According to experts, certain foods are loaded with compounds that are capable of improving memory and brain health in general. Some of these compounds include antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids
Here is a list of foods that you can rely on to yield amazing health benefits for your brain.
1. Carrots
This vegetable has been tested and proven to be good for the eyes and, but that’s not all, as carrots are also good for the brain.
According to a study published in 2010 in the journal Nutrition – luteolin, a high level of compound in carrots is capable of diminishing age-related memory shortfalls and swelling in the brain. 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.
2. 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.
3. Walnuts
Come to think of it, this nut kinda looks like a brain, who knows if that’s nature’s way of telling us that walnuts are good for the brain? on a more serious note, a 2009 study in the Journal of Nutrition found that diets in which nuts made up as little as 2 percent reversed signs of aging in the brains of old rats, including the ability of the brain to function and process information.
And a study presented in 2010 at the International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease reported that mice with Alzheimer’s demonstrated improved learning, memory and motor coordination after being fed walnuts.
This nut is loaded with a high amount of antioxidants, which according to experts may combat the damage to brain cells’ DNA caused by free radicals in our bodies.
4. Berries
Berries are very rich in vitamins and it wouldn’t be a bad idea at all to add them to your diet if you’re looking forward to improving your memory.
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.
5. 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 journal, Brain Research, found that aging rats had some of their age-related memory and motor deficits reversed after they were fed diets supplemented with spinach, strawberries or blueberries
6. Coffee & Tea
Drinking coffee and tea could be helpful far beyond helping you stay awake. Studies have also shown that it helps to avert Alzheimer’s disease and enhance cognitive function.
A 2010 study in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease found that when researchers gave caffeinated coffee to mice genetically engineered to develop 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.
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