The brain is an extremely metabolically active organ, making it a very hungry one, and a picky eater at that.The right food, or the natural neurochemicals that they contain, can enhance mental capabilities—help you concentrate, tune sensorimotor skills, keep you motivated, magnify memory, speed reaction times, defuse stress, perhaps even prevent brain aging.
Go to the top of the class by eating breakfast. The brain is best fuelled by a steady supply of glucose, and many studies have shown that skipping breakfast reduces people's performance at school and at work. Balances may shift, but harmony and health are the hallmarks of our existence. When all the elements are present you can experience the vigor, vitality, and creativity that is your birthright.
* Drink 1.5 to 2 litres of water a day to keep your brain well hydrated.Oxygenate your brain by exercising and eating little and often.
* One study found that women who increased their folic acid, vitamin B12 and vitamin B6 intake showed an improvement in recalling information compared to women who were not taking a supplement.
* Blueberry extract and sage can improve short term memory loss. Vitamin E might help to prevent poor memory. Nuts are a great source of vitamin E along with leafy green vegetables, seeds, eggs, brown rice and wholegrains.
* Carbohydrates: To maintain adequate levels of the brain fuel glucose, it's important to eat often enough.Nutritious foods can also be high on the glycemic index . These include starchy vegetables such as corn, potatoes, winter squash, and cooked or juiced carrots and beets. Whole grains and whole grain breads, cereals, and crackers are also healthy high-glycemic foods.
Mix high-glycemic fruits or fruit juices in a blender with nuts and whey protein powder. Non-starchy vegetables are also stabilizing to blood sugar levels. Eat them steamed or raw, in salads or stir-fried.
* Choline : Body and mind both benefit from a dietary supplement called choline.Extra choline in the adult diet boosts brainpower,may sometimes improve memory .Generating far more excitement is evidence that supplemental choline given to a pregnant female can offer her offspring a wealth of life-long benefits. A shortage of choline in the diet may cause liver damage.Ex.: egg yolks ,A tall glass of skim milk ,orange juice, baked goods, and pasta—fortified with choline-rich soy lecithin.
* Essential fatty acids (EFAs) : The benefits of EFAs during growing years (especially up to age 3) are startling: They enhance cognitive, aural, and optic development; help control aggressive behavior; and reduce the long-term risk of depression and mental illness. Omega-6s, found in cereals and vegetable oils, are easy to work into your child's diet, but omega-3s tend to be trickier. Fish, flaxseed, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, all eggs, and leafy greens are good sources
* Acetylcholine (ACh) :This neurotransmitter excites other neurons and may be responsible for memory. Neurotransmitters are made from amino acids found in protein foods e.g., meat, fish and cheese.cetylcholine rich foods include: egg yolks, peanuts, wheat germ, liver, meat, fish, milk, cheese and vegetables (especially broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower .
* Dopamine : It generally excites and is involved in movement, attention and learning but is also inhibitory. It is involved with voluntary movement, emotional arousal.Dopamine rich foods include: all proteins (meat, milk products, fish, beans, nuts, soy products)
* Serotonin (or 5-HT): Usually inhibits and is involved in arousal and sleep, mood, appetite and sensitivity. However, it is also excitatory and is part of the brain's reward system producing feelings of pleasure.Serotonin rich foods are carbohydrate based e.g., pasta, starchy vegetables, potatoes, cereals, breads.
* Get pumpkin seeds which is enriched with zinc, vital for enhancing memory and thinking skills.
* Vitamin C has long been thought to have the power to increase mental agility. Broccoli; a great source of vitamin K, which is known to enhance cognitive function and improve brainpower.
* A smart choice for lunch is omelette and salad.A salad packed full of antioxidants, including beta-carotene and vitamins C and E, should also help keep an ageing brain in tip-top condition by helping to mop up damaging free radicals.Just make sure you avoid junk food, and especially highly processed goodies such as cakes, pastries and biscuits, which contain trans-fatty acids.
* Wild salmon is not only an incredible food for brain health, it qualifies as incredible across virtually every other health standard as well and is clearly one of the healthiest foods that one can eat.
* Kidney beans: Fiber lowers cholesterol and fosters a steady energy supply to the brain. Folate lowers artery-damaging homocysteine and boosts neurotransmitters to improve alertness, memory and mood. Iron aids cognition by making enzymes essential for neurotransmitter function. Thiamin (vitamin B1) aids attention and memory by boosting the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Tryptophan is a precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin.
* Whole Wheat Bread: Fiber. Thiamin (B1). Ferulic acid is an antioxidant that prevents cognitive decline. Glucose furnishes energy and neurotransmitter components. Iron contributes to enzymes essential for neurotransmitter function. Riboflavin (B2) contributes to acetylcholine. Vitamin E is a brain antioxidant.
* Apples: Pectin fiber. Epigallocatechin is an antioxidant that may prevent cancer. Quercetin is an antioxidant that preserves brain function, prevents Alzheimer's disease and boosts oxygen supply by aiding lung function.
* Fish oil: Most healthy people should count on getting omega-3s -- and other needed nutrients -- from whole foods. Tofu and other soy foods, canola oil, flaxseeds and walnuts contain alpha-linolenic acids, which the body can convert into omega-3 fatty acids.Choline. Cobalamin (B12). Niacin (B3). Omega-3 fatty acids protect the heart, lower cholesterol, preserve nerve-cell function, relieve depression and fight inflammation. Pyridoxine (B6) contributes to acetylcholine.
* Iodine is particularly important for children – and if they don't get enough they can end up with an IQ 10-15 points lower than they would otherwise. Globally iodine deficiency is a huge problem with estimates that as many as 50 million children are affected worldwide – most of them in developing countries.
* Lycopene, a powerful antioxidant found in tomatoes, could help protect against the kind of free radical damage to cells which occurs in the development of dementia, particularly Alzheimer's.Eat antioxidant containing fruits and vegetables because they were good sources of fibre. 100 grams of apple for example contains 2.7 g of fibre while 100 grams of turnip contains 2.0 g of fibre.
* Oranges: Folate. Thiamine (B1). Carotenoid antioxidants preserve nerve-cell membranes and prevent vision degeneration. Hesperidin flavonoid preserves blood-vessel function, reduces cholesterol and acts as an anti-inflammatory. Vitamin C is a brain antioxidant and aids neurotransmitter production.
* Red Grapes: Anthocyanin antioxidants preserve nerve cells and prevent cancer. Resveratrol antioxidant protects the heart and especially the brain.
* Milk: Calcium influences neurotransmitter release. Carnitine prevents aging by boosting mitochondria. Choline is a precursor to acetylcholine. Cobalamin (B12) also contributes to acetylcholine and to nerve-cell insulation. Niacin (B3) supports nervous system function.
* Red Pepper: Pectin fiber. Pyridoxine (B6). Vitamin C. Beta-carotene antioxidants preserve brain function. Beta-cryptoxanthin antioxidants protect against vascular disease. Hesperidin and rutin flavonoids preserve blood vessels, reduce cholesterol and act as anti-inflammatories. Luteolin antioxidants help prevent heart disease and stroke.
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