Foods that Boost Brainpower and Enhance Memory
Yes, your diet can help you make smarter. What you eat can influence how sharp and on top of things you are during the day. Plus eating the right foods can help in the prevention of different metal disorder including dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease. The key is to provide your brain cells the proper nutrients so they do not become damaged or inflamed.
By eating foods that can boost brainpower, you’ll be mentally alert throughout the day. So if you are like me then it’s worth exploring foods that can improve memory and avoid damaging.
Listed below are some foods that you wouldn’t think could keep your grey matter healthy and happy. They have compounds that can nourish neurons while raising the production of neurotransmitters. They also reduce inflammation and provide a shield against degeneration of neurons.
1. Green Tea
It’s one of the healthiest drinks that you can have. Several studies have proved that green tea has positive effects on heart, bones, and even the brain. In the studies, it was found that drinkers of this tea have increased connection between the brain’s parietal and frontal cortex.
The increased activity in these parts of the brain is linked to enhanced performance on memory tasks. So, researchers believe that such results can be very useful in treating brain functioning on improving it during the day and over a lifetime.
However, in order to obtain the brain benefits of green tea, you’ll need to consume pure green tea extract, which might not taste that great. Unfortunately, the fortified green-tea beverage doesn’t contain the same amount brain benefits. If you don’t want to consume it in this form, you may take it in supplemental form.
But how many cups of green should you consume to obtain its benefits? This isn’t clear yet as to the number of cups you must drink to receive the benefits of this tea. Researchers from the studies said that three cups a day could provide you with up to 105 mg of antioxidants. So instead of another coffee in the afternoon try a little green-tea instead.
2. Kale
If green tea is one of the healthiest beverages you can drink to boost your brainpower and enhance memory, kale is considered as one of the healthiest vegetables you can eat every day. It doesn’t only offer protection against cancer but it also provides a screen against brain diseases, and can improve brainpower during the day.
Kale is a nutrient-dense food that is loaded with several vitamins, such as vitamins C, K, and A. Just like green tea, kale is also rich in antioxidants that may help in decreasing inflammation of the body and brain.
Apart from vitamins, kale is also rich in iron. It’s said that a deficiency in it can cause altered brain development in childhood and attention problems in adults.
In addition to kale, other vegetables in the brassica family contain similar benefits. These include cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli rabe, and mustard greens, among others. Drinking a juice or eating a salad with Kale in it is a great way to help improve your mental performance.
3. Red Cabbage
It’s also a member of the brassica family that can help in boosting your brainpower, as well as improving your memory. Red cabbage is a particularly potent vegetable that contains high amounts of antioxidants that won’t only enhance brain functioning but it also reduces inflammation in the body and brain.
In order to maximize its brain benefits, select a red cabbage that’s heavy and bright in color when shopping. It should also have crisp leaves. The nice thing about it is that it’s easy to prepare. You’ll only need to strip off its outer leaves, wash and chop to add it to a fresh juice or healthy salad recipe.
If you want to cook it, make sure that you add a small amount of vinegar to avoid the leaves’ purple color from running. It’s great to pair it with apples or slow cook it with pork. Whichever way you decide to prepare the red cabbage, know that it’s one of your healthy choices for boosting your brain’s functioning.
4. Dark Chocolate
It may have high amount of calories but it’s worth eating the extra calories considering its benefits on your brain and memory. When it comes to chocolate, the darker the better.
What makes it beneficial to your cognitive functioning? Studies have shown that eating dark choco could improve blood flow to the brain, thereby, improving memory and thinking. This is especially true for people with impaired blood flow.
The improved flow will help the brain complete metal tasks during the day a lower brain fog. For the optimal amount of benefits you should try eating dark chocolate with at least 80% cocoa. As mentioned earlier, the darker the chocolate is, the better it is for mental performance.
The amazing flavor makes this yummy desert and a healthy option in shielding your brain against diseases, like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
5. Nuts
It’s true that eating nuts will help keep the brain doctor away. Studies have shown that eating nuts can prevent cognitive decline and boost brainpower. The reason for this is that nuts contain a large amount of vitamin E.
Vitamin E it great because it protects the brain against cell damage and from free radicals that can lead to mental diseases. Beyond mental performance it’s also great for physical endurance, and is needed to maintain a healthy heart and circulation.
So if you are looking to a great snack between meals then have some nuts on hand. They will fill you up and boost your mental performance at the same time! Make sure the nuts are raw or covered with dark chocolate but stay away from the nuts that are coated with sugar.
Conclusion
These aren’t the only foods that you can eat to boost your brainpower while improving your memory at the same. But these are some that you may not have known about.
You might have wondered why coffee wasn’t included in this list. Unlike the options above, caffeine is only shown to improve mental alertness. It may increase your concentration but it’s only for a short period of time. In other words, its effects are only temporary.
Sharpening your thinking and memory isn’t only possible with the help of these foods but it’s also possible by performing brain exercises. These types of exercises will further improve your brainpower and prevent age-related brain diseases. You might also look into a nootropic supplements. We have done a lot of research on the subject.
Hopefully this has provided some insights into foods you should include in your diet to boost your brainpower, prevent diseases and improve your memory.
