Eating These 7 Foods Will Boost Your Brain Health
In this post, you’ll learn about brain-boosting foods and why they are important.
Here’s the thing: your brain is a big deal. And it demands the same kind of care that you give to your body.
A healthy brain and body could do anything in the world. It ensures your heartbeat, lungs, and other organs function well.
But the question is: how you can improve brain health?
The answer is simple. You need to improve the intake of some nutritional foods that boosts the brain.
Let’s look into some brain-boosting foods that encourage mental health and strengthen your brain activity.
How does food boost the brain?
Brain boosting foods help empower the short-term and long-term functions of the brain.
Your brain is an energy-intensive part of the body. It requires you to consume healthy nutrients that elevate your calories level.
Moreover, some brain-boosting foods contain antioxidants, anti-inflammation, and anti-stressing nutrients.
These nutrients repair your brain cells and take out all the negative energies from your brain.
When you eat health brain-boosting foods, it improves your cognitive abilities.
This is because these foods have helpful nutrients that improve molecular systems.
Related: 5 Surprising Ways Food Affects Mood (Backed by Science)
Foods that can help improve brain health
Food is fuel for your body and mind. It does not only regulate your energy levels but also helps your brain to focus and work better.
Here, we’ll discuss 7 brain-boosting foods and why you should consume them.
1. Leafy green vegetables
Leafy green vegetables are super brain-boosting and low-calorie foods. And they help prevent cognition decline in many ways.
In one study, researchers looked into the benefits of nutrients and bioactive in leafy green vegetables. The researchers enrolled nearly 1,000 participants between 58 and 99 years.
They found that the nutrients in green vegetables help slow down cognitive decline.
Indeed eating about 1 serving per day of green leafy vegetables may help reduce cognitive decline as you age.
Other foods loaded with phylloquinone, lutein, nitrate, folate, α-tocopherol, and kaempferol can have the same effect.
Leafy green vegetables contain essential nutrients. This includes vitamin K, folate, lutein, and many others.
Vitamin B is another important nutrient present in leafy green vegetables. This helps improve your focus, memory, and overall brain health.
2. Fatty fish
You are going to find this particular food on every list of brain-boosting foods. There’s a good reason.
This type of fish contains rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids.
According to a study, regular consumption of fish can increase gray matter in your brain. Researchers observed 260 individuals with normal cognitive ability.
The researchers found that a diet containing baked or broiled fish is related to a larger gray matter amount.
Also, gray matter controls decision making, memory, and emotional health. Fatty fish is an essential brain-boosting food you need to consume regularly.
Omega-3 is the major building block of your brain. And it helps to strengthen your brain and provide protection against age-related decline.
3. Coffee and tea
There is a reason why everyone loves to grab a cup of tea or coffee while rushing towards his workplace.
Tea and coffee are rich sources of caffeine and antioxidants.
According to a study, caffeine blocks a major chemical reaction that makes you sleepy. After a cup of coffee or tea, you immediately start feeling more active and alert.
Drinking coffee or tea throughout the day helps you concentrate better. Especially on tasks that need focus.
Green tea contains L-theanine. This is a rare amino-acid that improves the production of dopamine.
And it activates the alpha waves in the brain. Studies prove that the combination of caffeine and L-theanine improves brain function.
Another study assessed the effects of caffeine on mood and performance. The findings suggest that caffeine leads to increased alertness and anxiety.
But that’s not all. People who consumed an adequate amount of coffee or tea throughout their day performed better at tasks that required focus.
Related: Drinking Ceylon Tea Improves Brain and Body Function. Here’s How.
4. Blueberries
One of the many health benefits of blueberries is that it’s a powerful brain booster
Blueberries are full of antioxidants, which provide relief against stress and inflammation.
Also, several studies confirm the impact of blueberries on brain health.
In one study, researchers found that certain antioxidants in blueberries improve communication between your brain cells.
And this helps your brain to respond sharply and effectively.
But there’s more. It turns out that blueberries contain a substance called the cyclic guanosine monophosphate.
This substance relaxes muscle cells and improves blood flow which helps our brains to well.
5. Eggs
Ever wondered why everyone loves to eat eggs in breakfast?
Well, now you know that it is one of the brain-boosting foods. And helps your brain to stay energized throughout the day.
Eggs have essential nutrients that provide benefits to brain health.
Vitamin B6 & B12 and choline are a few of these essential nutrients found in eggs that are linked to brain health.
Choline and B12 improve brain functioning and develop sharp responses in your brain cells. Moreover, these nutrients regulate your mood.
6. Pumpkin seeds
Pumpkin seeds are one of the major brain-boosting foods.
They are full of antioxidants that safeguard your brain from free radicals.
Pumpkin seeds contain tons of magnesium. This helps to control your anxiety and stress, protecting against depression.
Because of higher levels of fibers in pumpkin seeds, they are very helpful in improving your brain health through the gut-brain axis.
Pumpkin seeds contain micronutrients that promote mental health and brain activities.
7. Nuts and chocolates
If you are looking for instant brain-boosting food, then dark chocolates and nuts are a great option.
A study shows that regular intake of nuts improves your cognitive abilities. It can improve brain function.
Dark chocolate actually could improve your brain’s functionality.
The high flavanol content in the cocoa significantly improves the brain’s blood flow.
Flavanols in dark chocolate stimulate the lining of the arteries known as the endothelium.
The stimulated endothelium then produces nitric oxide(NO). NO has many functions, one of which is to send signals to the arteries causing it to relax.
Moreover, it may also improve verbal fluency and cognitive function especially in the elderly.
Antioxidants and healthy fats in nuts promote brain functioning and overall health benefits.
