Maintaining a healthy and balanced diet is of vital importance to prevent brain aging and the decline of mental abilities. Junk food, on the other hand, has just the opposite effect. For this reason, experts recommend keeping a balance diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, not smoking, avoiding a sedentary lifestyle, exercising, and controlling blood pressure and cholesterol.
However, not all of us have the time or wish to take good care of our health. Busy schedule, fast changing life-style, competition, workload, and other aspects push us to accept the sedentary life. Here we share top seven nutrients to add in your daily diet. However, there are supplements in the market. Have you read the Qualia Mind review yet? It is one of the leading brainpower boosters.
Omega-3 fatty acids
Omega 3 is a set of polyunsaturated fats that are essential for various functions in the body, such as muscle relaxation and contraction, coagulation, digestion, fertility, cell division, growth and inflammation control. They are also essential for retinal cells and neurons. In relation to the brain, omega 3 is essential for brain development, work capacity and memory. It positively affects the structure, functioning and development of the brain. Some of the foods rich in these fatty acids are olive oil, soybeans, flaxseeds, fish oil, walnuts, basil, oregano, cloves, broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, cabbage, mustard seeds, cashews, lamb, hemp seeds, tofu, romaine lettuce and strawberries.
Omega 3 fatty acids of marine origin
Marine-based omega-3 fatty acids, such as those found in foods such as shellfish, mackerel, salmon, sardines, anchovies, tuna, sole or hake, are important for the developing brain, protecting against cognitive decline in the elderly. The benefits of EPA and DHA for brain and eye health are widely recognized among scientists and regulators around the world.
Cruciferous vegetables
Cruciferous vegetables are foods with powerful anti-cancer effects, but they are also good for the brain for various reasons, such as their high content of antioxidants and their specific nutrients that help us improve our cognitive functions. To begin with, cruciferous vegetables are rich in potassium, a mineral essential for the proper functioning of the central nervous system. They have a high content of vitamin K, which promotes vitality and longevity. Some of those that we can include in our daily diet are broccoli, Brussels sprouts, turnip and turnip greens, cauliflower, collard greens, radish, kale, mustard greens, red cabbage and watercress. They also have a remarkable index of antioxidants that benefit the maintenance of the body, the skin, and the mind.
Magnesium
Increased magnesium in the brain improves learning abilities, memory and helps prevent strokes, since it affects the speed of connections between neurons. A diet deficient in green leafy vegetables and other foods rich in magnesium favors memory loss. Therefore, to delay the aging of the brain, we recommend eating foods that contain magnesium in appreciable amounts such as halibut (fish), spinach, pumpkin seeds, black or pinto beans, wheat germ, artichokes, almonds, walnuts or soy.
Green Tea
The antioxidant properties of green tea are a powerful stimulant for our brain since it improves cognitive abilities. It also increases connectivity between the frontal and parietal cortex of the brain. Introducing antioxidants in general in our diet has many beneficial effects for our body, helping to prevent heart and brain diseases, supporting memory preservation, and preventing damage caused by the passage of time and keeping our cells protected.
Curcumin
Curcumin is a substance present in turmeric that can provide valuable help in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. What it does is promote the multiplication of stem cells in the brain, trusted by science to treat various neurological disorders, neurodegenerative diseases and brain accidents, such as stroke.