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Food & Brain Power

According to Everyday Health, studies have shown that diets rich in certain foods can increase brain function and keep your brain healthy as you age. Many age related conditions can affect the brain's ability to function later in life. Concentrate on eating fruits, vegetables, oily cold-water fish, nuts, seeds and whole grains, as these foods offer essential nutrients for brain function.

  1. Antioxidants and B vitamins

    • Healthy Holistic Living states that oxidative stress, a process where pollutants in the body damage cells, causes a decrease in brain function. Antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin E, beta carotene, and selenium can reduce the stress and aging in the brain due to the oxidative process. Antioxidants are common in fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains. B vitamins, such as folic acid and niacin, control inflammation and promote development of new brain cells.

    Fruits, Vegetables and Legumes

    • Complex carbohydrates are long molecules that take the body longer to break down, supplying the body and brain with fuel over a longer period of time. Foods that contain complex carbohydrates have a lower glycemic index. Fruits and vegetables are some of the best complex carbohydrates. Fruits such as grapefruit, apples, cherries, oranges and grapes, and legumes including soybeans, kidney beans, chick peas and lentils are healthy brain foods.

    Nuts and Seeds

    • Nuts and seeds are essential to a healthy, well-functioning brain. Healthy Holistic Living states that some nuts and seeds are high in omega-3, essential to the brain development of an unborn fetus and growing child. The USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory produces a chart of foods with highest oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC). These are foods ranked by their antioxidant strength. Nuts, including pecans , walnuts and hazelnuts, are among the highest listed on the chart.

    Fish and Oils

    • The speed at which brain cells communicate with each other is vital. If communication is slow at the cellular level, memory and responses are slow as well. As people age, the brain produces less neurotransmitters, causing problems with memory and communication. According to Everyday Health, omega-3 fatty acids increase electrical signals between cells, stabilize cell membranes and improve mental concentration. Omega-3 fatty acids are in oily cold-water fish, such as salmon, bluefish, tune, mackerel and herring.

    Foods to Avoid

    • Increase Brainpower states that just as there are foods that increase brain function, there are foods that decrease brain function. Artificial sweeteners, sugars and food coloring can negatively affect brain power. These products (especially corn syrup) are in many foods and drinks such as sodas, frosting, prepackaged meals and sweets. Alcohol, nicotine and other drugs also decrease the brain's ability to function.

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