Let Food Be Thy Key To A “Smarter” Aging

Let Food Be Thy Key To A “Smarter” Aging

by HEAD HEALTH NUTTER on AUGUST 28, 2015

Would you believe that eating a Mediterranean diet and/or 10 other foods can boost your regain your mental powers during your youth? Keep reading because guest blogger, Tony Miller, believes you can!

The aging population often complain of losing their cognitive function. After years the peak of their mental powers, the elderly can start to experience memory loss, mood swings, and loss of focus. It is as if their minds start to reduce its capacity to function optimally.

It is a given fact that age impairs intellectual pursuits. The question is how to prevent aging from making our minds dull. There are plenty of practical means to assist in resharpening your thinking. One of them is the kind of foods that you eat.

Food as mental enhancer
Minding the foods you consume is indeed a brain-saving habit. A recent studyconducted by JAMA Internal Medicine found out that daily serving of Mediterranean diet, especially if it includes nuts and a few tablespoons of olive oil, can boost mental performance. The latest research that backed the previous studies on the efficacy of Mediterranean diet involved a rigorous scientific technique, not just observational studies, a less reliable research method.

The diet comprises fruits and vegetables, as well as unrefined grains and beans. Fish and wine are also included, with just a few meat and full-fat dairy products. The added olive oil and nuts have plenty of phenolic compounds that can reverse oxidative processes. Oxidation kills neurons, according to the study.

Foods for thought
The Mediterranean diet is packed with nutritious ingredients that upgrades our intellectual faculties. But don’t worry if Mediterranean cuisine is not part of your daily diet. There are other foods that can strengthen your mental functions even as aging wears them out. Include some of the foods below:

1. Beet roots
Like spinach, organic beet roots are packed with nitrates, which increases blood flow and oxygen to the brain. Just be wary of the beet roots available in the market, as they are mostly genetically modified.

2. Blueberries
Blueberries are good sources of antioxidants and other phytochemicals that are linked to cognitive development and reduces oxidation in the brain that causes neurodegeneration. Wild buleberries have an extra benefit. They contain high levels of anthocyanin and antioxidants that are known to guard against Alzheimer’s and other neurological diseases.

3. Broccoli and cauliflower
Both broccoli and cauliflower are rich in choline, a vitamin that helps promote brain development. Choline improves the cognitive function of the brain and reduces age-related memory loss.

4. Celery
Celery contains huge amounts of luteolin, a substance found in plants that may calm brain inflammation, a leading cause of mental decline. Luteolin is also found in carrots and peppers.

5. Coconut oil
Coconut oil contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), a type of fat that reaches the liver to produce ketone bodies or ketones. Ketones are known to help restore and revitalize neurons and nerve functions in the brain even after suffering from injuries.

6. Dark chocolate
Quality dark chocolate is filled with nutrients that nourishes the brain. It is a bountiful flavonols that improve the function of blood vessels. It can also provide a short-term mental boost due to its stimulants such as caffeine and theobromine. Moreover, dark chocolate one of the world’s most potent antioxidants. Cacao, the main ingredient in quality dark chocolates, has 15 times more antioxidants than blueberries. It also has 20 times more antioxidants than green tea. Just be cautious on the type of dark chocolate that you buy. Pick the brands with 70 percent or higher cocoa content.

7. Fishes rich in omega-3 fats
Many types of fishes, most notably wild Alaskan salmon, contain omega-3 fats that aid in fighting inflammation throughout your body, including the brain. Omega-3 also provide protection to your brain cells. Numerous studies also tag omega-3 as a potent anti-depressant.

8. Spinach
Spinach is high in folic acid or folate. Folate is another vitamin in the B-complex group that reduces inflammation in the brain. Another substance, nitrates, can also be found in spinach. Nitrates increase blood flow to the brain that enhances mental performance, and prevents or delays dementia.

9. Turmeric
If you like Indian cuisine, you have plenty source of turmeric. Turmeric is a yellow ginger usually found in curry. It contains curcumin, an anti-inflammatory antioxidant. Curcumin can cross your blood-brain barrier making it a potent agent to protect the brain from many neurological disorders.

10. Walnuts
Walnuts are packed with nutrients that reverses brain aging. Even small servings of walnut has the potential to improve memory, concentration and speed up information processing in the brain. This nut variant has DHA, a type of omega-3 fat that helps promote brain healing. It has an abundant nutrients to protect the brain, including folate, melatonin, and vitamin E. It also has antioxidants that add more brain benefits.

Aside from Mediterranean diet, there are other dietary methods to regain the youthful vitality of your brain. Among them are juice fasting. This cleansing of the body by drinking pure juices squeezed from fresh fruits reduces toxins in the body. Alternative doctors point attoxins as a cause of difficulty in concentration and “brain fog.”

Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine, recommended thousands of years ago to make your food your medicine. Follow his advice to see a smarter and healthier you even in an advanced age.

About the Author:

Tony Miller is a fitness and wellness enthusiast who writes for Genemedics Health Institute. He is also an expert author on EzineArticles.

http://livelighter.org/let-food-be-thy-key-to-a-smarter-aging/

Filed Under: Nutrition