Foods linked to better brainpower
Just as there is no magic pill to prevent
cognitive decline, no single food can ensure a sharp brain as you age.
Nutritionists emphasize that the most important strategy is to follow a
healthy dietary pattern that includes a lot of fruits, vegetables,
legumes, and whole grains. Try to get protein from plant sources and
fish and choose healthy fats, such as olive oil or canola, rather than
saturated fats.
That said, certain foods in this overall
scheme are particularly rich in healthful components like omega-3 fatty
acids, B vitamins, and antioxidants, which are known to support brain
health. Incorporating many of these foods into a healthy diet on a
regular basis can improve the health of your brain, which could
translate into better mental function.
Research shows that the best foods for your
brain are the same ones that protect your heart and blood vessels,
including the following:
Green, leafy vegetables. Leafy
greens such as kale, spinach, collards, and broccoli are rich in
brain-healthy nutrients like vitamin K, lutein, folate, and beta
carotene. Research suggests these plant-based foods may help slow
cognitive decline.
Fatty fish. Fatty fish are
abundant sources of omega-3 fatty acids, healthy unsaturated fats that
have been linked to lower blood levels of beta-amyloid—the protein that
forms damaging clumps in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease.
Try to eat fish at least twice a week, but choose varieties that are low
in mercury, such as salmon, cod, canned light tuna, and pollack. If
you're not a fan of fish, ask your doctor about taking an
omega-3 supplement, or choose terrestrial omega-3 sources such as
flaxseeds, avocados, and walnuts.
Berries. Flavonoids, the
natural plant pigments that give berries their brilliant hues, also help
improve memory, research shows. In a 2012 study published in Annals of Neurology,
researchers at Harvard's Brigham and Women's Hospital found that women
who consumed two or more servings of strawberries and blueberries each
week delayed memory decline by up to two-and-a-half years.
Tea and coffee. The caffeine
in your morning cup of coffee or tea might offer more than just a
short-term concentration boost. In a 2014 study published in The Journal of Nutrition,
participants with higher caffeine consumption scored better on tests of
mental function. Caffeine might also help solidify new memories,
according to other research. Investigators at Johns Hopkins University
asked participants to study a series of images and
then take either a placebo or a 200-milligram caffeine tablet. More
members of the caffeine group were able to correctly identify the images
on the following day.
Walnuts. Nuts are excellent
sources of protein and healthy fats, and one type of nut in particular
might also improve memory. A 2015 study from UCLA linked higher walnut
consumption to improved cognitive test scores. Walnuts are high in a
type of omega-3 fatty acid called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which
helps lower blood pressure and protects arteries. That's good for both
the heart and brain.
For more on staying sharp as you age, read Cognitive Fitness, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School.
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Thursday, June 22, 2017
Foods linked to better brainpower
Your hospital should be buying this report from Harvard Medical School and creating a diet protocol from that. But that will never occur unless YOU call the hospital president and ask why such incompetency exists in their hospital. You need specifics, amounts per body weight and sex, not just the generic paragraphs from below, they are essentially useless.
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