Food for Healthy Minds

With much of the recent focus on heart-healthy foods, you might not realize that these same foods provide additional benefits to the brain and nervous system. Foods that strengthen the health of nerve cells, or neurons, sustain brain health and maintain brain activity. Consuming such brain-healthy, nutrient-rich fare on a regular basis not only invigorates your brain function, but it also keeps age-related mental decline at bay.

Blueberries

• The anthocyanin in blueberries might help the growth of new neurons.

  Blueberries' benefits to brain function might lie within the anthocyanin dyes found in the tiny fruit. Anthocyanin dyes promote neurogenesis --- the growth of new neurons. This neurogenesis occurs mainly within the hippocampus, the center of the brain responsible for retaining memory and promoting learning. Other chemicals in blueberries relax blood vessels, thus decreasing the likelihood of clotting that can lead to debilitating strokes.

Curry

• Curcumin, an ingredient in turmeric, might protect against damage from free radicals.

  A substance in turmeric might decrease the amount of plaque in Alzheimer's disease patients' brains. Curcumin, an antioxidant found in curry, guards against inflammation, defending cells from damage by free radicals. Researchers from UCLA, in conjunction with the Veterans Administration, examined macrophage activity in the brains of six Alzheimer's patients. Macrophages are cells within the immune system that consume harmful agents and waste products, including the destructive amyloid beta. The brains of Alzheimer's patients contain amyloid beta, which in turn produces the plaque that causes the disease's symptoms. Curcumin enhances the actions of macrophages in ridding the brain of amyloid beta, notes Dr. Milan Fiala, author of the study and researcher with UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine.

Dark Chocolate

• The epicatechin in dark chocolate can diminish the devastation of a stroke.

  Dark chocolate contains a chemical that protects neurons from further damage after a stroke. A study headed by Sylvain Doré, associate professor of critical care medicine at Johns Hopkins University, found the epicatechin in dark chocolate activated two pathways the brain uses to protect itself in the event of a stroke. The substance is most effective when administered to mice less than six hours after a stroke. The research, however, did not mention the dosage level for epicatechin to produce this shielding effect in humans.

Eggs

• Eggs provide essential choline, the precursor to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.

  Eggs provide a significant dietary source of choline, a substance that converts into the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which allows nerve cells to communicate with one another. A deficiency in acetylcholine may be a cause of Alzheimer's disease and memory decline. Consume choline to have an adequate supply because your body does not make enough. The Food and Nutrition Board recommends a daily intake of 550 mg for men and 425 mg for women.

Fatty Fish

• Salmon is a good source of fatty acids necessary for neuron health.

  Not all types of fat contribute to your waistline. Experts from Harvard University's School of Public Health advise consumption of fatty fish such as salmon or sardines one or two times a week. The omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish protect against damage to the nervous system, especially strokes and Alzheimer's disease. Expectant mothers also can increasing the amount of fatty fish in their meals to promote their babies' healthy brain development.

Legumes

• Beans are a good dietary source of vitamin B9.

  Legumes such as lima beans and soybeans contain significant amounts of vitamin B9, also called folic acid or folate. Because folic acid is water soluble, you cannot retain stores of this vitamin within your body; therefore, you continually must replenish supplies through your diet. Folic acid plays a significant role in the proper development of the baby's neural tube within the womb. The neural tube eventually gives rise to nervous system structures such as the brain and spinal cord. In adults, folate deficiency might lead to slowed mental processing, poor memory and depression.