National Nutrition Month – Brain-Boosting Foods to Help Improve Memory
Food has a significant impact on the structure, development, and health of the brain. Eating brain-boosting diets supports both short and long-term brain functions. Besides, the brain is an energy-consuming body organ that utilizes approximately 20% of the calories in the body. As such, you should take good food to fuel brain function, health, and concentration. Below are essential brain-boosting foods that will improve your memory.
- Tea and Coffee
Taking a normal early morning coffee or tea provides more than just short-term concentration. Individuals with high caffeine consumption often have better mental functioning. Caffeine helps in boosting concentration and solidifying new memories by blocking adenosine, a neurotransmitter in the brain that induces sleepiness.
Recent studies have found that caffeine results in increased brain entropy, which is a complicated and capricious brain activity. A high brain entropy enables the brain to process more information. Besides, coffee is a good source of antioxidants that support the brain’s health with increasing age. This reduces risks of cognitive decline, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and stroke. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
- Broccoli
Apart from being a source of low-calorie fiber, broccoli is good for brain memory. Broccoli contains glucosinolates that are broken down in the body to isothiocyanates. Isothiocyanates in the body significantly reduces the oxidative stress and the risks of neurodegenerative diseases. Broccoli is also rich in Flavonoids and Vitamin C, which boosts overall brain health.
- Oily Fish
Fish is a long-known good source of fatty acids, specifically Omega-3. These fatty acids help in the development of membranes around various cells in the body, including brain cells. Including sufficient amounts of oily fish in the diet improves the structure of the basic brain cells, called neurons.
A conclusive study found that those who take sufficient amount of omega-3 acids benefit from better blood supply to the brain and other benefits. There is also a significant connection between better-thinking abilities or cognition with omega-3 levels. Some of the foods with a high level of omega-3 fatty acids include salmon, tuna, sardines, tuna, and mackerel.
- Blueberries
Blueberries have multiple health benefits, including some that are specific to the brain. Including blueberries and other colored berries in diet deliver anthocyanins, which have notable antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Antioxidants help in reducing inflammation, oxidative stress, and other conditions that contribute to neurodegenerative diseases and brain aging. These compounds also accumulate in the brain, improving communication between brain cells, delaying short-term memory loss, and improves memory.
- Eggs
Eggs are a good source of proteins and other nutrients linked to brain health, including folate, Vitamin B6, and B12. Choline is an essential micronutrient in the body that synthesizes acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that regulates both mood and memory. Most people don’t take enough choline in their diet. However, eating eggs is an easy way of getting choline, since egg yolks have concentrated amounts of this nutrient.
The Bottom Line
There are many reasons why you could be feeling forgetful. It could be due to lack of sufficient sleep or other reasons, such as genetics, diet, lifestyle, environmental factors, and levels of physical activity. Park Central in Amarillo, TX, aims at enhancing the brain’s memory whilst providing excellent home care. All the foods that improve brain health are included in our excellent cuisine.