Remember These Memory-Enhancing Foods : Brain Foods

Article by Andre Thunestvedt

Like everything else we do, thinking and memory skills depend, in part, on our diet. High fat and sugar fare—like those greasy items of fast food fame—reduce the brain’s ability to remember. They are one of the reasons why kids with unhealthy diets have more trouble at school.

On the other hand, you can boost your memory skills by consuming the right foods. Brain foods, we’ll call them.

It is often said that your brain is probably the greediest organ in your body, and it requires a very specific type of nutrition from your diet. It shouldn’t be surprising then that your diet affects how your brain performs, and it performs well with a steady supply of glucose. Before you go out of your house in the morning, it would be great if you can give your brain the fuel it needs by eating a hearty breakfast. A salad packed full of antioxidants, including beta-carotene and vitamins C and E, should also help keep your brain in tip-top condition by helping to reduce damaging free radicals (damaging molecules). As you grow older, your brain has lesser capacity to defend itself from daily threats like free radicals, inflammation, and oxidation. That’s why aging people need more nutrition than younger ones.

Blueberries. Recently, at Tufts University, researchers made this startling discovery. Eating blueberry extract significantly boosted short-term memory retention! So, if you want to do better on your weekly quiz, or remember the last three cards dealt out in a card game, consider a diet with regular doses of blueberries. Look for blueberry pancakes, blueberry cheesecake, and best of all, a low calorie handful of blueberries, just for the munching.

Fish—Grandma’s Brain Food. One of the biggest memory-boosting nutritional components is the compounds, omega-3 fatty acids. They are one of the top brain foods. And guess where you can find high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids? In fish and fish oils. So, try to get three servings of fish each week, or take a fish oil supplement. Your memory functions will improve.

Tomatoes for the Brain? Yup. Tomatoes are a great source of lycopene, another antioxidant that loves the brain. Tomatoes can play an important role in fighting Alzheimer’s disease and dementia—two memory-handicapping diseases. Nuts to You! Another group of memory-enhancing super- foods are nuts and sunflowers. Sprinkle these in your cereal, chow down on your peanut butter sandwiches, and just have nuts around for snacking. You’ll brain will remember to say thank-you.

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