Foods That Help Your Brain Retain Its Cognitive Skills

Following the right diet can amp up your brain health and cognitive skills 

Ageing is a natural process. There is no magic pill to prevent cognitive decline, and no single almighty brain food to ensure the sharpest brain. What we as nutritionists emphasize is to follow a healthy dietary pattern that includes a lot of vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains. Also, one must try to get protein from plant sources and fish and choose healthy fats, such as olive oil or canola, rather than saturated fats.

Key brain-health nutrients

Omega 3 fatty acids

The brain is made of 60 per cent fat. In fact, the brain, after adipose tissue, is the organ richest in lipids, whose only role is to participate in membrane structure and repair brain cells.

• The 3 most important Omega 3 Fatty Acids are ALA, EPA, and DHA. 
• Consuming a diet rich in foods like fatty fish, kale, spinach, soybeans, walnuts, and seeds, such as chia, flax, and hemp, seed oils like flaxseed and rapeseed, can enrich the brain with healthy Omega-3s.
• Consuming such a diet has also been shown to reduce inflammation and may help prevent chronic diseases such as heart disease and arthritis.

B – Vitamins 

Eggs, chicken or red meat (liver and kidney), dark green vegetables, such as spinach and kale, whole grains and cereals, beans, such as kidney beans, black beans, and chickpeas, nuts, and seeds are rich in B-vitamins which may help prevent dementia and boost the production of neurotransmitters, improving brain health.

Antioxidant-rich foods 

Antioxidant-rich foods reduce cellular stress and inflammation, reducing brain ageing and neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Including berries, dark chocolate which are rich in flavonoids, beta-carotene rich foods like carrots, and dark green leafy vegetables would ensure adequate antioxidants in our diet. 

Emerging brain-boosting diets

*Mediterranean diet: There is some evidence that people who eat a Mediterranean diet have a lower risk of developing dementia and have improved cardiovascular health.

• Zone diet: The ‘Zone diet’ has also been shown to reduce inflammation and help brain health. It includes restricting simple carbohydrates in the diet (like maida and white rice) to 40 per cent, protein and fat to 30 per cent.
• Ketoflex diet 12/3: Taking food within a 12-hour feeding window period and finishing the last meal 3 hours before sleeping is also a brain-healthy diet.
• Calorie restriction: Studies have also shown that calorie restrictions like reducing 10 per cent to 20 per cent of calories from our daily diet can also help our cognitive health.
• MIND: Researchers have developed and are testing another diet, called MIND, a combination of the Mediterranean and DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diets. According to observational studies of more than 900 dementia-free older adults, closely following the MIND diet was associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s and a slower rate of cognitive decline.

Other important factors that affect brain health are: sleep patterns, physical activities like walking and resistance strength training, ensuring social cohesion and strong community interaction,  reducing stress, learning new skills or involving in brain-stimulating activities.

Ultimately, the brain is part of our body, and what nourishes the body nourishes the brain too!

Are you conscious of improving your brain health through food? Share your experience with us in the comments below.