10 memory-boosting foods for your brain

 

Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash

What we are today is totally our memory. If there is no memory, there is no life. Our education, skills, job, relationships, behaviour with someone, everything is related to memory, so, we need some memory boosting foods for our brain. 

Every one of us wants a good memory or concentration that pays off. Your brain manages the memory function and concentration power for you. Therefore, it is important to keep your brain healthy and strong to manage your memories and concentrations well.

Choose such foods that help to boost your brainpower. Brain is your control center of body; it is an energy intense organ, which needs some specific nutrients to work better.
This article brings you how these ten foods help to build stronger memory and concentration.

             Photo by Taylor Grote on Unsplash 

1. Fatty fish

Fatty fish or oily fish provide a huge amount of nutrients to the brains. It contains high levels of omega-3-fatty acids.

50% fat of brain contains omega-3-fatty acids. It helps to build brain and nerve cells. Therefore, these fatty acids are very important to build memory, concentration and thinking ability.

Beside the memory building function, these fats are also helpful to manage Alzhemer’s disease and mental aging.

Eating a baked or steamed fish regularly can increase the size and function of grey matter that helps to control your emotion, decision and memory. Try to intake following fish as per availability:

Salmon

Tuna

Mackerel

Sardines

Photo by ConSCIENCE

2. Dark chocolate

Dark chocolate is second on the list of memory boosting foods. It contains cocoa, rich in flavonoids, antioxidants and caffeine, which are  good components to build memory.

Research showed that, this flavonoid helps the brain to learn and build memory and to slow down mental ageing.

Dark chocolate helps to improve your mood well, in a study, a group of participants who ate the dark chocolate feels positive compared to others who don’t ate that, i.e. it has a power to boost a better cognitive functions.

Along with the memory boosting properties, it has mood-boosting features also. Therefore, intake of it is a great choice for your brain.  

Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash

3. Eggs

Egg is very favourite item for us and it is easy to eat in a different ways. It contains several micro-nutrients useful for our brain, like vitamin B6 and B12, folate, choline etc.

Choline helps to build an important neurotransmitter acetylcholine that helps to boost your mood and memory also.

Just one egg yolk provides you about 112 mg choline, while you have to consume about 425 mg and 550 mg choline per day in case of female and male respectively.

 Next, vitamin B6, B12 and folate help to slow down the age related mental decline in unison and boost up your mood. Deficiencies of these two vitamins lead to cause depression among adults and folate deficit people showed dementia.

So, try to gobble at least two eggs per day.

                                                          Photo by Yulia Khlebnikova on Unsplash

4. Whole grains

Whole grains have numerous health benefits along with brain health. It contains vitamin E, which helps to slow down the mental degradation.

Regular intake of different whole grains can leads to a improve memory and you will feel fresh.

These whole grains you should keep in mind during consumption:

Brown rice

Oats

Barley

Whole grain bread

Photo by ConSCIENCE

5. Nuts

Number five on the list of memory boosting food is nut. It has immense health benefits to our brain also. It helps to slow down many neurodegenerative diseases.

Regular intake of nuts provides a good boost in your memory, compared to persons who didn’t eat nuts.   

Nuts contain high amount of vitamin E and omega-3-fatty acids, which helps to slow ageing related mental illness and provide protection against oxidative stress.

Don’t discard the peels, it is very nutritious to your health. Try to intake almonds, walnuts, peanuts etc. 

Peanut contains a lot of vitamin E and resveratrol, an antioxidants protects the brain from any neurological disorders or Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s diseases.

Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

6. Pumpkin seeds

Another component to protect your brain from free radicals damage is pumpkin seeds. It possesses high level of antioxidants activity, and it is a rich source of magnesium, zinc, iron and copper, which are very important nutrient for your brain cells.

To build memory, magnesium and zinc are very much helpful. Low level of magnesium and zinc can produce Alzheimer’s or many neurological diseases, depression, epilepsy etc. [1].

An impaired brain function and nerve signal was noticed in case of iron or copper deficiency. So, don’t throw away the seeds, increase the intake of it by simple roasting it in olive oil or other cooking oil.

You can consume another seeds like sunflower seeds or flaxseeds to get same health benefits.

Photo by ConSCIENCE

7. Turmeric

In my another article, I told you that turmeric has a great antiviral activity, now, the most useful spice from Indian cuisine is here to help you regarding your memory.

Along with numerous health benefits, this spice has plentiful benefits for your brain. Brain cells are directly benefitted by the ‘Curcumin’ found in turmeric, it can cross the blood-brain barrier easily. By the help of Curcumin, brain cells can grow faster.

As Curcumin, possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, so, it helps to prevent Alzheimer’s disease and improve your memory.

Turmeric has a positive effect in your mood too by boosting two feel good hormones like serotonin and dopamine.

So, don’t neglect it, try to incorporate in your regular diet.

Photo by Cecilia Par on Unsplash

8. Berries

Among several health benefits of berries, it is helpful for your brain also. It has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, it reduces oxidative stress that leads to delay the brain aging and neurodegenerative diseases.

These antioxidant rich berries you can include in your diet:

Blueberries

Strawberries

Blackberries

Blackcurrants

Anthocyanin found in blueberries possesses the antioxidant effects, which improve the cell-to-cell communication in brain [2]. It also helps to delays the short-term memory loss problem and improves your memory. 

Some other antioxidants found in other berries like caffeic acid, quercetin and catechin [3]. 

Intake of berries can reduce the inflammation, increase the plasticity of brain cells to boost learning and memory, and helps to delayed some age related mental disorder or neurodegenerative diseases.

Try to intake it with your breakfast in cornflakes or smoothie.

Photo by Louis Hansel @shotsoflouis on Unsplash

9. Broccoli

Broccoli is a storehouse of antioxidants, which helps to protect brain cells. It contains a fat-soluble vitamin, vitamin K, which helps to provide sphingolipids to your brain cells. 

In a study among the older people, shows that they have a better memory with high vitamin K ingestion.

Broccoli contains another compound glucosinolate, a steroidal compound, after digestion, produce isothiocyanates, which helps to reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases or oxidative stress in brain [4].

Vitamin C and flavonoids are another compound of broccoli, which adds a lot to your brain health.  

So, in next winter, try to intake a large amount of broccoli per serving regularly.

Photo by Verena Böttcher on Unsplash

10. Green tea

The amount of caffeine present in green tea can boost your memory or brain function better. This beverage is very healthy for your brain, along with memory boosting, it helps to focus, alert and perform you better.

Another prime component in green tea is L-theanine, an amino acid. It can cross the blood-brain barrier easily and improve the activity of a neurotransmitter, GABA. It makes you more relaxed by decreasing your anxiety [5].

Next, this beverage contains a lot of polyphenols and antioxidants, which protect our brain from oxidative stress and reduce the mental decline and the risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

Therefore, with the memory boosting property of green tea, it should be a daily health beverage to concern.

ConScience

It is very much necessary to incorporate some diet in your daily habit that have some memory boosting properties or have health benefits to your brain. We all want a good memory and a relaxed mind. So, these foods can help you much.

These foods listed above can helps you to get proper concentration and focus in your daily life, and delayed the Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Not only these foods can help your brain but also they have numerous health benefits to your whole body.

Along with incorporation of these food items in your diet, you can boost your brain or memory by keeping yourself well hydrated, getting proper sleep, exercising, meditating regularly and by reducing alcohol consumption.

So, indulge yourself with these brain-boosting foods and lead a healthy and happy life.