Top 10 Brain Foods
Remember when you were a kid and your mother told you: “eat your green vegetables”? Well, your mother was right! Leafy green vegetables are just some of the foods that are beneficial for your brain health. Some foods have even been clinically proven to reduce memory loss.
1. Leafy green vegetables — any leafy green vegetable, like kale, broccoli and escarole, are great for your brain. According to the AARP, elderly women who ate broccoli, cauliflower, green lettuce and spinach scored better on memory and learning tests than women who did not.
2. Fruits with antioxidants — while you can always look for juices that contain antioxidants, why not eat the fruits themselves? The fruits that contain the most antioxidants include prunes, raisins, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, plums, oranges, red grapes and cherries.
3. Vegetables with antioxidants — vegetables can also be a great source of antioxidants. Examples are kale, spinach, brussels sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, broccoli florets, beets, red bell peppers, onions, corn and eggplant. Many of these vegetables are also leafy green vegetables, so you are giving your brain a one-two punch in nutrients!
4. Omega-3 fatty acid rich fish — wild salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, tuna, anchovies, whitefish and sablefish contain a large amount of omega-3, an essential fatty acid that is needed for brain development. If you are a vegetarian, non-meat based supplements are available.
5. Cacao beans — yes, chocolate is good for you! But not the chocolate with excess sugar. Try either cocoa powder or dark chocolate with at least a 75 percent content of cacao.
6. Matcha — matcha is a high-quality Japanese green tea that contains a huge amount of EGCG and antioxidants. Unlike other teas, matcha is a powder, so you drink all of it. Health food stores, natural grocery markets and Asian supermarkets should have matcha available.
7.Acai berries — while acai berries are a high-antioxidant fruit, they require their own category. Besides antioxidants, acai berries contain omega-3 fatty acids and lots of protein. Fresh berries, or flash frozen, have the best benefits.
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Add a Comment11 Comments
Most people don't realize that raw, unprocessed, cold-pressed chocolate has more antioxidants than any food source known on the planet. You can get such a chocolate combined with the Acai Berry with no processed sugar, no added bad fats, no preservatives, waxes, fillers or caffeine. Just 3 servings of this high power food boasts a whopping 10 to 12 servings of fruits and vegetables. As much as we would like to, most of us don't get our 10 to 12 servings of fruits and vegetables day in and day out. Life is just too hectic. So I eat my chocolate every day and the rest is just gravy!
August 5, 2009 - 6:17pmThis Comment
Eating a well-balanced, healthy diet not only has the benefit of helping you fit into your favorite pair of jeans, but it can also help you reduce your risk of chronic age-related brain diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s. Current research in diet and brain health has shown that nutrition plays a large part in brain development and function throughout the life cycle. There are changes you can make now to prolong the health of your body’s most vital system, your brain.
August 6, 2009 - 9:54amRachel
www.fitbrains.com
Great great list. If we're living longer, we want to keep our health and our brain power. This is a wide range of foods anyone can find something here they like and can benefit from. Love her making the point that true cocoa or raw chocolate, not candy, is healthful. I know of a chocolate that is combined with acai berries, and one product contains a plant based source of Omega-3s. They also use healthy soy in their protein bars. A wonderful way to feed your brain. :) MyFitChocolate
August 6, 2009 - 2:03pmGreat list! I haven't heard of Match tea. I'll check it out at the health food store. Thanks.
September 6, 2009 - 6:16pmAre there any known side effects to Matcha tea? I know some herbal teas are not indicated for certain conditions (like pregnancy), and I would like to know more about it. thanks!
September 6, 2009 - 7:57pmThe only warning I have found is for people who cannot have caffeine. If you cannot drink green tea, then you should not drink matcha. Otherwise, matcha is safe for most people.
September 7, 2009 - 10:50amOk, thanks for that. I don't drink caffeinated drinks and haven't for about 10 years. I'll give the tea a miss and focus on my green leafy vegs.
September 7, 2009 - 4:26pmWhat about Salba- like concentrated Chia/flax. Stuff is awesome. I highly recommend this Superfood
May 24, 2010 - 8:17am*berries in general are good for your brain
May 25, 2010 - 1:59am*cherries
*apples
*turmeric which is a spice is good for your brain. I have some because it's a very nutritious spice in general. it is one of the main ingredients in curry. I sprinkle some on my food or you can buy caps and take it as a pill.
*eggs
*fatty/oily fish like sardines, salmon, albacore tuna, herring, mackerel or you can take fish oil pills
*oysters, they're high in zinc too and good for men to eat because it promotes testosterone production which is important as we get older
*cocoa improves blood vessel function, which boost circulation throughout the body and blood flow to the brain
Wow, brain foods totally rock man!
www.web-anonymity.au.tc
July 9, 2010 - 8:28am