6 Foods To Help Improve Your Brain Memory Power

Written by Sera Filson - 33 Comments
Categories: health and fitness, self improvement

You’ve probably heard that certain foods can help your memory improve, and will allow you to think with better clarity.

“But what foods are actually considered brain foods?” you may ask.

Believe it or not, there are a copious amount of foods that protect your brain, improving how good it’ll work, and can even generate new brain cells.

Yes, you read it right… new brain cells! You can still generate new brain cells–even when you’re an adult. A common myth recently espoused that brain cells quit occurring once you’ve reached adulthood, but reputable and prolific new research has debunked this myth. Regardless of how old you are, you can make new brain cells.

Keep in mind that all cells need nutrients to continue their growth. This means your brain needs foods that will give it the building blocks it needs to work right. When you have more neurons and connections within your brain, it means you have a stronger memory and your mind can work better.

Keep your life’s memories alive longer, and sharper than ever, with these six foods that will help keep your brain whole and healthy:

1 – Build Your Brain: Healthy Fats

The majority of the cell structure in the brain consists of healthy fats, including the most important healthy fats, called Omega-3 fatty acids. As the brain continues to fix itself and grow additional neurons, it needs a good amount of Omega-3s to be consumed.

The best food sources to get your Omega-3 from, in order of importance, are:

  • Salmon
  • Albacore tuna
  • Flaxseed oil
  • Canola oil
  • Walnuts
  • Wheatgerm
  • Eggs

2 – Protect Your Brain: Antioxidants

As people get older, substances called free radicals, which are floating through the bloodstream, will break down the brain cells. If you don’t put up a fight, you’ll experience loss of memory as you age. However, there are a good deal of antioxidant food sources to choose from. Antioxidants will merge with these free radicals, turning them harmless. Make sure you eat foods that have this healthy food source. Several good sources of antioxidants include:

  • Blueberries (other berries too)
  • Broccoli
  • Carrots
  • Garlic
  • Red grapes
  • Spinach
  • Soy
  • Tea
  • Tomatoes
  • Whole grains

3 – Spark Your Brain: High Tyrosine Proteins

Your brain doesn’t just have neurons, but also neurotransmitters, which are messengers that bring brain signals from one neuron to the next one. Your brain structure might be good, but if your neurotransmitters are insufficient, your brain won’t work right. Some parts of the neurotransmitters, like the tryptophan, are not able to be made by your body. Thus, you must consume food to get them. However, the body can make tyrosine, but you still need to get the proper foods into your diet.

The greatest sources of food to boost your alertness, concentration, and energy are:

  • Dairy products
  • Eggs
  • Seafood
  • Soy

Don’t sabotage yourself, though. Rather, choose the varieties that are low in salt and unhealthy fats.

4 – Hydrate Your Brain: Water

You already know that your body is made mostly of water. And you also know how easy it is to not consume much water and become dehydrated. Even a mild case of dehydration can reduce your mental energy and capacity, causing your memory to become impaired. You should drink at least four liters of water each day, or six to eight 8-ounce glasses.

5 – Brain Building Blocks: Vitamins & Minerals

There are certain kinds of vitamins and minerals that are necessary building blocks for your brain. Of course, you don’t want to become vitamin deficient. So the vitamins and minerals very important to brain functions include:

  • Vit. B6
  • Vit. B12
  • Vit. C
  • Iron
  • Calcium

Deficiencies of the above have been shown to cause learning impairment.

But remember, there are many other nutrients you need, especially micronutrients, that are best found in food. The easiest way to get all your vitamins and minerals every day is to take a multivitamin. Yet it’s hard to find any one multi-vitamin that contains all your micronutrients, so don’t rely on multi-vitamins alone. And never take your vitamins on an empty stomach. No only does doing so often cause you to have an upset stomach, but taking them with food helps the digestive system better assimilate the, so your body (and brain) can better use them.

6 – Regulate Your Fuel Supply: Fiber

Most people don’t realize that fiber is important to the brain, but it’s extremely important. It can help with your brain functions because it can slow down sugar absorption. Your brain works on 100 percent sugar; however, it needs to be delivered steadily and in the proper amounts so as not to overload your brain.

True, fiber in itself might not be considered ‘food,’ but you often get it through foods. Consuming a fiber-rich diet will slow down digestion and gradually release the sugar into your bloodstream.

Foods that contain a good dose of fiber include:

  • Dried fruits – apricots, dates, prunes, raisins
  • Vegetables – broccoli, green peas, spinach
  • Peas and beans – black-eyed peas, kidney beans, lima beans
  • Nuts and seeds – almonds and flaxseed
  • Whole fruit – avocadoes, kiwi, oranges, pears and skin-on apples
  • Whole wheat grains – barley, brown rice, etc.

That’s it! If you’re looking to improve your memory, consuming the foods above will help you. And remember, steer clear of a high-sugar, high fat diet to help keep your brain as healthy possible as you age.

Sera Filson is a health enthusiast and professional student (currently pursing a B.A. in Business Management) who enjoys reading about body contouring and being a fan of Sono Bello on LinkedIn and Sono Bello on Indeed.com.

Don’t Forget To Follow PickTheBrain on Twitter!

Related Articles:

The Massive Benefits of a Healthy Diet and How To Make Yours Stick

How to Achieve Your Goals With Healthy Habits

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  • http://howtolife.com/thanks-and-welcome/ Andy

    ahhh.. water. That’s the one thing I always seem to forget throughout the day. This couldn’t be said enough.

