HEALTHY FOODS FOR THE BRAIN

The old maxim “You are what you eat,”
turns out to be true. New research on so-
called “brain foods” shows that some
chemicals in the foods we eat go right to
our brain cells. Sounds pretty powerful.
But can food really make us more
intelligent, give us smarter kids, improve
memory, help us think more clearly, and
maybe even forestall those so-called
“senior moments,” or worse, dementia?
The answer is a qualified “yes.” Although
no one “miracle” food is going to boost
your brain power instantly, make your kid
a genius, or cure Alzheimer’s, regularly
adding certain foods to your diet will help
you function at your personal best, both
physically and mentally, throughout your
lifetime.
1. Berries
Berries are full of memory-boosting
nutrients. Here’s how they work: When we
talk about getting “rusty” at certain tasks,
we may not be far off. Oxidation, the
process that causes metal to rust, can also
damage brain cells. This oxidative stress as
it’s called, plays a part in many diseases
associated with aging from dementia and
Alzheimer’s to Parkinson’s.
Getting beneficial anti-oxidative
compounds like vitamins C, E, beta-
carotene and other nutrients through food
may help prevent, or at least curtail, the
damage, because they can disarm
potentially cell-injuring free radicals
circulating throughout the system.
Research has shown that beneficial
chemicals called ellagatannis in
raspberries, strawberries and blueberries
are also found right in the hippocampus,
the brain’s memory control center. Talk
about a direct hit!
Blueberries also contain proanthocyanins,
which gravitate toward the striatum,
which is more closely related to spatial
memory. Scientists believe that that these
compounds may enhance the performance
of those parts of the brain, and indeed,
actual animal studies have substantiated
the evidence that they do improve
memory.
2. Cherries
Oxidation is not the only process
associated with diseases of aging.
Inflammation also plays a big role in
everything from heart disease to dementia.
Cherries are nature’s own little anti-
inflammatory pills. They contain Cox 2
inhibitors similar to those found in pain
medications such as Vioxx and Celebrex,
but they also contain compounds called
polyphenols that keep platelets in the
blood from clumping together, so they
don’t produce undesirable side effects—
like heart attacks and strokes—which are
risks associated with the manufactured
drugs. Isn’t Mother Nature clever?
3. That old adage about “an apple a day”
is right on target. Turns out that apples
contain a group of chemicals that could
protect the brain from the type of damage
that triggers neurodegenerative diseases
like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. One of
those compounds, a flavonoid called
quercetin, has been shown to protect the
brain from oxidative injury in animal
studies.
Other chemicals such as phenolic acids
and different flavonoids protect the apple
itself against damage by bacteria, viruses
and fungi—and if they protect the fruit,
just imagine what they can do for us!
Studies suggest that eating apples not only
may help reduce the risk of cancer, but
diminish the risk of neurodegenerative
disorders too.
4. Curry
Turmeric, the yellow spice found in many
curries, contains curcumin, which also has
powerful anti-inflammatory and
antioxidant properties. It may even prove
useful in treating Alzheimer’s; one study
showed a reduction in beta amyloid
deposits, the plaques associated with the
disease, in the brains of animals fed
curcumin-enhanced food. In another
study, elderly people who ate curry often
or very often did better on tests of mental
performance than those who never or
rarely ate curry.
5. egg
The egg has gotten bad press because of
its cholesterol-rich yoke and the
associations between dietary cholesterol
and heart disease. However, that same
yolk contains one of the most important
nutrients for building better brains:
choline.
Getting adequate amounts of choline,
especially early in life—during fetal
development and early childhood—may
help us learn more readily and also help
us retain what we learn. What’s more,
sufficient choline intake early on may give
us the mental building blocks we need to
help keep memory intact as we age.
Stay much away from liquor/hard drugs!