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You’ve probably spent time thinking about what foods are best for your body, but what about your brain? After all, your brain is the body’s own brain and requires a lot of energy to help you think, move, and navigate your daily life. If you want your brain to do its job properly, you need to make sure it’s getting the right kind of fuel.
Research shows that on average the brain accounts for about 20% of calories we burn daily. That doesn’t mean that every food will help your brain do its best work. When it comes to empowering your brain to do its best work — staying focused and maintaining a strong memory — some foods are much better than others.
Eating nutritious foods not only keeps your brain happy and healthy, but can also help prevent diseases like dementia. Mediterranean dietwhich emphasizes the consumption of whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes and fish, has shown promising results in preventing age-related diseases. This diet has also been shown to reduce high blood pressure, which is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease.
Want to keep your mind in good shape? Here are the 12 best foods for a healthy brain.
Read more: Multivitamins, Memory and Aging: Everything You Need to Know
Leafy greens
Not to repeat after your mother, but she was right. Those leafy greens are really good for you, especially your brain. Spinach, kale, collard greens — you name it. These greens are high in nutrients that boost the brain such as beta-carotene, folic acid, lutein and vitamin K. Additionally, research has shown that plant foods can be particularly good for counteracting cognitive decline.
Recommended daily intake: Aim for approximately 1/4 cup per dayor 1.5 to 2 cups per week.
Nuts
Nuts are touted as a source of protein and healthy fats. But they’re also great brain food. Each nut has unique benefits, and incorporating pistachios, macadamia nuts, and almonds into your diet will definitely support your brain health. But for a real mental strength boostthen go for walnuts. They are packed with omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, both of which are important for preventing mental decline.
Recommended daily intake: A Study 2021 found that adults who ate 15 to 30 grams of nuts per day had significantly higher cognitive scores than those who ate less.
Coffee and tea
You may be used to drinking coffee or tea to stay awake, but these caffeinated beverages offer more than just a morning pick-me-up. Researchers have noted that caffeine can the information processing capacity of the brainand coffee also contains many powerful antioxidants, which can help support brain health. In addition to these two, green tea is rich in L-theanine. This powerful amino acid can help dealing with stress and anxietywhich is important for brain function.
Recommended daily intake: To 400 milligrams of caffeine per day (about four cups of coffee or black tea) is generally considered safe for most adults.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are one of the best foods for brain health, thanks to their rich lycopene content. This powerful carotenoid has been shown to help avert cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. A fresh, medium-sized tomato contains about 3.2 milligrams of lycopeneand much more can be found in tomato sauce, tomato paste and ketchup.
Recommended daily intake: Research shows that 9 to 21 milligrams of lycopene per day can be most beneficial.
Whole grains
Whole grains such as whole wheat, oatmeal, barley and brown rice are essential parts of a balanced diet and are known to: support of cardiovascular health. What is less well known is that many whole grains are rich in vitamin E, an important antioxidant that helps reduce the presence of free radicals and prevent neurological damageExperts also favor consume vitamin E in their natural form, rather than through supplements. This makes whole grains a good choice for increasing vitamin E intake.
Recommended daily intake: Guidelines recommend eating at least three servings of whole grains per day, totaling at least 48 grams.
Broccoli
Leafy greens aren’t the only green vegetables on the list of best foods for brain health. Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables are also important. These vegetables contain high doses of glucosinolatesWhen combined with water, these compounds produce isothiocyanates, potent metabolites known to neuroprotective properties.
Recommended daily intake: The USDA recommends that adults: 1.5 to 2.5 grams of cruciferous vegetables per week.
Salmon and tuna
You may get into the habit of avoiding fatty foods, but when it comes to fish, fat is actually good. Fish like salmon and tuna are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are associated with many positive health outcomes, including for the brain. These healthy fats have been linked in particular to lower levels of beta-amyloid in the blood. This harmful protein forms clumps in the brain that often lead to Alzheimer’s disease.
Recommended daily intake: Aim for at least two servings of low-mercury fish such as salmon and light tuna per week.
Berries
An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but a bunch of berries keeps mental decline at bay. Berries are one of the best brain foods because they are packed with flavonoidsThese natural pigments not only make berries colorful, they also improve brain function, especially when it comes to memory.
Recommended daily intake: Eat at least two servings Research has shown that eating berries (half a cup per person) per week can slow memory decline by up to two and a half years.
Dark chocolate
When you’re looking for brain-healthy foods, you might not immediately think of a delicious treat like dark chocolate. But dark chocolate combines many of the benefits of the other foods on this list. It’s packed with antioxidants, flavonoids and caffeinemaking it one of the most brain-healthy foods you can eat. Don’t say I didn’t give you good news.
Recommended daily intake: A little bite of dark chocolate, 30 to 60 grams a few times a week, can help improve brain function. Make sure it is at least 70% dark to get the most benefits, and limit calories from sugar.
Seeds
They may be small, but seeds are packed with nutrients like many nuts and make a great snack to munch on. Sunflower seeds are especially rich in vitamin Ethe brain benefits of which we discussed above. Pumpkin seeds are also a powerful source of antioxidants and important minerals such as copper, iron, magnesium, and zinc. Each of these minerals can help protect against cognitive decline or brain disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, depression and even epilepsy.
Recommended daily intake: Try to eat 1/8 to 1/4 cup seedsthree or four times a week. You can typesfrom pumpkin and sunflower seeds to chia seeds and ground linseed.
Eggs
This go-to breakfast isn’t just good for a morning protein boost. Eggs are also rich in several important nutrients. B vitaminsincluding B6, B12 and B9 (folic acid). Studies show that these vitamins can help prevent brain shrinkage and combat mental decline in the elderly.
Recommended daily intake: For most adults, one egg per day is a good target. Your doctor may recommend more or less based on your overall health and cholesterol levels.
Turmeric
Your spice rack probably isn’t the first place you think of when you’re considering good brain food. But turmeric, a key ingredient in curry powders, isn’t something you want to ignore if you’re looking to support a healthy mind. Turmeric contains curcumin, which has been linked to several positive outcomes for brain health, from protection against Alzheimer’s in support growth of brain cells.
Recommended daily intake: Because turmeric is a spice, you probably won’t get as much as you need from cooking with it alone. Talk to your doctor about whether a curcumin supplement would be a good option for you.
Supplements for a healthy brain
With brain health, as with any type of nutrition, it’s best to meet most or all of your needs through your regular daily diet. In other words, eating the foods we’ve looked at above is the best way to keep your brain functioning well in the long run.
However, if you’re having trouble getting what you need from these brain foods, it may be helpful to incorporate some supplements into your diet. You may want to consider supplements or multivitamins that contain one of the following:
- Vitamin B, especially B6, B12 and B9
- Vitamin C
- Beta-carotene
- Magnesium
- Zinc
- Copper
- Iron
- Curcumin
- Omega-3 fatty acids
Your brain health is critical to your overall health and well-being, so consult your doctor before adding supplements to your diet.
