Our brain consumes 20% of the energy of our total body weight. The brain is the control system of our body: memory, alertness, thoughts, ideas, heartbeat, breathing, movements. Research shows that a person uses around 320 calories just to think on a typical day. Certain foods can help boost brain health.
Research also shows that brain foods play a pivotal role in living a healthy and long life. We know that certain foods are the reasons to increase inflammation in the body. The following 5 foods are anti-inflammatory to clear up inflammation and pump more blood to the brain.
1- Vegetables
Research shows that eating a minimum of a half cup of dark leafy greens may help slow the decline in cognitive functions. They suggest green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, turnip green, arugula, mustard green, and swiss chard. These dark leafy are excellent food sources for excellent mental health.
These vegetables are also rich in vitamins, especially vitamin E and B. Researched has proved that vitamin E helps reduce inflammation in the brain, and vitamin B helps build the DNA process.
Here are the top 4 suggestions to incorporate dark green leaves in your daily diet.
- i) use as wraps for your sandwiches, fo example, swiss chard leaves
- ii) Eat with eggs; I usually chop some spinach and add it to my veggie omelet
- iii) stir fry
- iV) Add in smoothies, especially kale
2- Eggs
Two eggs in the morning are a pretty standard breakfast option. Most of the time, I add some veggie like kale or spinach in my omelet, some fresh green pepper, and cilantro.
Eggs are super-rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B, zinc, and iodine that will help to boost your mood. Folic acid can easily be found in eggs that is super important for our nervous system.
Note: You may hear that people try to avoid eggs because of the misunderstanding of cholesterol levels in eggs. Cholesterol plays a pivotal role in mental health. Our brain needs good cholesterol to function correctly. The top 3 sources of cholesterol are.
- i) fish
- ii) seafood
- iii) eggs
The yolk part is full of cholesterol; next time you eat an egg, don’t forget to eat the yolk too. All in all, eggs are full of brain health nutrition.
3- Blueberries
Everyone knows that blueberries are packed with antioxidants. Six years of research shows that berries are super high in flavonoids with significant anti-inflammatory effects. Flavonoids also protect your cells from damage that leads to illness. These dietary properties in blueberries can prevent the development of cognitive diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Research also shows that colorful berries like blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, cranberries, and raspberries can reduce anxiety symptoms and prevent neurodegenerative diseases like dementia.
Try to include half or one cup of berries in your daily diet for great mental health.
4- Walnuts
I vividly remember my grandmother saying: eat walnut to sharpen your brain. She never went to school but knew the nutritional value of walnuts. When I asked her how a walnut would sharpen my brain, she always replied because they look like a brain.
Walnuts are great for your brain function; they are rich in brain nutritions like omega 3 and polyphenols. Walnuts also supper healthy blood pressure that will complement excellent brain health by pumping more blood to the brain.
Numerous studies show that walnuts are a great source to boost cognitive functions. Research also shows that walnut help to promote learning skills and memory in the long run.
5- Fish
Oily fish like tuna and salmon are great sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which play a pivotal role in brain health, especially mood. Research shows that people who ate fish on a regular basis had 30% fewer depression symptoms than those who did not incorporate fish in their diets.
If you look at the open brain, it seems formed from fat (almost 60%); therefore, fatty acids are beneficial for brain health. Study shows that when the brain does not have enough omega-3 fatty acids, the brain structure starts to become inferior, leading to cognitive disorders.
Many fatty acids are in the brain, but the most important tone is omega-3. Our brain health depends on omega-3 fatty acids, especially docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Study shows that our body cannot produce DHA on its own; we need proper nutrition to extract the DHA. That’s why so many people take fish oil capsules to get the minimum requirement to keep their brains healthy.
Key takeaways
- Include dark leaf veggies in your daily diet
- Don’t be scared form cholesterol in eggs
- Try eat incorporate a cup of berries into your diet
- Walnuts are great for your heart, and a healthy heart will boost your mental wellness
- Fish is the best source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids.
Thank you for reading, and let me know in the comments section what kind of food you prefer to boost your brain health.
