They say you are what you eat - and this is true in so many different ways.
Of course everybody knows that you should eat a balanced diet and go for a regular exercise.
We do this mostly to lose or keep our weight, and maybe even to avoid heart diseases or high cholesterol levels.
But did you know that eating the right foods can also increase your memory and brain function, and dramatically decrease your risk for Alzheimer's or other memory problems once you get to a certain age?
I found this very interesting Ted Talks from Dr. Neal Barnard today which I will link below, and which explains the connection between an unhealthy diet and memory / brain diseases in great detail.
What to avoid
Sadly, many delicious dishes or food items are actually bad for our health - and this means bad for your brain too.
Specifically, I am referring to saturated fats and trans fats.
Saturated fats is contained in many animal products, specifically dairy items and meat.
They are are solid at room temperature, because of its very tightly packed bonds.
Trans fats can be found naturally in some animal products, but only in small amounts.
Mechanically, they are made from vegetable oils through hydrogenation.
You can find trans fats in many pastries, cookies, cakes, and more.
The Food-Brain-Connection
Alzheimer's is one of the most terrifying, but sadly also one of the most diagnosed diseases that affect the brain and memory.
It's often said that the chances to get Alzheimer's are mostly genetically defined... but that's not the whole story.
Studies have shown that people who consumed quite a lot of trans fats or saturated fats had twice or even triple the risk to develop Alzheimer's at a certain age!
And apart from that, avoiding these types of fats is also beneficial to lower the risk of heart diseases and cholesterol levels.
Now you might be thinking that the risks for someone who isn't genetically prone to Alzheimer's are pretty low to develop the disease.
But what about cognitive impairment? memory loss, mental lapses especially for names and words that increases with age?
This is something that almost all people over the age of 50 experience.
And studies have proven that there is exactly the same connection between these fats and memory ability!
People who mostly avoided saturated and trans fats showed much better memory abilities and brain function.
And even people who are genetically prone to getting Alzheimer's are able to lower their risk of developing the disease by 80% by taking care of their diet !
"Genes are not destiny"-Neal Barnard, in his Ted Talk
Free Radicals
Iron and Copper are contained in different foods, and just like a coin oxidizes, they also oxidize within your body.
This (amongst others) causes the production of free radicals, which are molecules that act like sparks in the brain and destroy neuronal connections, therefore inhibiting your brain's abilities.
Our body actually needs both iron and copper, but nowadays most people consume way too much of it.
Iron gets in our bodies through food that gets cooked in cast-iron pans, and copper can get in our system through drinking water if the pipes are made from copper.
Even many dietary supplements have copper and/or iron in them, because like I mentioned above our body does need them - it's just that we ALREADY consume too much of it!
Antioxidants
So how can we fight those free radicals? With antioxidants!
Vitamin E for example is a powerful antioxidant which is contained in many nuts and seeds, avocados, spinach, and many other vegetables.
Studies have shown that people who ate 8mg of Vitamin E daily cut their risk of developing Alzheimer's in half!
If you pour some nuts in your hand until your palms are covered, that's already about 5 mg of vitamin E.
In nature, there are 8 different forms of Vitamin E - but in dietary supplements, often only one is featured.
If you consume too much of one certain type, the absorption rate for the other forms of vitamin E is being reduced - which is why you should try to actually get those vitamins from food and not rely on supplements.
Fruits are also high in antioxidants - especially grapes and blueberries.
They contain anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants, and this is actually what gives them the intense blue/purple color and protects the fruit from the sun while growing.
A study with people of around age 70 who already had some memory problems had them drink grape juice for 3 months.
After the experiment, the researchers were able to show that the participant's memory and recall had been improved drastically!
And the same experiment works with blueberries as well.
Other foods that are beneficial to your memory, and overall brain abilitiy:
- Coconut oil
- Turmeric
- Asparagus
- Kale
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Tomatoes
- Broccoli
- Quinoa
Images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
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