Have you ever wondered, out of all the wonderful foods that are grown naturally in this world of ours, are there some foods that our brain absolutely loves? Well yes, and nature has provided us with such a variety to choose from, with great taste and beautiful colours. To be able to enjoy good health as we get a little older and wiser, it is vitally important to eat foods that are beneficial for our brain as well as our body. You are what you eat!
The first food that your brain will love is walnuts. Have you ever noticed when cracking open a fresh walnut that inside, the actual nut looks very similar in shape to the human brain. That is quite fascinating. Nature is telling us that this is definitely one food that your brain will absolutely love. They are an excellent food for the brain because they contain antioxidants, which fight inflammation, stimulate the birth of new brain cells and increase the communication powers of old brain cells. They also rejuvenate the very structure of brain cells.
Some of the best types of food which our brain loves are those foods that contain antioxidants. Antioxidants can improve your circulation, which improves the supply of oxygen to the brain. Oxygen is the brain’s single most important nutrient. Many fruits and vegetables contain the antioxidants Vitamins A, C and E so we need to consume these foods with antioxidants because they help to fight inflammation.
According to a new landmark study recently released, that by curbing inflammation in the brain, this may help people treat and prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
So here are some of the top foods that contain antioxidants:
Blueberries, Strawberries and Raspberries
These all have a high content of Polyphenols and Anthocyanins, which are antioxidants. It is those deep intense colours of blues, purples and reds that give us a clue as to their amazing brain health benefits. They also stimulate the birth of new brain cells. Other fruits and vegetables are prunes, plums, beetroot, eggplant, red cabbage, red grapes and cherries.
Green Leafy Vegetables
Eating vegetables of all kinds does wonders to preserve our memory as we age. The greatest protection comes from two families of vegetables: Leafy greens such as spinach and lettuce and cruciferous vegetables including kale, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage. These all contain the antioxidants vitamins A and C. Here is an interesting study done by a neuroscientist. He experimented feeding spinach to a group of rats early in their life. After some time, he compared them to the other group of rats not fed spinach. The amazing result: The rats fed spinach had superior long-term memory, better learning ability and far less brain damage at mid-life and in old age.
Fish
Your brain is composed of 60 per cent fat and is the fattiest system in your body. The unique ingredient in fish is Omega-3 fat made up primarily of DHA and EPA fatty acids. High fat fish delivers more brain protection than lean fish and also contain good sources of the antioxidant CoQ10. So eating sardines, mackerel, salmon and tuna are really good for your brain health.
Green Tea
This is a powerful antioxidant and rich source of flavonoids. These Flavonoids make the blood cells less prone to clotting which may reduce risk of stroke and “mini-strokes” that can cause symptoms similar to Alzheimer’s disease.
So now you know, if you haven’t been eating some of these foods before, it’s time to start including them on a daily basis. By doing this, you will be improving your brain health and your brain will love you for it.