  • http://www.Mazzastick.com Justin | Mazzastick

    Sera,
    I used to take flaxeed in a liquid form . You can also add it onto salads. I have a vegetable garden in my backyard and it is so much better for us than eating processed foods.

  • Al Pittampalli

    I actually eat flax seeds, I mix them with my morning almond milkshake…you should try it, because you get the benefit of the fiber as well.

  • http://www.clintcora.com Clint Cora

    I read this post with some reassurance since many of the foods indicated are already part of my regular diet. It’s interesting about the tea. I have heard that it’s more of the green teas that are more beneficial compared to the black teas.

  • http://sonobello.com Sera Filson @SonoBello

    @Andy Don’t get me going about water! Lol. Our organs, our skin…everything needs it. Water is life.

    @Justin Thanks for the idea for another article: how gardening is good for the soul. :)

    @Al Mmmm! I AM going to try that! (I used to make my own almond milk with a coffee grinder…delicious!)

  • http://www.klonopinwithdrawal.com Klonopin Withdrawal Symptoms

    One important thing to drink is green tea. I drink lots of it. I’ve read a lot of articles where this can prevent cancer. I sincerely hope so…

    Also – a few years ago I had borderline high blood pressure. So what I did was two things. Drink green tea and meditate. The next time I went back to the doctor, I was at text book blood pressure.

  • marie

    Very informative!
    Four liters of water a day sounds a little bit to much.
    I think its recommended to drink 2-3 liters a day :)

  • http://www.theemotionmachine.com Steven

    This was really thorough, and a great reminder to all of us. It’s important to remember that everything we eat is affecting our body/mind in some way. Eat a lot of junk food and you’ll often find yourself sluggish and distracted. Eat healthy and you’ll find yourself more energized and focused.

    Thanks for this!

  • http://yahoo Ronald C Holmes

    i belive a person should take good care of their spirit man as well as their physical body which is destine to live forever in Heaven or Hell by reading the words of God,fasting,and praying to God our Heavenly Father everyday.

  • http://www.how2improvethememory.com/ improve the memory

    Eating healthy foods can definitely boost up your memory. I agree, there is many fruits and vegetables we should eat on a daily basis. Is definitely a little challenging but it’s not impossible to achieve. Thanks for this post it is really helpful!

  • http://www.vijayaclinic.com Dr.Vetrichelvan

    one of the very useful ideas ! thanking you !
    DR.VETRI CHELVAN (Homoeo)

  • http://www.howtoimprovememorypower.net how to improve memory power

    Good blog always comes-up with new and exciting information and while reading I have feel that this blog is really have all those quality that qualify a blog to be a good one.

  • http://shop.best4life.ws/index.php/archives/7061 6大类食物改善你的记忆力 | 五花八门

    [...] 发表于 七月 23, 2011 由 admin 原作者：来源6 Foods To Help Improve Your Brain Memory Power译者尺素 6 Foods To Help Improve Your Brain Memory [...]

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    [...] 原作者：来源6 Foods To Help Improve Your Brain Memory Power译者尺素 6 Foods To Help Improve Your Brain Memory Power [...]

  • Jamesandnita

    my gradmother says water is so good for the body she drank so much of it and she said dont drink to many soads and get plenty of rest and walk alot and she never drank any alcohol and she lived to be 100 years old.                                                                                                                                         Garry                                                                                                                                               QuincyFlorida  

  • Sparkles

    I had a MRI because I loss my sense of smell & taste (very slowly it is coming back)When my Doctor read the MRI to me she said “you have a normal aging brain” never heard it put that way… then again I never had a MRI of my brain before. She said you are keeping your brain healthy in all the right ways.  

    After I read this blog I know I am eating right and now I realize I am feeding my brain the right foods. 

    When we think of doing all the right things for our body we don’t really give much thought to eating right for our brain. Never knew our brain works on  100% sugar 

  • http://www.supplementsformemorytips.com/ Supplements for Memory

    This is such a great post! I came expecting six items to eat and I leave with six different types of things to east and a list for each! Awesome!

  • Grace Koh

    Wow. I eat  those foods all in a day! No wonder there’s improvement in my work quality! :)

  • Nickkijohnson40

    am an african child who find it difficult to concentrate when teacher is teaching in class and cannot absorb what the teacher says in class i guess is has to do with my brain and low IQ. how do i boost them (brain nad IQ)? give me tips

  • http://sghealthyliving.wordpress.com/2011/10/18/brain-power-and-memory-improvement/ Brain Power and Memory Improvement « Food and Health
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  • Felton Patrick

    8x 8 oz glasses of water is equal to 1.9 liters, not 4. Which is it? And is there any reference available for that recommendation?

  • Brainiak
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  • Nikkisphillips

    Hello.
    My name is Nicole, I
    am a year 11 and for a research
    project I am looking into the suggested link between diet and its effect on
    natural memory.

    I was wondering if you had some
    spare time to answer 5 questions I have, or if there was someone you would
    recommend asking.
    Thankyou for your
    time
    Nicole.

  • http://www.facebook.com/bidhan.delhi Bidhan Dutta

    thnx.. itz gud thngs

  • http://www.facebook.com/bidhan.delhi Bidhan Dutta

    thnx.. itz gud thngs

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  • Chookter

    To cut a very long and tedious story short, anything healthy

  • Jamie

    lol im constanly eating gummy bears but this really is gonna make me stop. thanks! im so gonna be the smartest one in my class now!

  • Gopiusha

    great ! Iam going to try it…

  • Raggmopp13

    Sounds good, just gotta make sure u add all of them in meals&snacks

  • Summerpearl

    heeeeyyyyyyyyy rebecca i know your not on hear ;DDDD