As the control center of your body, your brain is responsible for almost all functions. From keeping your heart beating to your lungs breathing, and even allowing you to feel, more, and think – your brain does everything! This is why is it important to keep your brain running in peak condition. You may not be aware of this, but the foods you eat play a vital role in keeping your brain healthy while improving certain mental tasks, including memory and concentration.
Here are some of the best foods to boost your brainpower.
Fatty Fish
When it comes to brain foods, fatty fish tops the list. Fatty fish, including salmon, sardines, and trout, are all rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Almost 60% of your brain is made of fat, half of which is omega-3 fatty acids. The brain uses omega-3 to build brain and nerve cells, making these fats essential for improving memory and learning. Consuming healthy amounts of fatty fish can help slow down age-related mental decline and reduce the chances of Alzheimer’s disease.
Coffee
If your morning is incomplete without coffee, you would be more than happy to know that coffee is good for you. The two main elements of coffee – caffeine and antioxidants – are great for your brain. The caffeine in coffee helps make your brain more alert by blocking adenosine, a chemical that makes you feel sleepy. Caffeine also helps improve your mood by boosting “feel-good” neurotransmitters, such as serotonin. Research also revealed that drinking coffee reduces the risk of neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s in the long run.
Blueberries
Blueberries are phenomenal fruits with numerous health benefits to offer, some that are specifically for your brain. Blueberries help deliver anthocyanins, compounds with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. This helps protect against oxidative stress and inflammation, conditions that make significant contributions to neurodegenerative diseases and brain aging. Some antioxidants found in blueberries gather in the brain and help in the improvement of communication between brain cells.
Turmeric
Turmeric has gained a lot of popularity lately. This spice has numerous benefits to offer to the brain. Curcumin is an active ingredient in turmeric that crosses the blood-brain barrier, which means that it can enter the brain directly to benefit the cells there. This anti-inflammatory compound and potent antioxidant have been associated with improvement in memory, especially in those with Alzheimer’s.
Curcumin is also linked with boosting serotonin and dopamine, both of which improve one’s mood and relieve symptoms of depression. Curcumin is also associated with boosting brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a growth hormone that aids brain cells to grow.