Just like the rest of your body, your brain needs nutrition to stay active as well. When you want to shed a little bit of weight, you switch to healthy eating and exercise. The same goes for maintaining the optimal health of your brain that requires eating lots of nutritious and protein food items. Most of the nutritionists advise people to stay on the right track and eat well at any cost. Usually, people are recommended to eat juicy fruits, green vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, fish, and legumes to stay fit.
However, some selective food items do an incredible job of boosting brain health. Such foods are better than other food sources because they give the brain what it needs. Yes, there might be a lot of healthy stuff to choose from, but your brain tends to be a little picky at times. This is the reason why only certain foods that are great for the brain should be eaten more.
Now, you might be wondering why some foods are preferred over other food items? Well, there is nothing complex about it, just the fact that they are high in some brain-enriched healthy nutrients. The food requirement of your brain is pretty simple, as well. The diet should consist of omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, vitamins, and healthy bacteria, which are found in many foods. For instance, leafy green vegetables, fish, and apple cider vinegar capsules.
When you start incorporating healthy brain food items and natural supplements and nootropics like Onnit Alpha Brain in your diet.. You will have a clearer vision with significant improvement in your brain’s health within no time. Without wasting any more time, let us have a look at some of the best brain foods available out there.
- All types of Berries
Berries can be smaller in size, but they are surely full of tons of antioxidants which are needed by the brain. Due to the flavonoid antioxidants’ availability, berries are great brain food. There are many benefits of eating berries, such as a reduction in oxidative stress and inflammation. Antioxidants like caffeic acid, quercetin, anthocyanin, and catechin are commonly found in berries that are nutritious for the brain. Some of its advantages are:
- It helps in boosting the memory of the brain.
- Learning capabilities improve.
- Communication between brain cells enhances.
- Neurodegenerative diseases slow down.
Some amazing berries to eat include are mulberries, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, and blackcurrants.
- Oily Fish
We all know how beneficial eating fish can be. Oily fish is packed with rich omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to build brain cells at a fast pace. If you want to improve the brain structure with healthier neurons, then eat fatty fish at least once a week. Some amazing benefits of eating fish are:
- Better cognitive abilities.
- Overall improvement in the brain function.
- The increased flow of blood inside the brain.
Tune, herring, salmon, mackerel, and sardines are some amazing sources of omega-3 fatty acids.
- Seeds and Nuts
Besides oily fish, omega-3 fatty acids can also be found in nuts and seeds in a generous amount. People who are getting old should increase their intake of nuts and seeds to stay mentally active. Most people also prefer nuts and seeds as they are filled with Vitamin E. this antioxidant safeguards the brain cells from all sorts of oxidative stress, which then improves the brain’s health.
According to a 2014 research, the risk of having Alzheimer’s disease decreases by consuming vitamin E regularly. Not just that, but cognitive performance improves in aged people as well. Some nutritious seeds and nuts are flaxseeds, almonds, sunflower seeds, and hazelnuts.
- Dark Chocolate
Everyone enjoys a good piece of chocolate, but only a few people prefer dark chocolate over the milky one. This is mainly because of the bittersweet taste of it, but there is a major advantage of consuming it. Dark chocolate is made up of cocoa, which contains a healthy antioxidant known as flavonoids. This makes the dark chocolate super nutritious for the brain, helping it in fighting different diseases and cognitive decline.
Cocoa is linked with encouraging the growth of blood vessels and neurons in some areas of the brain. These areas are associated with learning and memory which can be improved through eating dark chocolate with 70% cocoa in it.
- Whole Grains
Wholes grains also have vitamin E in them, making them a great source for the brain’s development. The best part of whole grains is that they are easily available around the world, and people tend to consume it frequently. Some delicious, whole grains enriched with vitamin E will be:
- Oatmeal
- Barley
- Whole-grain pasta
- Brown rice
- Bulgur wheat
- Whole-grain bread
- Turmeric
Turmeric is a famous spice with a deep-yellow color to it. It has numerous advantages for the brain and the reason why people have started making different recipes with it. Turmeric has an active ingredient known as curcumin which is beneficial for the brain cells. It has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties as well, which gives birth to the following benefits:
- It improves people’s moods by boosting the levels of dopamine and serotonin in the brain. This makes it work like an anti-depressant in many cases.
- The memory of Alzheimer’s patients improves with its help.
- It helps in forming new brain cells, causing a delay in the age-related decline in mental ability.
- Coffee
Coffee consists of two main ingredients –antioxidants and caffeine, which help the brain in many ways. From elevating someone’s mood to waking up their brain and letting them concentrate deeply, coffee does it all. People who consume black coffee in the morning stay active and fresh all day long. It also decreases the risk of having a neurological illness like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Conclusion
Green tea, oranges, lemons, and eggs are some other healthy brain food choices to eat daily. In this way, you will protect your brain from getting damaged, staying away from some harmful diseases when you get older. Try to support the health of your brain whenever possible, and eat what is healthy for your brain. Focus on improving your memory, cognitive learning, and moods with the help of the foods mentioned above before it gets too late. After all, it is all about the type of diet you have that decides your fate.