Foods That Can Boost and Preserve Brainpower

Public Health Nutrition and Child Care

Aside from financial stability in retirement age, maintaining a good brain function by keeping up and preserving recall and protecting brain-based skills, is essential for a full, rewarding, and independent living. Although there is no magic pill to prevent dementia and other age-related decline in brain function and there is no specific food that can ensure a sharp brain as you age, nutritionists came up with a list of certain foods that are linked to preservation and maintenance of brainpower. The healthy dietary pattern includes a lot of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. They also promote the use of plant and fish protein and healthy fats, such as olive oil and canola. These list of foods below are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, and antioxidants. Incorporating these healthy foods in a healthy diet on a regular basis can improve brain health that can transform into a better mental function.

Foods for better brainpower (Harvard Medical School 2019)

1. Green, leafy vegetables. Leafy greens such as spinach 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.

2. 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 and canned light tuna. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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 also help lower blood pressure. Walnuts are thus good for both the heart and brain.