Eight Top Brain Foods

Two Time USA Memory Champion and memory training expert and memory keynote Ron White shares his thoughts on brain foods to increase your memory capacity.

The American diet does not exactly help in boosting your brain capacity or how to remember. In fact, it does just the opposite by slowing down the body, adding increased weight, and keeping your mind sluggish. A poor diet not only affects your body, but your mind.

Like any machine, it runs on the correct fuel. Proper maintenance and attention keep it in top-top shape. When we put the wrong gas or oil in it the machine starts to sputter and spit, and eventually stop altogether. A good overhaul usually brings it back to life.

The same is true of the human body. The right food fuels our bodies and keeps it in the best condition to take advantage of all it is capable of. Junk foods tend to slow it down, while good food and nutrients rejuvenate it.

Because the brain is the “engine” of the body, the foods that boost the brain also keep the rest of the body in good working order.

Eight of the top brain food for good mental health

1. Berries. Much like rust oxidizes the metal in pipes and causes the pipes to erode over time, the blood vessels in your body oxidize and begin to clog up with fats until they could eventually stop the flow altogether. This process, called oxidative stress, plays a big part in many diseases associated with dementia.

Berries contain a protein called antioxidants that can break down the clogs, causing blood to flow better to reach the brain. Red cherries are natures anti-inflammatory because they keep the platelets in the blood for clumping together and clogging the arteries. Research has found that beneficial chemicals in raspberries, strawberries and blueberries are also found in the hippocampus - the control center for the brain’s memory. In addition, blueberries they have been proven to enhance memorizing, and are considered “super brain food.”

2. Apples. Remember the old saying: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away?” Well, it’s true. Apples contain a group of chemicals that protect the brain from the damage found in neuro-degenerative diseases, like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

3. Turmeric. This yellow spice is found in many curry recipes. It has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Two studies were conducted in this are: one showed a reduction in plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease; another of the elderly showed those who ate curry often did better on mental performance tests than those who rarely ate curry.

4. Eggs. Although eggs have gotten a bad rap for their high cholesterol yolks, they contain choline, which is one of the most important nutrients for building brain power. If given eggs early in our development they have been shown to improve our grades and retention abilities in children, and may be the mental building blocks we need to help keep our memory intact as we age.

5. Fish. There is good reason why fish are considered brain food. They contain omega-3 fatty acids, thought to be instrumental in maintaining brain function throughout life. Since omega-3 is present in the brain, ingestion of this fatty acid gives your brain a boost as well. In addition, they go straight to the nerve cells, where the connections have a positive effect on learning and memorizing. A diet rich in salmon, mackerel, halibut, sardines, tuna, and herring should go a long way in boosting your brain power.

6. Oysters. Rich in the minerals zinc and iron, oysters are the brain food that help to prevent your mind from wandering and memory lapses. Research has linked low levels of zinc and iron to poorer mental performance in children. Newer studies on adults showed that marginally low iron reserves reduced adults' ability to concentrate, and lower levels of zinc slowed test participants' ability to recall words.

7. Cocoa and Chocolate. A surprising turn of events for chocolate lovers - in moderation, chocolate is actually good for you! Several studies have shown improved blood flow, increased circulation throughout the body and brain from eating flavonol-rich cocoa. The beneficial compounds found in cocoa may even reduce the formation of damaging clots, which may cause heart attacks and strokes. Since it is often combined with high-fat ingredients in chocolate bars and other desserts, it is best to eat chocolate it in moderation, however.

8. Nuts. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in high concentrations of nuts, such as flaxseeds, flaxseed oil, canola (rapeseed) oil, soybeans, soybean oil, pumpkin seeds, pumpkin seed oil, purslane, perilla seed oil, walnuts, and walnut oil.

It may seem like the best brain food are found in a fruit salad, and that may be true, but as long as you eat other foods in moderation your body will be in top shape, and your brain will be function at it’s highest cognitive level and with memorization.

Research:

ArticlesBase -http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/top-brain-foods-1744002.html

Wikipedia – Gota Kola - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centella_asiatica