Author: Marnix Buijs / Source: Lifehack
These days there are so many food choices. Every marketing trick is used to make you buy brain foods, all-natural, fat-free or gluten-free products.
Could you blame them? They need to make a profit to keep existing and delivering their goods to the consumers.
But does this mean that foods with these labels are just regular products or do brain foods really exist?
That’s when research came in and proved that brain foods (meaning: foods that have a positive effect on the brain) really do exist.
In this article, you will find 15 brain foods you should be eating to keep your mind sharp.
1. Blueberries
One of the greatest gifts of Mother Nature; blueberries. Blueberries are known as the king of antioxidants[1] and are used to detox the body.
There are not a lot of studies that tried to prove the relationship between blueberries and the improvement of brain function. But there’s one study that consisted of 9 elderly people. They found that consuming blueberry juice on a daily basis for 12 weeks improved memory function.[2]
If this is not reasonable enough to include blueberries into your diet, you should read the following article on other benefits of blueberries:
As with every single one of the brain foods listed here: Consuming more than necessary can also lead to side effects, this is the same with blueberries.[3]
When including blueberries in your diet along with other brain foods; make sure to eat no more than 0.5 cups (4 oz./113 grams) a day.
2. Broccoli
The first vegetable on the list, broccoli. Whatever you do with it; roast, steam, blanch or saute.[4] It will still improve the sharpness of your brain.
There are two main nutrients in broccoli that makes it one of the brain foods on this list. Vitamin K, which is also found in lower amounts in blueberries, helps strengthen cognitive abilities.[5] The nutrient Choline improves your memory.[6]
There’s six times more vitamin K in broccoli than in blueberries. The downside is that blueberries are a bit tastier.
Include some broccoli with every warm plate you eat in a day, and your brain will turn into a SUPER brain.
3. Walnuts
Walnuts are the best choice of all the nuts when it comes to improving cognitive function. They have the same benefits as every other nut, but walnuts also contain omega-3 fatty acids.[7]
Beside the improvement of heart health,[8] walnuts also provide a sharper memory (at least to women).[9]
Consuming walnuts also help slow mental decline[10] because of the Vitamin E that is found in walnuts.[11]
Next time you crave a snack, buy a bag of unroasted and unsalted walnuts. In the future, this will be the replacement of all unhealthy snacks like Twix.
Brain foods are not brain foods because they contain a lot of sugar. Brain foods usually consist of a high amount of vitamins and antioxidants. That’s how you can recognize them.
4. Green Tea
Some of us are coffee drinkers while others prefer tea. You don’t have to choose one or the other because both of them made it to the list (you’ll read later about coffee in number 11 of brain foods).
Green tea contains more than just caffeine; it contains L-theanine which essentially lowers the anxiety levels.[12] It also increases the levels of dopamine and alpha wave production (relaxation).
The lower levels of caffeine in green tea compared to coffee makes this a perfect brain function drink. Caffeine and L-theanine show synergistic effects that work best with the amount of caffeine found in green tea.[13]
People who drink green tea have proven that they have a more stable energy level and increased productivity compared to when they drink coffee. So, if you’re looking for brain foods that will enhance your productivity; green tea is the way to go.
5. Oranges
Orange is a beautiful gift from Mother Nature well known for the amount of Vitamin C in it. One large orange is enough to fulfill 100% of your daily Vitamin C intake. Vitamin C has a lot of benefits:
- Vitamin C reduces the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease[14]
- It may help fight against high blood pressure[15]
- Vitamin C boosts immunity by increasing the production of white blood cells[16]
- The most important of all: high levels of Vitamin C are found to be related to the improvement of memory and thinking. People suffering from dementia has been shown to have low levels of Vitamin C.[17] This may mean that by consuming enough Vitamin C, you will be able to prevent dementia.[18]
To learn more about everything related to Vitamin C, read the following article:
All You Need To Know About Vitamin C Benefits and Recipes To Boost Your Daily Intake
6. Avocados
Avocados fit very nicely in your salad, or you may even like it on toast.
Avocado is a source of healthy fats; monounsaturated fat. Monounsaturated fat is…
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