Foods That Boost Your Brain Power

It’s not just our body that needs nutrition — even our brain need foods like nutrients, vitamins and other essential elements to stay active and to enable us to reach our mental and physical peak. Here’s a list of the top five foods that will give you brain power.

Apples: Everyone is aware that apples are healthy fruits. After all, we’ve grown up hearing the idiom, ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away’. But not everyone knows that this fruit also gives you brain power. The phytochemicals present in apples help in protecting the brain fromneurodegenerative diseases (those diseases that causes the brain to wear out, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s). Apples also protect against damage caused by bacteria, fungi, and viruses.

Berries: These are great to feed our brains! Most berries contain antioxidants that can help prevent various kinds of brain damage from free radicals. If you eat just a handful of berries a day, you can prevent a host of disorders from memory loss to strokes.

Nuts: Nuts are extremely high in Vitamin E, which again helps to decrease memory loss, as we grow older. Apart from this, they contain healthy fats, which aid the brain in functioning normally. The best nuts to consume would be walnuts and almonds.

Turmeric: If you use a generous amount of turmeric in your curries, you’re providing your brain a great source of power. This yellow-colored spice contains a phytochemical called curcumin, which has powerful antioxidants, as well as anti-inflammatory properties. This helps prevent dementia, strokes, and many other brain-related diseases.

Egg yolks: Egg yolks contain choline, a water-soluble nutrient, which is one of the most important nutrients that are essential for the brain. It helps us retain knowledge. If you’re worried that eating egg yolks will increase your cholesterol intake, remember this: As long as you are following a healthy diet, eating one egg a day won’t have any negative effects on your health.

Avocado: Avocados are delicious and full of healthy monounsaturated fat. The American Heart Assn. says that eating foods high in monounsaturated fats can help decrease the amount of LDL “bad” cholesterol in the blood. This can help improve blood flow throughout the body, decreasing the risk of stroke.

Water: Water makes up 85 percent of the brain’s weight. Staying hydrated can have a direct impact on brain volume, a 2005 study in the journal Neurology found. Researchers discovered that not taking in fluids for 16 hours resulted in a 0.55 percent decrease in brain volume. But after rehydrating, total brain volume increased by 0.72 percent. So drink up!

Spinach: Spinach is high in potassium, which helps to maintain the electrical conductivity of the brain. That conductivity helps produce lightning-fast signals between neurons that make us think more clearly and respond more quickly.

Broccoli: Scientists have discovered that a compound found in broccoli may protect the brain after an injury. This cruciferous veggie contains a chemical called sulforaphane, which protects the brain from further damage by strengthening the blood-brain barrier that allows some of the body’s materials to cross into the brain. A 2009 study in Neuroscience Letters found that sulforaphane given to rats soon after a brain injury improved their performance in a maze test.

Source: indiatimes.com, takepart.com