Feb-09-2024
Lifestyle has a huge impact on brain functioning. In addition to taking care of your fitness and the appropriate quality and length of sleep, as well as avoiding stimulants, it is important to follow a balanced diet.
Experts list certain products that may particularly promote good brain health and performance. What constitutes a brain-healthy diet? What products are worth using? We will list eight of them.
Fish, especially oily sea fish, are called "brain food." They deserve this name primarily due to the presence of omega-3 fatty acids, essential for the health of the entire body, but especially important for the heart and nervous system.
They can help fight harmful inflammation in the body, including the brain. They have an antioxidant effect - they neutralize the destructive effects of free radicals that can damage neurons (it is noted that they can lead to changes that are precursors of Alzheimer's disease and dementia).
Oily fish also contain vitamin A and vitamin D, as well as choline - an ingredient needed for the formation of acetylcholine, which helps nerve cells communicate with each other.
Research shows that people who include fish in their diet have a lower risk of cognitive disorders and a slower decline in cognitive functions. Oily fish include, for example, herring, mackerel, salmon and sardines. You should eat fish twice a week, including fatty sea fish at least once during this period.
These include, among others: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, wild strawberries and currants. These fruits are very rich in nutrients.
In addition to their high antioxidant content, they also contain many important vitamins and minerals. They have strong anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, anti-cancer and anti-atherosclerotic properties.
Eating them can help improve memory, regardless of age. A study by researchers at Harvard's Brigham and Women's Hospital found that women who ate at least two servings of strawberries and blueberries a week delayed memory decline by up to 2.5 years.
Nuts are an excellent source of protein and healthy fats that have neuroprotective properties. But when it comes to improving memory, one type seems to have an advantage over the other, researchers note.
These are walnuts, which are a particularly good source of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids. The study was conducted, among others, at the University of California, Los Angeles, linked higher walnut consumption to better results on cognitive tests.
Another study, conducted at the University of Michigan, found that eating a hot dog could cost you 36 minutes of your healthy life, and eating a serving of nuts could give you an extra 26 minutes.
Pumpkin seeds are a source of protein and fiber, healthy fats, antioxidants and many vitamins and minerals. It is one of the best natural sources of magnesium, necessary for the proper functioning of the nervous system.
It is also worth using them to supplement zinc, which also regulates the functioning of the nervous system (it is involved in nerve conduction in the brain, is important in the process of remembering).
It is a great snack not only for white-collar workers, pupils and students. We cannot forget about their other advantages. Pumpkin seeds lower the level of "bad" cholesterol and blood pressure, and have a positive effect on bone health and immunity.
Eggs are a valuable source of protein, vitamins and other nutrients. They are rich in iron, vitamins A, D, E, B2, B12 and folate. They also contain choline, lutein, zeaxanthin and bioactive peptides that may have antioxidant properties.
Dieticians emphasize that they are one of the best sources of choline in the diet, which is important for the proper functioning of the brain and nervous system, improves long-term memory and learning functions. Other components are also associated with brain health, including vitamin B12.
Spinach and other green leafy vegetables, which also include kale, lettuce and cabbage, have the strongest protective effect against cognitive decline among all types of vegetables, according to experts.
Green leafy vegetables are rich in nutrients and bioactive ingredients important for the brain. These ingredients include: vitamin K, lutein, folic acid, beta-carotene, nitrates and flavonoids.
A study published in the journal Neurology in January 2018 found that eating at least one serving (one-half cup of cooked or one cup of raw) green leafy vegetables daily was associated with slower decline in brain function.
From the group of sweet products, the best choice for the brain will be dark chocolate. Dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa content, it usually contains less harmful sugar than other types of chocolate, and most importantly, it has the highest concentration of beneficial compounds.
The most important are flavonoids. Research shows that the consumption of cocoa rich in these compounds, e.g. in the form of dark chocolate, may have a positive effect on memory, executive functions and blood flow in the brain.
Dark chocolate also contains tryptophan (a precursor of serotonin) and phenylethylamine, which acts as a neurotransmitter in the body and activates the action of serotonin, acetylcholine, dopamine and norepinephrine.
Improvements in cognitive functions, such as perception and short-term memory, were observed in people who regularly ate dark chocolate.
Coffee is not only caffeine, but also substances with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It is indicated that a cup of coffee can offer more than just a short-term increase in concentration.
In a study published in The Journal of Nutrition, participants who consumed higher amounts of caffeine performed better on tests of mental function.
According to other studies, caffeine may also help consolidate new memories and protect against the development of Alzheimer's disease.
"The neuroprotective effect of caffeine may result from its blocking of the adenosine receptor, which causes an increase in the concentration of neurotransmitters in the central nervous system - serotonin and acetylcholine, as well as from improving the tightness of the blood-brain barrier, which supports the homeostasis of the central nervous system.
Polyphenols, and especially the most abundant chlorogenic acid and quercetin increase the antioxidant potential of the blood, which may enhance protection against the harmful effects of free radicals that have a destructive effect on neurons," indicate experts from the National Center for Nutrition Education.
It is indicated that caffeine consumption by healthy adults should not exceed 400 mg per day.
