Is there a diet to keep your brain young? There is no ‘miracle food’ that can prevent cognitive decline or ensure best function despite physiological aging. However, there are eating patterns that can improve the health and efficiency of the entire body, including the brain. As highlighted by Harvard Medical School, the best foods for the brain are those that protect the heart and blood vessels.
Here are the ‘five’ that are (also) good for the head.
The list includes green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, and broccoli. These foods are rich in brain-healthy nutrients such as vitamin K, lutein, folate and beta-carotene. “Research shows that these plant-based foods may help slow cognitive decline,” the HMS website states.
The menu continues with fatty fish. Oily fish is a source of omega-3 fatty acids, healthy unsaturated fats that have been linked to reducing blood levels of beta-amyloid, a protein linked to buildup in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease. The ideal is to eat fish at least twice a week, choosing fish with low mercury content such as salmon, cod, canned white tuna and yellow cod.
Special mention to berries. Flavonoids, natural plant pigments that ‘color’ fruits, contribute to improving memory, as shown in particular by research from Brigham and Women’s Hospital at Harvard: women who consumed two or more servings of strawberries and blueberries every week could delay memory decline by up to two and a half years.
At breakfast they can help tea and coffee. According to a study published in the Journal of Nutrition, subjects who consumed more caffeine scored better on mental function tests.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University asked subjects in the study to view a series of images and then take either a placebo or a 200-milligram caffeine tablet. Especially members of the caffeine group were able to identify the images correctly the next day.
Eventually, canary. Dried fruit is an excellent source of protein and healthy fats, and one type of dried fruit in particular can even improve memory. A study from UCLA, the University of California and Los Angeles, linked higher walnut consumption to better cognitive test scores. Walnuts are rich in a type of omega-3 fatty acid called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA): A diet containing ALA and other omega-3 fatty acids has been associated with lower blood pressure and clearing of the arteries. Very good for the heart and brain.
