to love berries. The plant chemical called anthocyanin, which give berries their distinctive rich hue, can protect the brain against a range of conditions. In one study, subjects who ate the most blueberries lowered their risk of developing high blood pressure (hypertension) by 10 percent. High blood pressure increases your risk of stroke, and reduced blood flow from hypertension can contribute to dementia and cognitive impairment. A separate study showed that men and women who regularly eat berries may have a lower risk of developing Parkinson's disease. And yet other research shows that people who eat strawberries improve their memory and motor skills. In addition, berries are high in antioxidants which protect your brain from free radicals. So bring on berries of all kinds!
Enjoy: Daily
Chocoholics rejoice: In the right dose, dark chocolate sharpens concentration and reaction time (it's a natural stimulant) and its powerful antioxidant properties increase the production of feel-good endorphins. Eating small amounts of dark chocolate each week reduced the risk of stroke by 22 percent, in one recent study. The trick to continued, guilt-free enjoyment: Eat dark chocolate with less than 10 grams of sugar per serving.
Enjoy: 1 to 2 one-ounce pieces, 4 times a week
Salmon is packed with DHA, one of the types of omega-3 fatty acids essential for healthy brain function. Researchers at Tufts University found that people with the highest blood levels of DHA cut their risk of developing dementia in half.
Enjoy: 3 times a week. Always remember when ingesting fish to watch the mercury level and keep it as low as posible.
Listen to your mother and eat your broccoli! Broccoli and other cruciferous veggies like cauliflower and cabbage are filled with vitamin C and other antioxidants that help protect your brain from damage caused by free radicals; free radicals are more abundant in the brain simply because the brain uses a lot of energy to function. A Harvard Medical School study found that women who ate the most of these veggies lowered their brain age by one to two years, according to Prevention magazine.
Enjoy: 3 to 5 times a week
Certain spices, like ground cinnamon and dried oregano, have powerful antioxidant properties. One-half teaspoon of dried oregano contains the antioxidant equivalent of one-half cup of sweet potatoes, according to researchers at the University of Oslo in Norway. Cinnamon helps lower blood pressure and improves the way blood sugar and insulin move through your body, making "food" delivery to your cells more efficient.
Enjoy: Daily
Walnuts are rich in protein, vitamins E and B6, and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a type of omega-3 fatty acid that is converted in the body to DHA, all of which promote healthy neural tissues. Researchers at Tufts University feed aged rats a diet comprised of two, six and nine percent walnuts (the equivalent of eating about 1.5 ounces for humans) and found that certain markers of brain aging as well as motor and cognitive deficits were reversed after following this high-walnut diet. After all, a snack that looks like a brain must be good for your brain!
Enjoy: 1.5 to 2 ounces (about a small handful) daily
Whole grains deliver fiber and vitamin E that help promote cardiovascular health, which helps improve blood flow to the brain. In addition, the fiber in whole grains helps regulate the release of glucose into your blood stream. Glucose is your brain cells' (and all cells in your body!) main source of fuel, so keeping levels steady help keep your brain humming at an optimal level.
Enjoy: Daily
Vitamin D plays an important role in brain development and function. Vitamin D-fortified milk, yogurt and other fortified dairy foods are good sources of vitamin D. Because of its role in crucial body functions, many health experts recommend that that you get about 1,000 IU (international units) a day. One cup of vitamin D-fortified milk or yogurt contain about 100 IU.
Enjoy: Daily
Drink up! About three-fourths of your brain volume is water, so staying hydrated helps your brain perform at peak levels.
No comments:
Write comments