Nutritionists and natural health experts have long held that the dietary choices we make throughout our lives have a profound effect on how well our bodies and minds are affected as we grow older. Today as one of the largest generations to ever come along begins to age, additional findings on how our dietary choices affect our minds is beginning to emerge. "Brain food" it seems is not just a myth made up by grandma to get you to eat certain foods.
As additional work continues to be done in the fields of emotional, mental, and psychiatric disorders, researchers are beginning to see a lot of anecdotal evidence concerning the link between mental afflictions and dietary choices. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, memory loss, bipolar and schizophrenic disorders appear to have more in common with a dietary deficiency than with hereditary profiles. Two of the most common dietary deficiencies found have to do with low levels of antioxidants and a deficiency of omega-3 essential fatty acids in the laboratory profiles of these patients.
Earl Mindell, Rph PhD, a noted author on natural supplements, writes that docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an important part of a healthy nutritional plan. DHA is probably the single largest component found in brain tissue. Since the body cannot synthesize this nutrient, it must be sourced from the food that we ingest. DHA and its counterpart EPA helps improve the ability of electrical transmission to occur between brain cells and helps to maintain a proper fluid level in these cells. A lack of these essential fatty acids can cause a disruption in the brain's ability to function.
The Top Foods For Brain Health
Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids top our list as the number one nutritional choice to help keep your brain sharp and improve your memory. These foods include: salmon, cod, Herring, mackerel, albacore tuna, sardines, and anchovies. Many people are not partial to fish for their diet or because of vegetarian restrictions have to seek omega-3 fatty acids from vegetarian sources. Top sources of omega-3 fatty acids that are not fish include: almonds, pine nuts, Chia seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, olive oil, safflower oil, pecans, and tofu. A quality purified fish oil supplement can also work wonders if these foods are not among your favorites.
Many of the foods rich in the antioxidants missing from our diet tend to be red, green, or purple. The reason for this is because of the nutrients provided in these types of fruits and vegetables actually give them their distinctive colors. The phytochemical anthocyanin is the same antioxidant that your brain needs to function properly. Blueberries and apples contain both anthocyanin and quercetin which both have been shown in recent studies to boost memory, contribute to healthier brain function, and to slow down the onset of Alzheimer's disease. It is for this reason that apples and blueberries top our list of fruits to help boost your memory.
The top two vegetables that help boost your brainpower are spinach and onions. One study showed that the high content of folic acid in spinach prevented and even reversed memory loss in the test subjects. A half cup of cooked spinach provides two-thirds of the daily requirement your body needs of folic acid and with the availability of baby spinach for salads it has become much easier and much more palatable to add spinach to your diet. Both red and yellow onions contain high levels of quercetin and anthocyanin. In countries where onions are a main food staple there tends to be a much lower incidence of age-related memory loss.
Rounding out our food choices to help boost memory are two vegetables, red beets and eggplant, and two fruits, grapes and cherries, both of these foods tend to have a high level of anthocyanin and quercetin along with a number of other antioxidants which tend to help protect and promote the effective use of the essential fatty acids within the brain. The last item on our list is a herb called rosemary. Rosemary contains carnosic acid which has been shown to protect neural cells and help prevent degenerative brain disorders. Aroma therapy proponents believe that the scent of Rosemary is enough to stimulate higher memory functions.
If you can remember to do it, the next time you go to the store add some of the great memory boosting foods to your cart.
George M. Espinoza is an industrial engineering technician who has worked in the development of packaging and preservation equipment for the past 8 years. He is a certified natural healer and works with communities who are medically under served. He focuses on prevention of disease in his community work. Omega-3 Benefits
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