Having a healthy brain is probably one of the most common concerns you can have as you get older. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, “The brain is a complex organ that controls thought, memory, emotion, touch, motor skills, vision, breathing, temperature, hunger and every process that regulates our body.” Just like the heart and other organs, it is essential for it to be taken cared of. The kind of lifestyle that you live, and what you eat in particular matters a lot because it can greatly affect how your brain functions.
So with that in mind, what food exactly should you be eating to promote better brain health as you age? Read on for more insights from health experts.
Strawberries, Blueberries, and Blackberries
As the title above suggests, berries are the way to go if you want a sharper mind. In an exclusive article by CNBC, Dr. Uma Naidoo, a nutritional psychiatrist, faculty member at Harvard Medical School, and author of This Is Your Brain on Food says, "Berries are packed with antioxidants, phytonutrients, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. These nutrients help retain memory, and the fiber content helps feed microbes in the gut to reduce brain inflammation."
The outlet continues, "Strawberries, for example, are rich in flavonoids and may help slow down cognitive decline; blueberries contain different types of flavonoids linked with preventing oxidative stress; and blackberries are great sources of antioxidants, which help brain cell health."
Additionally, Harvard Health Publishing of the Harvard Medical School reports, "Flavonoids, the natural plant pigments that give berries their brilliant hues, also help improve memory, research shows. A study done by researchers at Harvard's Brigham and Women's Hospital found that women who consumed two or more servings of strawberries and blueberries each week delayed memory decline by up to two-and-a-half years."
Similarly, Mayo Clinic shares, "In a 20-year study of over 16,000 older adults, those who ate the most blueberries and strawberries had the slowest rates of cognitive decline. Researchers credit the high levels of flavonoids in berries with the benefit."
Looks like we know what we're stocking up on the next time we drop by the grocery store!
