Top 6 Foods To Increase Brain Function

Our brain is kind of a big deal! It’s our body’s command center, it’s in charge of keeping us alive by keeping our hearts beating, making us breathe, and so much more.

That’s why it’s crucial to keep your brain healthy and strong so that you can live up to your fullest potential.

Nutrition is key when it comes to so many aspects of our lives. If we want to function at our bests, we have to fuel ourselves in the best possible way.

Your brain only takes up 2% of your body weight, but it uses 20% of the calories you consume for energy. The foods you eat play a key role in keeping your brain healthy.

By eating the right foods and eliminating harmful processed ones, you’re even able to boost your brain function. There are certain foods that have been linked to improving specific mental tasks such as memory and focus.

Keep on reading to learn more about 6 key foods that are linked to improving your cognitive function.

Top 6 Foods to Increase Brain Function

1. ⁣Leafy, green vegetables

Leafy, green vegetables such as kale, spinach, and broccoli are rich in brain-healthy nutrients. They’re packed with vitamin K, lutein, folate, and beta carotene, all of which are associated with brain health.

Research suggests they may help slow cognitive decline as those nutrients play a role in protecting your brain against inflammation and neuronal damage. To experience the best benefits try to consume those vegetables daily.

2. Fatty Fish

Fatty fish, such as salmon or sardines, is a top source of omega-3 fatty acids that help build our cell membranes. About 60% of your brain is made of fat. Half of it is the omega-3 type of fat, making omega-3 consumption essential for improved learning and memory.

Those essential fatty acids can improve the brain cells’ structure and increase blood flow. Research has found that there’s a connection between omega-3 levels and better-thinking abilities!

Our bodies can’t create Omega-3. Hence, it’s important to obtain them through our diets. Low levels have been linked to increasing the risk of dementia, whereas sufficient levels have been said to help us manage stress and boost the production of one of our feel-good hormones, serotonin.

3. Avocados

Avocados are another great source of healthy fats. They’re packed with unsaturated fat that helps support the brain. Unsaturated fat also acts as a nutrient booster as it helps the body absorb fat-soluble nutrients such as vitamins A, D, K, and E.

Thanks to the monosaturated fats, avocados may also help lower blood pressure whilst promoting blood flow in your brain. To function at our bests, our brain needs oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood as it helps us to focus, and think.

On top of that, they’re full of folate, vitamins B, C, and E, and potassium. All of which also contribute to reducing blood pressure, which is linked to cognitive decline when it’s high. ⁣

4. Nuts

Nuts are packed with protein and healthy plant-based fats. They contain omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants.

They’re also rich in vitamin E, which protects our cells from oxidative stress and contributes to improved cognition. ⁣Vitamin E has been said to be one of the main nutrients that protect us against cognitive decline

Research has shown that a diet that includes nuts, walnuts specifically, has the potential to maintain and improve our cognitive functions whilst reducing the risk of developing illnesses such as Alzheimer’s.

5. Berries

Berries are packed with flavonoid antioxidants, the natural plant pigments that give the berries their colors. Research has shown that those antioxidants improve communication between our brain cells, reduce inflammation, and boost our memory.⁣

High antioxidant levels help balance the number of free radicals in our bodies to fight oxidative stress and support a healthy, strong immune system. If the number of free radicals exceeds the number of antioxidants, it can have negative impacts on our cognitive function.

Especially strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries are said to be rich in antioxidants making them especially great for brain health.

6. Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate contains high amounts of cacao that, same as berries, is packed flavonoids. Specific research on cacao flavonoids found that they encourage neuron and blood vessel growth in the parts of our brain that involve memory and learning.⁣

Cacao flavonoids have also been linked to improved blood flow and oxygen levels within the brain. They’re supporting your brain to work more efficiently whilst helping in the prevention of future cognitive impairments.

Not all kinds of chocolate are linked to improved brain function as the brain-boosting nutrients are solely found within cacao.

Therefore, it’s important to opt for chocolate with a high cacao percentage and if you do so, don’t overdo it as even dark chocolate can be high in sugar and calories.

In many ways, we are what we eat! If you eat healthy nutritious meals, you’ll feel energized and at your best! Whereas when you eat junk food with low nutritional value, you’ll feel sluggish, and tired.⁣

If you’re struggling to keep up with a healthy diet and might even suffer from emotional eating, be sure to have a look at my 1:1 coaching program here. I’m sure together we’d be able to get your health back on track so that you’ll have more energy and a stronger mindset which are both needed to successfully run a business.