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Vegetarian Brain Foods

Brain research brings good news for vegetarians. Science touts many common vegetarian foods as brain-boosting, cell-saving nutritional powerhouses. Current nutrition science suggests that brains function best on a diet low in cholesterol and rich in healthy fats, minerals and antioxidants.

  1. Brain-Saving Antioxidants

    • Antioxidants get loads of attention in nutrition news; they're the nutrients like vitamins C and E that protect cells from the ravages of time. Nutrition information from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine says that fruits like melon, citrus and berries constitute good sources of vitamin C, while vitamin E appears in nuts, seeds and wheat germ.

    Brain-Boosting Nutrients

    • B vitamins and folic acid help keep the nervous system in peak condition. A University of Iowa report says that vitamins B1, B5 and B6 provide especially strong benefits; all three appear in legumes and whole grain cereals. Pasta and rice also provide good doses of vitamin B1, and nuts offer B6. Fruits, beans and leafy vegetables provide plenty of folic acid, which boosts brain function. Vitamin B12 also boosts brain power, and appears in eggs and milk. Vegans, who don't eat eggs or dairy, get their B12 from nutritional yeast, fortified cereals and soy milks or supplements.

    Minerals for Mind Health

    • Magnesium, potassium and calcium also keep the brain and nervous system buzzing along. University of Iowa dietitian Mindy Fretz recommends grains, nuts, beans and green vegetables for good doses of magnesium. Potassium appears in potatoes, avocados and most fruits. While many people turn to dairy products for calcium, vegans get theirs from dark leafy greens, tofu, soybeans, almonds, sesame seed paste and molasses.

    An Ounce of Prevention

    • Brain-friendly blueberries have a well-earned reputation. The U.S. Agricultural Research Service says the antioxidants in blueberries can help aging brains retain youthful vigor and might even battle the plaque buildup that can diminish brain function in the elderly and people with Alzheimer's disease. Strawberries and spinach perform almost as well as blueberries in these studies. The doctors at the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine say that vegetarian diets not only feed the brain plenty of antioxidant-rich foods, they also decrease or eliminate the intake of age-accelerating saturated fats and cholesterol.

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