Foods to Improve Brainpower
Foods to Improve Brainpower
Valnuts
They even look like little brains, so maybe that’s Mother Nature’s way of telling us what walnuts are good for.
Alzheimer’s demonstrated improved learning, memory and motor coordination after being fed walnuts.
Walnuts contain high amounts of antioxidants, which some researchers say may combat the damage to brain cells’ DNA caused by free radicals in our bodies.
Carrots
Carrots have long been known to be good for the eyes and it turns out, they’re good for the brain, too.
Carrots have high levels of a compound called luteolin , which could reduce age-related memory deficits and inflammation in the brain, according to a study published in 2010 in the journal Nutrition. In the study, mice whose daily diet was supplemented with 20 milligrams of luteolin had reduced inflammation in their brains. The researchers said the compound also restored the mice’s memory to the level of younger mice’s.
Olive oil, peppers and celery are also high in luteolin.
Berries
Adding some vitamin-rich berries to your diet may not be a bad idea if you want to improve your memory, according to several studies.
One study, published in 2010 in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, found that after 12 weeks of daily supplements of wild blueberry juice, nine older adults who had started to experience slight memory problems showed better learning and recall abilities than a similar group of adults who didn’t take the supplements. The blueberry group also showed reduced symptoms of depression.
6-month-old rats on a diet supplemented with blueberry and strawberry extracts (totaling 2 percent of their diet) for nine months. These rats had better spatial and memory skills than rats not given the supplements.
Fish
Although recent research has shown that taking fish oil supplements may not help slow the cognitive decline in people with Alzheimer’s disease, other studies have shown that eating fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids could help slow typical cognitive decline that comes with age.
Fish high in vitamin B12 may also help protect against Alzheimer’s , according to a study published in 2010 in the journal Neurology.
Coffee and tea
Coffee and tea do more than keep you awake in the mornings studies have shown they may prevent Alzheimer’s disease and improve cognitive function.
Alzheimer’s disease, the disease either slowed in progression or never developed. Based on the finding, coffee eventually could serve as a therapeutic treatment for people with Alzheimer’s disease, the researchers said.
Tea showed protective effects on the brain, too. Tea drinkers did better on tests on memory and information processing than non-tea drinkers
Spinach
The green leafy vegetable is loaded with vitamins C and E, which, studies have shown, help to improve cognitive abilities.
A 2000 study in the Journals of Gerontology an increase in the release of dopamine in the brain, the “pleasure” chemical that controls flow of information to different parts of the brain.
Aging rats had some of their age-related memory and motor deficits reversed after they were fed diets supplemented with spinach, strawberries or blueberries.
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