Diet for Brain Health: Support Memory With Smart Nutrition
A healthy diet does more than help you avoid getting sick or maintain a healthy weight. It can boost your brain health as you age.
A diet for brain health is similar to diets you may have heard of to help conditions like high blood pressure or obesity. Brain-boosting foods include staples like spinach and broccoli as well as more surprising recommendations like coffee. In Clinton, IA, you can take advantage of the local farmers' market for fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables.
Learn some senior nutrition tips that support memory-focused wellness and help you live a longer and healthier life.
Leafy Green Vegetables
Leafy greens like spinach, kale, and broccoli are rich in nutrients that support brain health, including:
- Vitamin K
- Lutein
- Folate
- Beta carotene
Studies have found links between these nutrients and cognitive benefits.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin perhaps best known for its role in blood clotting. A study supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) found a correlation between adequate concentrations of vitamin K in the brain and better cognitive function.
Lutein
Lutein is a carotenoid that supports eye health as well as brain health. Higher concentrations of lutein correspond to higher performance on cognitive function tests in areas like processing speed, accuracy, and completion ability. Lutein is especially powerful in combination with omega-3 fatty acids.
Folate
Folate is a form of vitamin B9. It's essential for making neurotransmitters and myelin, the insulating layer that forms around nerves in the brain.
Beta Carotene
Beta carotene is an antioxidant and a carotenoid. The body turns it into vitamin A.
Beta carotene slows the activity of a brain protein linked to neurodegenerative disorders. Researchers suspect that the cognitive benefits of beta carotene are related to its role as an antioxidant, as reported in Brain Science.
Fatty Fish
Fatty fish are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, which have health benefits for your brain and heart. Omega-3s play a key role in cognition and cognitive development throughout our lives.
A review of the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on brain function published in Cureus found evidence for benefits like:
- Better memory performance
- Better cognitive performance
- Improved blood flow in the brain
The USDA recommends eating at least two servings of fatty fish each week. Fish with the highest concentrations of omega-3s include:
- Salmon
- Tuna
- Anchovies
- Sardines
- Trout
- Herring
- Mackerel
- Oysters
- Mussels
Farm-raised salmon seems to provide the same health benefits as wild-caught salmon; canned tuna is just as beneficial as fresh tuna.
Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds can play a role in a cognitive support diet. They're nutrient-dense and contain unsaturated fats, fiber, minerals, and antioxidants.
Walnuts
Walnuts are an excellent source of the omega-3 fatty acid ALA. They contain antioxidants and anti-inflammatory polyphenols. Studies suggest these compounds can improve brain function and slow down cognitive decline.
Pistachios
Eating nuts strengthens brainwave frequencies associated with cognition and memory. A study from Loma Linda University Health found that pistachios stimulated a strong gamma wave response, which helps with cognitive tasks like:
- Learning
- Cognitive processing
- Information retention
- Perception
Pistachios are a good source of antioxidants. They also contain L-arginine, which your body transforms into a compound that keeps blood vessels healthy.
Chia Seeds
Chia seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants including polyphenols. They're also a good source of fiber.
Antioxidants protect against cell damage, which the Harvard Medical School reports may slow the onset of Alzheimer's disease.
Flax Seeds
Flax seeds are another excellent source of omega-3s. Your body can absorb the nutrients better from ground or milled flax seeds. You can also get omega-3 fatty acids from flax seed oil.
Coffee and Tea
Coffee and tea support memory-focused wellness in several ways. Caffeine improves memory performance even beyond the short-term concentration boost you get when you drink it. Coffee has a protective effect against Alzheimer's disease that researchers in Neural Regeneration Research suggest may be due to polyphenolic acids.
Green tea is a rich source of antioxidants and polyphenols. A study reported in Medical News Today found that people who regularly drink green tea had fewer brain lesions associated with dementia.
The MIND Diet
The MIND diet was created specifically as a cognitive support diet to help prevent Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. The name stands for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay. DASH is the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet.
The MIND diet encourages people to eat nine foods with proven benefits for cognitive health:
- Green leafy vegetables (at least six servings a week)
- Other non-starchy vegetables (at least once a day)
- Berries (twice a week)
- Nuts (at least five servings a week)
- Olive oil
- Whole grains (three servings a day)
- Fatty fish (at least once a week)
- Beans (at least four servings a week)
- Poultry (at least twice a week)
You aren't limited to these nine foods. Try to prioritize them, though, to get the greatest benefits from the diet.
The MIND diet recommends five foods to avoid, namely:
- Butter and margarine
- Cheese (no more than once a week)
- Red meat (no more than three servings a week)
- Fried food
- Pastries and sweets (no more than four times a week)
Studies have shown the benefits of the MIND diet on brain health, as reported in Healthline. One study found that people who followed the MIND diet had faster information processing speed.
People who followed a caloric-restricted MIND diet had higher scores on working memory, verbal recognition memory, and attention.
Improve Your Diet for Brain Health
Small changes can significantly improve your diet for brain health. Adding more beneficial foods, like leafy green vegetables and fish, while limiting foods like sweets, red meat, and cheese can boost cognitive performance.
At Addington Place of Clinton, you know you're getting the best possible nutrition. Our chef-prepared meals feature the freshest ingredients. You can enjoy healthy meals for aging, including new dishes and homestyle favorites.
Schedule a tour of Addington Place of Clinton today to see how dining is just one of the many ways we care for our residents.