Food For Thought: 6 Super Foods For Memory and Brain Function
We all strive to eat consciously, but are we clued in to how what we are eating makes us conscious? Our brains are just another complex organ, requiring a specific set of nutrients for peak function. Here are brain and memory-boosting superfoods for you to try.
1) Fatty Fish
Fatty fish is one of the number one brain foods – fish such as sardines, trout and salmon are all packed with healthy fats that boost your brain function. “What you’re looking for in fatty fish are the omega-3 fatty acids, vital to the functioning of your brain,” says Christina R. Stevens, a writer at Boomessays and Essayroo. “The brain is built on omega-3 – about 30% of it, in fact.”
Omega-3 is literally the stuff your brain is built on, so including these seafood treats in your diet is essential to rebuilding the natural wear and tear caused by aging. Omega-3 has also been linked to preventing brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
2) Chia Seeds
If you’re a vegan or vegetarian, you might think there’s something a bit fishy about these sources of omega-3. Fortunately these fatty acids are naturally occuring in a number of seeds, so a sprinkle on your salad or porridge in the morning will help you top up on omega-3 and boost your brain.
Chia seeds, flax seeds and hemp are all full of fatty omega-3. Whilst you’ll see a lot of supplements on the market offering a magical dose of omega-3, synthetic vitamins don’t work as our body can’t absorb them. Try to top up on your seeds!
3) Blueberries
Foraged for millenia by the tribes of the northern hemisphere, there’s a reason why blueberries have been highly prized in traditional cultures. Blueberries are absolutely packed with antioxidants, coming from a compound named anthocyanins (which are also the source of a blueberry’s rich and dark hue).
“Antioxidants perform two valuable functions in our body,” says Thomas Elmer, a health expert at PaperFellows and BigAssignments. “They reduce oxidative stress and act against inflammation.” Both inflammation and oxidative stress contribute to brain aging, something that blueberries are powerful to prevent.
4) Coffee
Many of us will be familiar with the way a cup of coffee “switches on” our brains in the morning and yes, there’s science to back it up. A steaming hot coffee is packed full of caffeine which has been shown to have a number of positive impacts on brain function.
Caffeine blocks adenosine – a chemical in your brain that leads to fatigue – and coffee is also packed with antioxidants that give your brain a boost. However, you should be careful not to consume too much coffee – caffeine is also an addictive substance and you’ll diminish the positive impact that caffeine can have on mood and brain function if you drink too much.
5) Turmeric
Turmeric is a musky yellow spice that has long been a core ingredient of Indian curries. It’s produced from a plant named Curcuma longa, a relative of the ginger plant, and it’s found in powdered form. This innocuous ingredient has now been revealed to have superfood properties for the brain.
The active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin – this powerful substance is able to cross the blood-brain barrier, meaning it can enter the brain and nourish our brain cells. Curcumin is also anti-inflammatory, and turmeric is the best source of this valuable compound so spice it up!
6) Dark Chocolate
No matter how focussed you are on your health, we all need a treat sometimes. So why not turn your after-dinner snack into a brain-boosting superfood while you’re at it? Dark chocolate, and the cocoa powder from which it’s made, is a source of antioxidants and caffeine as well as a group of compounds called flavonoids.
As well as offering the benefits possessed by caffeine and antioxidants, dark chocolate can help to strengthen your memory through these flavonoids. What’s more, chocolate gives our mood a boost, positively affecting our brain chemistry to make us healthier and happier. Treat yourself!
Food For Thought
We are what we eat, after all. By choosing a conscious diet you can find a whole host of essential nutrients to give your brain a boost. You’ll find better focus, strengthen your memory and restrict brain cells from aging through these superfoods. Can you taste it?
Lauren Groff is a health writer at Essay Writing Service and Academized.com. She is a nutritionist and well-being expert and thinks it’s more important than ever that we focus on nourishing ourselves. She is also a proofreader at Custom paper writing service UK.
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