The brain acts as the body’s control center that facilitates various functions that keep you alive, including the beating of your heart, breathing, moving, thinking, and feeling. Because of its importance, it is crucial that it is kept in good working condition at all times.
To take good care of your brain, you have to make smart choices when it comes to the foods that you eat. Believe it or not, your diet plays a major role in your brain’s health and wellbeing. Depending on what you eat, you can enhance or impair different mental tasks and skills, such as concentration, problem solving, information processing, and memory.
Below are examples of brain-friendly foods that should help improve brain health:
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Fish
According to health experts, fish of the cold-water variety, such as mackerel, halibut, salmon, and tuna, are excellent for boosting brain function. They are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids that help in the growth and development of brain cells and nerve cells and can enhance memory, concentration, and other brain tasks. They are also found to have the ability to reduce the symptoms of depression, lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, and prevent learning impairments.
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Coffee
Drinking coffee to start your day is good for your brain. It contains antioxidants and caffeine, which are two elements that have positive effects on brain function. According to the findings of various research studies, antioxidants in coffee can boost heart health and lower the risk of cancer and infections, while caffeine in coffee increases your alertness, sharpens your focus, and improves your mood.
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Eggs
If you like to eat eggs for breakfast, you’ll be happy to hear that they are greatly beneficial to the brain. They are one of the best sources of a nutrient called choline, which is known for its memory-boosting ability. In one study, it was found that college students who consumed 3 to 4 grams of choline an hour before taking a memory test performed better and got higher scores than those that did not consume any.
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Oatmeal
Another popular breakfast food, oatmeal has been found to be excellent brain food. According to a research study, oatmeal contains good kinds of carbohydrates that can improve your concentration and memory. In addition to that, it is great for cholesterol and blood sugar management, weight loss, metabolism, digestion, nutrient absorption, and immunity building.
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Turmeric
A kind of spice that is used as an ingredient in curry powder, turmeric is a healthy food that offers plenty of brain benefits. It contains an active ingredient called curcumin, which can enter the brain and boost the cells in there and promote the growth of new and healthy brain cells, helping enhance memory, concentration, problem-solving skills, and cognitive function, and reducing the symptoms of depression and negative mood.
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Walnuts
An excellent source of antioxidants, walnuts are known for their several health benefits, including lowering blood pressure and blood sugar levels, decreasing the risk of inflammation and some types of cancer, and promoting fat loss and healthy body weight. Thanks to their high concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and fiber, they can also help in maintaining good memory, concentration, and over brain health even in old age.
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Broccoli
A green leafy vegetable, broccoli is overflowing with essential vitamins and minerals that do a lot of good for your brain. It has high vitamin K content, which is vital to the maintenance of the brain and nervous system, and the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. Moreover, it contains several other compounds that help in lowering the risk of inflammation, brain damage, and other health problems.
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Beets
A highly nutritious food, beets are full of essential vitamins and minerals, such as iron, potassium, vitamin B, manganese, magnesium, and copper, which help in keeping your blood pressure levels low, losing weight, boosting digestion and nutrient absorption, and fighting off inflammation and other diseases. It has also been found to contain nitrates that can increase blood flow to the brain, improving memory, focus, cognitive function, and overall mental performance.
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Pumpkin seeds
Known for their high antioxidant content, pumpkin seeds are great for brain health and overall health. They are a great source of zinc, which is an essential mineral that reduces the risk of Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and depression; magnesium, which is crucial to the prevention of migraines, epilepsy, depression, and other neurological diseases; iron, which protects against impaired brain function and brain fog; and copper, which plays an integral role in controlling nerve signals and warding off Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.
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Green tea
A daily dose of green tea gives your body the essential nutrients it needs to prevent certain types of cancer, better manage your weight, and keep you in your peak physical shape and performance. It can also enhance your cognitive abilities, thanks to its bioactive compounds, such as caffeine and L-theanine, which can help in boosting memory, reaction time, mood, and other neurological functions. Additionally, it has been found to decrease the symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems.
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Peppers
Whether red, yellow, or green, peppers contain brain-friendly compounds, like vitamin B6, vitamin C, folate, and antioxidants, which promote brain health. According to a study, it is a good source of luteolin, which is a naturally-occurring and highly potent antioxidant that plays a key role in enhancing your memory and the prevention of inflammation, especially as you grow older.
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Chia seeds
They may look small, but chia seeds offer plenty of big and vital health benefits. They contain high levels of antioxidants that help in keeping infections, diseases, and other health problems away, and are also a great source of calcium, iron, and fiber, which help in lowering the risk of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, stroke, and heart attack. In addition, they have been found to contain loads of omega-3 fatty acids that help your brain carry out its important functions properly even as you age.
