Eating well is the key to optimal health and vitality. However, eating the right foods can also improve mental health and boost brain power. Most people are not aware of the fact that the brain requires certain nutrients, just like the muscles, bones, and organs of the body. In this article, we will be taking a look at “brain foods” that can help improve your chances of maintaining a healthy brain as you grow older.
Here are the 10 Best Brain Foods
Jacob Coyne, founder of Stay Here, a mental health organization says that for long-term brain health, it’s important to maintain a balanced diet with minimal processed foods and sugars. Ensuring adequate hydration is also crucial, as dehydration can affect cognitive function. Additionally, incorporating brain-healthy foods such as leafy greens, berries, nuts, and seeds, which are rich in antioxidants and other nutrients conducive to brain health, is recommended. These dietary practices are designed to be manageable within a busy lifestyle and aim to protect and enhance brain health over time.
1. Whole Grains
The brain requires energy for it to function optimally. Thus, it is beneficial to provide it with a sufficient, steady supply of energy in the form of glucose. You can do this by consuming whole grains that have a low glycemic index (GI), meaning they release glucose gradually into the bloodstream. This keeps you mentally alert the whole day. Research suggests whole grains can also have an effect on mental health. Eating more whole grains is linked to feeling in a better mood and less anxious.[1]
2. Blueberries
According to Steven Pratt, MD, who is the author of Superfoods RX: Fourteen Foods Proven to Change Your Life, animal studies indicate that blueberries help protect the brain against oxidative stress. This helps reduce the negative effects of conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Studies also indicate that diets rich in blueberries notably improve the motor skills and learning capacity of aging rats, making them perform just like younger rats. Add at least 1 cup of blueberries a day, even if they are frozen or freeze-dried, if you want to improve brain health.[2]
3. Leafy Greens
Leafy greens are found to help slow cognitive decline with aging. It can also help slow down the effects of aging on the brain. It is also a great source of vitamin E and folate, which offer many health benefits, like better skin health and improved brain function. Eating green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, collards, and lettuce may help protect against declines in thinking and memory abilities.[3]
4. Avocado
Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fats and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. These “healthy fats” help increase blood flow to the brain while also assisting with the absorption of antioxidants.
A study published in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that older adults who consumed avocado or guacamole had better cognition than non-consumers. The study found that avocado intake modestly improved cognitive function in older adults with a normal weight after six months.[4]
Avocados also contain a high amount of antioxidants, like vitamin E, which helps protect cells in the body, including the brain, from free radical damage. It is also an ideal source of vitamin K and potassium, which help protect the brain from stroke.
5. Omega Rich Foods
Omega-3 fats from fish and algae are good for your brain. A research study found they can help stop your thinking and memory from getting worse. They can also lower the risk of brain diseases.[5] The omega-3s EPA and DHA are important parts of brain cell walls. They are found in fatty fish like salmon and some algae. EPA and DHA help the brain work better. They reduce inflammation, too. Including more omega-3 foods in your diet seems like a good way to keep your brain healthy.
Wild salmon is recommended because it is cleaner and doesn’t contain potentially harmful chemicals. Other oily fish can also be added to your diet, including herring and sardines. Experts recommend a serving (4 ounces) at least three times a week.
6. Nuts and Seeds
Nuts are a nutrient-dense food that contains a number of potentially neuroprotective components, including monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, fiber, B-vitamins, non-sodium minerals, and highly bioactive polyphenols.[6]
Nuts and seeds supply vitamin E, B vitamins, magnesium, fiber, and plant compounds that fight inflammation and oxidation. Almonds, walnuts, and chia seeds stand out as especially brain-boosting. They are also packed with omega-3 fats, which build brain cell membranes and keep communication pathways clear.
Snacking on a small handful of nuts or sprinkling seeds into meals and snacks several times a week can help maintain a sharp mind. Add an ounce a day of almonds, peanuts, sesame seeds, flax seeds, hazelnuts, and walnuts. Choose unsalted nuts if you’re trying to control your sodium intake.
