No matter the class you fall into in any society, there is always the need to improve your brain and memory. I don’t think I have ever met anyone that does not forget things. Yes, many of us have a lot on our cards and we deal with several challenges everyday but with the inclusion of some particular foods in our diet, we might just be able to up our brain capacity and memory.
As we age, so does our brain and we tend to forget thing more. Some of these foods help by slowing down the rate at which our brain ages.
I mentioned something related to this in one of my articles that talked about foods that serve as anti-ageing agents for us. They slow down the factors that age our body and keep us younger.
This article will share with you the foods that can help improve your memory and the food composition that actually does the job. I believe this should help you make decisions to determine if the food is good for you or not. If it is a food you would want to avoid eating, then simply just check the component that does the job and look for other foods that have it in abundance.
Read this article and add these foods to your diet and you may never need to read this type of article again.
7 Foods That Boost Your Memory & Brain Function
Navigate through the pages and explore the list of foods and how they help our memory. Don’t forget to take note of the food composition that does the job.
1. Sardines, Salmon, Tuna, Mackerel and Trout
These are all fishes and I trust everyone reading this knows that. Adding fish to our diet has been found to help in the boosting brainpower. Eating fish may also lower your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. The component of the fish that does this job is what we know as omega-3 fatty acids.
A lot of researches have shown that these omega-3 fatty acids are particularly beneficial for brain health. Fish is a particularly rich source of omega-3 and eating them regularly can help to boost your memory function. However, if you do not eat sea food for some reasons, there are other options you can explore. I will talk about them on another page of this article.
2. Crabs can help the brain too
In an article a colleague of mine posted recently on FoodsNG, he mentioned that some researchers have described these fatty acids (omega-3 fatty acids) present in Crabs as key in improving brain function in certain individuals. So, if you do not like fish, you may want to go for the crab option instead.
He also sounded a note of caution that crabs are not to be eaten in excess, especially for those who are hypertensive. This is because some species have been found to contain more sodium. I also talked about something like this in my article that explained how salt contributes to hypertension amongst other things.
It is also important to note that some species of Crab have more cholesterol than others thereby sending a signal to those at the risk of developing heart diseases not to indulge in them. If you fall into these category, there is another option to explore.
3. Walnuts, Kidney Beans, Soybeans, etc.
Like I have mentioned under previous foods listed, you may not like to eat seafoods for some reasons. If this applies to you, please consider non-fish sources of omega-3s such as walnuts, ground flaxseed, flaxseed oil, winter squash, kidney beans, spinach, broccoli, pumpkin seeds, and soybeans.
In one of my past articles, I have talked about walnuts how powerful they are in boosting heart-health. How their rich levels of omega-3 fatty acids help decrease risk of arrhythmias (abnormal heartbeats), triglyceride levels, and lower blood pressure. A study from the University of California, Los Angeles has also now suggested that adults who consistently eat walnuts can improve their cognitive function.
The study was titled “A cross sectional study of the association between walnut consumption and cognitive function among adult US populations represented in NHANES”. The research concluded that these significant, positive associations between walnut consumption and cognitive functions among all adults, regardless of age, gender or ethnicity suggest that daily walnut intake may be a simple beneficial dietary behaviour.
4. Grape Juice & Red Wine
Grape juice is very helpful in improving brain function as it contains resveratrol, a flavonoid that boosts blood flow in the brain. Researchers have also recommended red wine because it is packed with resveratrol, which makes sense because red wine is made from grape juice. I would, however, not recommend red wine because it contains alcohol and much alcohol is known to damage brain cells. Ironically, when alcohol is drunk in moderation (1 glass a day for women; 2 for men), it has been found to improve memory.
Scientists from the University of Cincinnati’s psychiatry department carried out the study which showed that test subjects who drank Concord grape juice during the test period demonstrated a significant improvement in list learning.
Just like I said before, I would not recommend red wine because of its alcohol content. Therefore other foods that you can find resveratrol abundantly in include grape juice, cranberry juice, fresh grapes and berries, and peanuts.
5. Eat one Egg in a day
Studies have suggested lecithin or choline supplementation might lead to improved visual memory in the elderly and reverse abnormal neuropsychological development in children. Further researches into that suggestion later showed that consuming choline, a vitamin B group nutrient found in foodstuffs like eggs and chicken or beef liver, soy and wheat germ, helps improve long-term memory and attention-holding capacity.
Eggs are one of the best sources of choline, an important nutrient used to produce acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter involved in memory. Lecithin, spirulina and wheatgerm are also good sources of choline.
The study was conducted by scientists at the University of Granada (Spain) Simón Bolívar University, (Venezuela) and the University of York (United Kingdom).
6. Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate has powerful antioxidant properties, that we know. These antioxidants help fight against agents that are cause quick ageing of the brain. It also contains several natural stimulants of caffeine is prominent. These natural stimulants enhance focus and concentration, and stimulates the production of endorphins (feel-good chemicals), which helps improve mood. It is recommended that One-half ounce to 1 ounce a day will provide all the benefits you need.
The benefits of dark chocolate include to improvement of your memory, focus and protection against brain ageing. Some have even suggested that Cacao nibs and cocoa powder are even better.
7. Green Tea and how it helps the Brain
I have talked about this green tea in at least two of my previous articles – (i) as a strong anti-ageing food to include in your diet and (ii) foods that detoxify the body.Soon, I am going to take this green tea as a topic and discuss all its nutritional and medicinal benefits to the body.
In one of those articles about green tea, I mentioned that it contains polyphenols. These polyphenols are powerful antioxidants that protect against free radicals that can damage brain cells. Regular consumption of green tea may enhance memory and mental alertness and slow brain ageing.
A research team has suggested that green tea could be promising in the treatment of cognitive impairments associated with neuropsychiatric disorders, such as dementia. The team includes Prof. Christoph Beglinger and Prof. Stefan Borgwardt of the University Hospital of Basel in Switzerland.
