Feeding your brain usually means reading books, studying, and engaging in intellectually-stimulating activities. But you can also literally feed your brain.
While there is no single food that will instantly increase your IQ or permanently preserve your memory, regularly consuming certain foods will help keep your brain healthy and enhance your mental faculties.
Natural health expert Dr. Joseph Mercola shares his top brain foods:
1. Antarctic krill oil – According to Dr. Mercola, the simplest and most profound thing you can do to keep your brain healthy is by optimizing your levels of omega-3 fats. Your brain is almost 60 percent fat, mostly in the form of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and AA (arachidonic acid). DHA is an omega-3 fat obtained primarily from seafood like krill oil and fish oil. Aside from being free from mercury and other contaminants, Antarctic krill oil is superior to fish oil because it contains more omega-3 fats, more antioxidants, is less perishable, and is more easily absorbed by your body.
2. Curry – Many curries contain the yellow spice turmeric, which has demonstrated powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. One animal study showed that turmeric helps reduce beta amyloid deposits–the plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease. In another study, elderly people who ate curry often or very often scored better on mental performance tests compared to those who never or rarely ate curry.
3. Raw eggs – It may take some getting used to, but eating raw eggs is a simple way to improve your brain function and overall health. Egg yolks contain choline, a neurotransmitter that provides flexibility and integrity to the fat-like molecules that form a large percentage of your brain’s mass. Studies show that choline helps enhance your brain function and boosts your thinking capacity and memory. Blend raw eggs with some raw milk, add them to your whey protein shake, or stir gently into your vegetable juice.
4. Raw organic vegetables – Green leafy vegetables like spinach contain antioxidants and phytochemicals that help keep your mind sharp. They contain folic acid, which helps protect against Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Mercola recommends the daily consumption of about a pound of vegetables suited for your unique Nutritional Type for every 50 pounds of body weight. Juicing is an easy and delicious way to consume large amounts of vegetables.
5. Matcha green tea – Green tea naturally contains epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a powerful antioxidant. EGCG helps promote healthy brain function, as well as boost your immune system, fight the signs of aging, support healthy digestion, and keep your gums healthy. Matcha green tea contains up to 100 times more ECGG compared to regular brewed green tea.
6. Wild organic blueberries – The antioxidants in wild organic blueberries, one of Dr. Mercola’s personal favorites, help protect your brain from free radical damage and lower your risk of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and other neurological disorders by helping reverse the effects of aging.
7. Wild red salmon – Harvested from the pristine waters of Alaska, wild red salmon is one of the few remaining fish relatively free from contamination and is rich in omega-3 fat.