There are certain foods and vitamins recommended in order to keep your brain functioning better. Of course, eats lots of fruits and vegetables every day is advised for overall health, too, but here are some specifics that go beyond the basic fruits and vegetables.
The foods to add to your diet include salmon, eggs, kale, blueberries, and mustard. Canned tuna, trout, sardines, walnuts, avocados, olive oil, canola oil and flaxseeds are also included in the list. The seasoning to add is tumeric. The vitamins to add daily include DHA Omega-3 and vitamin D-3.
Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen recommend taking 900 mg of the DHA Omega-3 because “your brain is 60 percent fat and half of that is DHA, which keeps your brain cells flexible, fluid, and communicating well. DHA also fights memory loss.” They say, “Your body can’t make DHA, so you have to get it from food and supplements.” If you are concerned about fish toxins, there are some DHA supplements made from algae.
For vitamin D-3, the physicians recommend taking 1,000 IU if you are under age 60 and 1,200 IU if you are over age 60. They say that this vitamin “helps blood flow to your brain, among many other benefits.”
They explain that a daily teaspoon of tumeric “helps clear cellular waste from your brain.” By the way, tumeric is in curry and mustard.
Of course, avoiding saturated and trans fats, added sugars and syrups, and other unhealthy foods is also recommended.
New research, which looked at foods, nutrients and brain sizes via scans, as well as memory tests, supports these recommendations in order to prevent the brain shrinkage seen in forms of dementia like Alzheimer’s.
Changing your diet to regularly include these foods not only adds to your overall health, it aids in the health of your brain. There are so many recipes out there now that include these foods, it makes it easier to find a way to enjoy them without too much disruption in your routine. The healthier we are, the longer we can avoid assisted living that would be necessary due to a decline in our memory.
