Have you noticed how highly mentally active certain children are and how some others are moderately active or not? This mental activity can be traced back to the foods they have been fed while growing up. This goes a long way to show that our brain health is most often dependent on how healthy our daily diet is.
Eating foods that boost the brain helps the short and long-term functions of the brain to be at their best. From keeping the heart beating to allowing your body parts to move and down to let air in and out of your lungs daily, you will agree that your brain does a lot of work and must be compensated by eating brain-boosting foods.
Are you wondering what these brain-boosting foods you must try are? According to Bosterbio.com, here is a list of 5 foods you can add to your diet for the optimum health of your brain and why you must try them.
- Whole Grains
- Blueberries
- Oily Fish
- Dark Chocolate
- Nuts
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WHOLE GRAINS
Whether you are looking to improve your concentration level for the next exam season or focus on a certain mental task, adding whole grains to your diet is a win-win. Whole grain supplies steady energy in the form of glucose to the body which aids concentration and focus. Low grains have a low GI (they release energy gradually into the bloodstream), and that is why its consumption can supply the body with steady energy. Always make sure you go for the brown whole grain cereals, pasta, granary bread, and rice because the ‘brown’ whole grains are where the gold lies.
BLUEBERRIES
Are you in the habit of forgetting easily? Well, if you want to boost that short-term memory, then blueberries must be part of your daily diet. Research shows that for effective improvement or delay of short-term memory loss, the continuous consumption of blueberries may be all that you need. Blueberries contain protective compounds that aid brain-boosting, known as antioxidants, and they are readily available all over the world. Other berries and vegetables that can help you to achieve the same brain-boosting results include; blackberries, blackcurrants, red cabbage, mulberries, strawberries, etc.
OILY FISH
Omega-3 fatty acids, which is abundant in oily fish, are essential for boosting the brain’s power; hence, oily fish is a necessary addition you must make to your menu. The omega-3 fatty acids help in building up the brain cell membranes. This helps in the improvement of the brain cell structure.
Research has it that people who are known to consume foods with high omega-3 fatty acids have increased blood flow in their brain and this, in turn, makes them have better thinking abilities. Below are examples of oily fish that you could try;
- Tuna
- Sardines
- Salmon
- Herring
- Mackerel
- Flaxseed
- Soybeans
DARK CHOCOLATE
Dark chocolate contains cocoa which is packed with some brain-boosting compounds that include an antioxidant known as flavonoids. The flavonoid, when consumed in chocolate, gathers in the parts of the brain that are concerned with memory and learning. This, in turn, slows down dementia and improves the retentive rate of the brain. A certain study of 9000 persons portrayed that those who ate dark chocolate frequently performed better in most mental tasks assigned to them than those who didn’t eat it often.
Chocolate is also known to boost one’s mood. Therefore eating chocolate boosts not only your brain power but also your mood.
NUTS
Make the protection of your brain function your priority by eating enough foods rich in vitamin E. Nuts are a great source of vitamin E, and a recent study suggests that adequate consumption of vitamin E helps to prevent a decline in cognition, especially in the elderly. Other good sources of vitamin E are asparagus, green vegetables, olives, eggs, seeds, whole grains, etc.
Conclusion
Image source: https://www.eatright.org/health/wellness/healthy-aging/4-types-of-foods-to-support-memory
Different foods can improve your brain health and keep it at optimum health. Most of these brain-boosting foods range from fruits to vegetables to seeds, nuts, and grains. The antioxidants in these foods are what help to keep the brain from damage. Some other foods also aid with supporting brain function and development. However, you can always go for a BDNF Elisa test as it aids you to know how active your brain cells are and whether you need brain-boosting supplements in your menu or not.