Your memory is a time machine, taking you back to places you’ve been and projecting you forward to places you want to be based on your experiences. As the years pass, however, the equivalent of coding errors and mechanical failures sometimes jumble things up, making protecting your memory and maintaining its sharpness a priority for aging gracefully in Loveland, Colorado. Fortunately, nature provides when it comes to food that helps fine-tune your cognitive processes. Let’s look at some of the common memory-enhancing foods you can eat to keep your time machine functioning properly.
Powerful compounds within berries called antioxidants enhance blood flow to the brain, which in turn enhances cognitive function. For instance, blueberries are rich in anthocyanins, a compound known to support memory function. Strawberries contain loads of oxidative stress-reducing vitamin C, while raspberries boast quercetin and gallic acid, both of which support brain health. Though known for promoting good urinary health, cranberries also include flavonoids — antioxidants that help protect the brain from age-related decline.
Leafy greens, especially the dark ones, offer a plethora of superfood benefits for both your body and your brain. Take spinach — this folate-rich leafy green reduces homocysteine, a compound related to cognitive decline. Vitamin K in kale plays an essential role in mental processing, while the antioxidants in the leafy green help protect brain cells. Swiss chard ticks off all the boxes when it comes to memory-boosting power with its heaping helpings of folate, magnesium and vitamin K. Collard greens bring on the boost with vitamin C and beta carotene, which support inflammation reduction.
Nuts and seeds are great for snacking, providing satisfying saltiness and crunch, but they also do their part in preserving your memory. For example, almonds protect your gray matter from oxidative stress with vitamin E, while pistachios contain lutein and zeaxanthin, which protect both the brain and eyes from inflammation. Likewise, flaxseed includes anti-inflammatory alpha-linolenic acid, while pumpkin seeds boast zinc and magnesium to support cognitive health.
If you love fish like salmon, sardines and mackerel, you’re in luck. These fatty fish are (literally) packed to the gills with omega-3 fatty acids, compounds that are essentially like fuel for your time machine. In addition to inflammation-reducing compounds like DHA and EPA within the fatty acids, these fish also support cognitive function with healthy proteins that promote neurotransmitter synthesis. This process helps the brain more easily form and retain new connections by delivering a steady supply of dopamine and serotonin. Astaxanthin in some fatty fish also adds to the benefits with protection against oxidative stress.
When you need a reliable energy supply for the brain, whole grains like quinoa, brown rice and oatmeal have you covered. These mainstays of a balanced diet have other benefits as well, including dietary fiber that helps stabilize your blood sugar and support good cognitive function. B vitamins also promote brain health, as do inflammation-fighting antioxidants and phytochemicals. Tryptophan in whole grains offers the added advantage of mood regulation, which can encourage contentment and reduce irritation for indirect support of cognitive health.
When you want to give your foods a vibrant golden hue and spicy taste, you turn to turmeric, but did you know this spice supports cognitive function as well as beautiful color and delicious flavor? Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties in this spice’s active ingredient, curcumin, may encourage improved memory, and it also promotes production of a growth hormone called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which supports brain cell growth and survival.
Made from cocoa, which is full of flavonoids, dark chocolate may reduce inflammation and oxidative stress to ward off cognitive decline in seniors. Small amounts of caffeine also provide a gentle brain boost by increasing blood flow and energy, which can help you better concentrate and focus on details. Additionally, dark chocolate triggers neurotransmitters like dopamine and may also assist in endorphin production, potentially improving and regulating mood for cognitive well-being.
Rich in monounsaturated fats that increase blood flow to support brain health, avocados also contain many of the vitamins, minerals and compounds in other entries on this list, plus many others. This means that in addition to folate, vitamins C, E and K and dietary fiber, avocados also boast blood pressure-regulating potassium that potentially enhances memory function and the antioxidant zeaxanthin to promote inflammation reduction.
An abundance of healthy proteins makes eggs a star in any meal — morning, noon or night. These breakfast staples are good for more than just providing clean energy, however, because they're one of the best sources of dietary choline. This nutrient is thought to play a vital role in how brain cells communicate and may also reduce inflammation for improved cognitive function.
The time machine of your memory can take you places your body may not, so it makes sense to protect your cognitive health with informed food choices. Fortunately, the always available menu at Bethesda Gardens Loveland simplifies finding and eating foods that support your noodle plus other vital systems in your body to potentially improve your overall health.
