Brain Foods Are in a Large Menu of Healthy Food

Regarding brain foods, it’s so true that you are what you eat. Concerning brain health, not only is that true, but how you age regarding brain functions is based on the foods that you eat and if you add things to your diet that hurt brain cells and their functions. The brain foods that become friends of the brain regarding dementia and especially Alzheimer’s disease are inflammation fighters. These inflammations are not necessarily from infections but basically refer to how our entire bodies react to objects that are perceived as foreign bodies.

In brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease, there are usually two proteins found called the Tau and Amyloid proteins. They become tangles and eventually turn into plaques. The human response is these plaques are seen by the body’s mechanisms to be foreign bodies that need to be killed off resulting in good cells being destroyed along with the bad cells. The brain becomes injured and cognitive functions such as memory, the ability to learn, and task functions are forever gone. As the disease advances, the patient no longer has the ability to perform even the easiest of tasks. Right now there are about five million people dying the slow death of Alzheimer’s disease. In twenty to forty years that number will greatly increase as baby boomers will have reached an age when Alzheimer’s diagnoses numbers will increase rapidly.

The question becomes how do we keep our brains healthier for longer periods of time? While research indicates that we can fight brain inflammations with brain foods, we can also increase the flow of blood to the brain as well as improve the health of brain cells and neurotransmitters. Research is telling us that this should begin in childhood and be maintained throughout life.

“Senility” is one of the greatest feared words among older people. The ideas of losing one’s mind and having to be cared for by others is worrisome. Unfortunately, some degree of memory loss is normal as we age. We are all born with billions of brain cells…

Get the rest of the story here

For instance, yogurt can be fed to children who are not lactose intolerant. The reason is that yogurt is filled with amino acids such as tyrosine. It helps produce neurotransmitters as well as dopamine. These help to sustain memory of the brain in centers like the hippocampus.

Walnuts are filled with omega-3 fatty acids which promote all cognitive functions and reduce depression. Along with walnuts, are eggs which also have that fatty acid, but contain choline which the brain uses to also manufacture neurotransmitters and add wild caught Alaskan Salmon to the menu of omega-3 fatty acids and you have increases in attention span, concentration, and motivation. These brain foods help to prevent aging of the brain.

Turkey is another of the great brain foods which is often overlooked as it’s thought of as part of the Thanksgiving Day holiday feast which is loaded with a lot of dishes that are enhanced with sugar and butter. Turkey is actually rich in anti-oxidants which can fight free radicals in the brain.

Oranges and tomatoes are great brain foods. Oranges are a great source of anti-oxidants and contain high amounts of vitamin C as well as folic acids which help the brain regarding cognitive function. Tomatoes are another of the brain foods which fight off cancer and have high amounts of anti-oxidants.

We can refer to these foods and many others such as blueberries, coffee, dark chocolate, whole grains, and many other seeds and nuts as part of the great menu of brain foods for our health.

Share

Brain Foods for the Baby Boomers

It is possible that by changing our baby boomer diets to include brain foods, we can maintain a youthful, energetic and positive outlook on life. While what is considered brain food today may not be the answer to solving all things associated with memory loss, mood swings, and concentration, they certainly provide nutrients for a generation that grew up with fifteen cent hamburgers, TV dinners, and lots of sugary things in our diets. The following foods have been researched by medical scientists who work with patients under medically controlled studies.

The major research indicates that the following brain foods should be a part of every person’s diet as long as there is no risk from allergic reactions such as in nuts, eggs, and seeds. These foods have what the brain needs for health, but also help the rest of the body for cellular strength and reproduction.

  • Blueberries – have been proven to increase brain function and reverse declines in motor function, balance, and coordination. They also contain a lot of antioxidants which enable the help the brain to overcome damage from free radicals.

    Brain Foods

    Salmon leaping at Willamette Falls

  • Salmon – has the ability to help the human brain improve mood and cognition which is important to a healthy brain. However, the contaminants in most salmon’s habits have to be considered regarding which kind of salmon is consumed. Regarding that, scientists have recommended Alaskan wild caught salmon. Health benefits include many vitamins and a large amount of omega-3 fatty acid which protects the brain from inflammation which may be the leading cause of Alzheimer’s and dementia.
  • Flax seeds – decrease the risk of diseases of aging in the brain. They also include a large amount of omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 in perfect balance.
  • Coffee – helps with the neurons in our brains that fire away producing adenosine receptors which interact well with caffeine because caffeine is so much like these receptors. It creates stimulant activities in the brain, but does not do so in a way that cocaine would. It actually isn’t habit forming to the function of cells, but the receptors slow down what they would do and let the caffeine stimulate the adenosine receptors.
  • Walnuts – contain omega-3 fatty acids to reduce depression and increase cognitive function. Walnuts also help to increase melatonin production in the brain that helps with sleep challenges. They also lower cholesterol and improve heart function.
  • Avocados – are second only to blueberries regarding brain foods. They have a lot of omega-3 fatty acids as well as numerous vitamins, proteins, and fiber.
  • Eggs – are another great source of omega-3 fatty acids. They are also filled with choline which helps to create healthy brain cell membranes and keeps the membranes flexible so that the neurons are able to send and receive messages.
  • Whole grains – help the neurons in the brain to use carbohydrates so that nerve impulses flow properly. Whole grains contain vitamin B1, B2, and B6 which are important to fighting depression and mental exhaustion.
  • Dark chocolate – helps to produce serotonin in the brain that helps mood as well as impulse control. Dr. Marcus Laux has done extensive research into the effects of dark chocolate regarding brain function. The key with eating chocolate is that it should contain cocoa which is eighty five percent of the products eaten. Anything that has less than that will probably also has sugar and fats in it as well. This would negate the effects of the cocoa.
  • Broccoli – slows cellular aging in the brain and also reduces risk of cancer. Broccoli has been shown to benefit eyesight as well as vitamins that encourage brain cells. The fiber in broccoli helps with the digestive system and rids the body of negative agents.
Share

Brain Puzzles and Overcoming Pain

Brain Puzzles

Can brain puzzles take away postoperative pain? If you’ve ever been through a major surgery, then you know that distractions can help get your mind and body over the pain and discomfort. Evidence is growing regarding the use of brain puzzles of all … [Continue reading]

Do Scientists Know if Brain Supplements Create Intelligence?

Brain Supplements

The mechanisms of intelligence are for more important regarding research for a smart brain than the research that is inconclusive concerning brain supplements. While these are hoped to help with brain function, it’s easier to analyze what works … [Continue reading]

Brain Supplements as a Road to Success

Creatine-3d

Success and brain supplements are very connected. The reason is that when your brain is functioning at an optimum level, sharpness increases and goals as well as tasks become easier. Many researchers in the area of brain health believe that … [Continue reading]

Brain Puzzles Can Change Negative Behavior

Brain Puzzles

Brain puzzles can change the way your brain has been patterned. Most behavioral problems are actually automatic responses to learned situations. Many of these reactions are part of a protected practice learned as a child. These patterns can be turned … [Continue reading]