7. Dark Chocolate
A study looked at flavonoids, including flavanols found in cocoa products. It found they can help brain cells survive and develop. They may prevent or slow down age-related problems with thinking and memory. Regularly eating flavanols seems good for brain health as we get older. In one test, elderly adults with mild thinking and memory issues drank a cocoa drink with extra flavanols. It helped improve their cognitive abilities. Chocolate also contains compounds that help improve mood and reduce pain by reducing inflammation. It is also rich in antioxidants that help protect the brain from free radical damage.[7]
8. Tea and Coffee
One study found green tea can affect mental health symptoms, thinking, memory, and how the brain works. When people drank green tea, areas of the brain involved in focus and short term memory use were more active in brain scans. Green tea contains catechins. These have been shown to protect the brain and improve thinking abilities.[8]
Another research looked at cocoa and cocoa products. It found eating or drinking cocoa can have good effects on thinking skills and memory. Cocoa intake was linked to better cognitive performance and higher levels of chemicals that help brain cells. Cocoa contains flavonoids. These have been shown to change how brain can improve cognitive abilities and brain health across the human lifespan.[9]
9. Pomegranate Juice
Pomegranate extract has shown remarkable antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. As it is rich in antioxidants that help protect the brain from free radical damage and the effects of aging. Other citrus fruits and colourful vegetables also contain antioxidants that help improve brain health. About 2 ounces daily is enough for brain health benefits.[10]
You May Also Like To Read – Pomegranate: Benefits, Side Effects, And More
10. Turmeric
This is the spice that gives food curry its yellow color. Turmeric contains curcumin which is a chemical that has been shown to help boost memory, stimulate neurogenesis (create new brain cells) and slow down the development of Alzheimer’s.[11]
It also helps clear amyloid plaques in the brain which is believed to be one of the causes of Alzheimer’s and inflammation of brain cells.
Final Thoughts
Add these foods to your diet if you want to improve or maintain brain function as you get older. Remember that moderation is very important, and just because these brain foods offer health benefits doesn’t mean you can eat as much as you want. Too much of anything is bad for you and can have negative effects on your health and well-being.
There is no need for expensive medications or supplements if you add these foods to your diet. But then the problem arises: we live a hectic lifestyle that demands quick solutions to our bodily deficiencies. Therefore, it is best to combine this food with some brain enhancement supplements. Visit Total Primate Care Review: Boost your brain and your entire body’s health.
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11 Sources
We review published medical research in respected scientific journals to arrive at our conclusions about a product or health topic. This ensures the highest standard of scientific accuracy.
[2] The beneficial effects of berries on cognition, motor behaviour and neuronal function in ageing: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26392037/
[3] Leafy greens linked with slower age-related cognitive decline: https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/leafy-greens-linked-slower-age-related-cognitive-decline
[4] Avocado: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/355204345_US_Older_Adults_That_Consume_Avocado_or_Guacamole_Have_Better_Cognition_Than_Non-consumers_National_Health_and_Nutrition_Examination_Survey_2011-2014
[5] The Importance of Marine Omega-3s for Brain Development and the Prevention and Treatment of Behavior, Mood, and Other Brain Disorders: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7468918/
[6] Impact of Nut Consumption on Cognition across the Lifespan: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9965316/
[7] Cocoa flavanol consumption improves cognitive function, blood pressure control, and metabolic profile in elderly subjects: the Cocoa, Cognition, and Aging (CoCoA) Study—a randomized controlled trial: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4340060/
[8] Green tea effects on cognition, mood and human brain function: A systematic review: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28899506/
[9] Effect of Cocoa and Cocoa Products on Cognitive Performance in Young Adults: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7760676/
[10] Pomegranate extract protects against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury and preserves brain DNA integrity in rats: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25010842/
[11] New Promising Therapeutic Avenues of Curcumin in Brain Diseases: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8746812/