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Foods That Help Enhance Memory

Diet can affect both physical and mental health. Like the body, the brain needs several nutrients to stay healthy and function properly. Foods that may enhance your memory and improve brain function include grapes, berries and walnuts.

  1. Concord Grapes

    • Grapes, specifically dark grapes such as Concord, contain substances called polyphenols, which are responsible for many health benefits. Some of these benefits include protection against heart disease and help in lowering cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Another benefit of grapes is their ability to help enhance brain function, including the prevention of memory loss. According to the May 10 2005 issue of the "American Journal of Physiology," the polyphenols in grapes have been found to improve both short and long term memory.

    Berries

    • Like grapes, berries are high in polyphenol content. Berries have been scientifically found to help memory loss that is associated with aging. A report in the January 2009 edition of "Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care" explains that if you consume berries for an extended period of time, the polyphenols from the berries can accumulate in the brain, where they help influence signals that are transmitted from cell to cell. The interaction of the polyphenols with the brain's neurons reduces damage that can be caused by aging, and help the neurons continue to function normally. Darker berries such as blackberries, blueberries and raspberries are excellent choices to help improve memory.

    Walnuts

    • Walnuts not only contain polyphenols, they are also high in antioxidants and contain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which enhance memory function in both aging and developing brains. The September 2009 "PUFA Newsletter" states that when consumed for six months, PUFAs were found to increase the verbal learning ability and memory in children aged 7 to 9 years old. Another study performed by Tufts University, published in the "British Journal of Nutrition" in 2009, states that along with the PUFAs in walnuts, other nutrients such as polyphenols, vitamin E, folate and melatonin can also be responsible for improved memory function after supplementing the diet with walnuts. A word of caution; consuming PUFAs in extremely high amounts can have a negative affect on memory function, although the reason why can not yet be scientifically determined.
      Eating a handful of berries, grapes and/or walnuts per day will improve your memory function as well as your overall health.

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