Best Brain Food
Fatty Fish
Salmon, mackerel, and sardines are the most nutritional animal proteins you should eat. Oily and fatty fish are chock full of Omega-3 fatty acids, both DHA and EPA.
Healthy unsaturated fats like Omega-3 fats offer the raw, fundamental materials for proper brain cell production, development, and function (1). Most importantly, fatty acids can lower levels of the destructive brain protein beta-amyloid. In people with Alzheimer’s, beta-amyloid has been shown to develop damaging clumps in the brain (2).
Make a nice hearty fish at meal time to help support cognitive function. If eating fish really, truly is not your thing, Omega-3 supplements for adults are available, as well as Omega-3 jellies for children.
Green Leafy Vegetables (GLVs)
Another one of the best foods you can put in your body to help fight cognitive decline is leafy greens. Dark greens are stuffed with vitamins A, C, and K, along with calcium, iron, folate, fiber, magnesium, potassium, and a plethora of antioxidants (3).
Essentially, eating a good amount of GLVs allows you a highly nutritious meal with a very low caloric intake. Think collards with fresh herbs and spices. How about a chicken and kale salad with fresh fruit and nuts? What about a nice smoothie with spinach mixed in? The possibilities are endless.
Walnuts
An excellent source of healthy fats, protein, and fiber, walnuts are one of the tastiest sources of brain boost nutrition. If you are not eating any oily or fatty fish, walnuts are a good vegan/vegetarian Omega-3 fatty acids, AHA source.
Not only do walnuts improve cognitive function, but they also aid in healthy blood flow (4).
Roast some walnuts and sprinkle on a big salad or toast spread with some peanut or almond butter.
Nutrients for the Brain
Green Tea and Coffee
Ultimate comfort in the cold winter months is a steaming cup of coffee or tea, and both are great for the brain.
Especially matcha tea, green tea offers a heaping amount of polyphenols and flavonoids, types of antioxidants. Green tea also contains L-theanine, an amino acid linked to mental alertness and can improve memory and focus (5).
Coffee also contains polyphenols such as chlorogenic acid. Research suggests that the caffeine in coffee can increase alertness and concentration, improve mood, and prevent cognitive decline (6).
Although, everything in moderation. Remember to go easy on your daily intake of caffeine as it can cause jitteriness. You want to be alert, but not shaking!
Eggs
Brain boost nutrition doesn’t get any better than eating eggs. Rich in choline, an essential nutrient, eggs jumpstart a healthy brain by improving memory and critical thinking (7). In addition, eggs are full of lutein, another essential nutrient. Lutein is food for your brain cells by helping improve cognitive function (8).
Although, not all eggs are created equal. As with everything, quality matters. If possible, buy organic eggs from free-range chickens.
Seeds
Not just for the birds, seeds are scrumptious and packed with health benefits for the brain. Chia, flax, hemp, pumpkin, and sunflower seeds are great complete nutrition sources for vegans and vegetarians, including Omega-3 fatty acids and polyphenols (9).
Cognitive function can be served up easy with a handful of nuts and seeds over yogurt, salads, stews, and soups.
Brain Nutrition
Remember, no brain diet will work at its best without proper sleep. Treat your body right and get a full night’s sleep. For expert medical advice and additional information on brain boost nutrition, schedule an appointment now with a top integrative physician.
CentreSpringMD has openings for in-person appointments, as well as virtual consults. Book now to get a jump start on more brain power. Who knows what your brain is capable of when it’s at its peak potential.
Resources:
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1568163721000477
- https://www.alz.org/national/documents/topicsheet_betaamyloid.pdf
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5772164/
- https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/2/550
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18296328/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26677204/
- https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/choline/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6164534/
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11101-017-9511-7
