Five SuperFoods Proven to Boost Your Brain Power!
If you’re looking for a little extra brain power, what you eat may play a big factor. Research shows that what you eat is one of the most powerful influences on everyday mental processes. Here are some of the best foods to eat for a “brain boost” at school or work:
Fatty Fish
Seafood like salmon, albacore tuna, mackerel and sardines are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, powerful and versatile nutrients that are essential for a healthy mind. About 40 percent of the fatty acids in brain cell membranes are DHA, one of the main omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil. Experts believe it’s probably necessary for transmitting signals between brain cells.
A large and growing library of studies shows the overwhelming benefits fish oils have for the brain.
Green Vegetables
If you love greens, you’re in luck! Salads, stir-fries and side dishes with broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, bok choy and Brussels sprouts. They’re filled with antioxidants like vitamin C and plant compounds called carotenoids, which are great for your brain.
Avocado, Oils, Nuts & Seeds
All of these foods contain an important brain-boosting antioxidant: Vitamin E.
Chocolate
Sweeten your brain-boosting diet with the dark kind (at least 70 percent cocoa): it contains flavonoids, another class of antioxidants that some research links to brain health.
Chocolate is one of nature’s most powerful super foods. It its natural form, it contains a wide variety of minerals, vitamins and antioxidant flavonoids that offer great health benefits. But the benefits of chocolate are generally reversed when milk, cholesterol from milk solids, and/or an enormous amount of refined sugar are added. Cocoa is naturally bitter in flavor so chocolate bars require a lot of sweetening. When cocoa is cooked, it becomes even more bitter. InVite’s® Cocoa Hx® is an uncooked super food within a dietary supplement. This popular product contains all the nutritional components that occur naturally in pure dark chocolate without the saturated fat, sugar and calories found in chocolate bars.
Berries
Research indicates these antioxidant powerhouses may protect your brain, although the mechanism isn’t fully understood. Some scientists think they help to build healthy connections between brain cells.