What foods should you eat to keep your brain sharp and healthy?
Brain and heart health are linked: diets high in sugar, unhealthy fats and calories may cause poor circulation to brain. But foods in Mediterranean diet can help reduce the risks
We all feel absent-minded sometimes. You may blame your forgetfulness on stress, ageing, or lack of sleep, but eating well is one of the essential ways of keeping your brain healthy.
The health of the brain and the heart are intertwined. Like the heart, the brain needs to be well nourished. A diet that is high in sugar, unhealthy fats and excessive calories, may lead to poor circulation – including poor circulation to the brain
In fact, the health of the brain and the heart are intertwined. Like the heart, the brain needs to be well nourished. A diet that is high in sugar, unhealthy fats and excessive calories may lead to poor circulation – including poor circulation to the brain.
Free radicals present in the body – from the air, water, food, cigarette smoke, and from normal body processes such as breathing, digesting and exercising – can cause damage to body cells.
The presence of free radicals in the body may also increase one’s risk of neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
In other words, eating well will not only keep our heart healthy but also nourish our brain and reduce our risk of cognitive impairment and improve our overall health.
Free radicals present in the body – from the air, water, food, cigarette smoke and normal body processes such as breathing, digesting and exercising – can cause damage to body cells and may increase one’s risk for neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
While there is not one specific diet designed for brain health, following the Mediterranean diet as part of your regular meal pattern will bring benefits to both your brain and heart. This diet includes vegetables and fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds, fish and poultry with small amounts of red meat, whole grains and olive oil.
Check out some of the best foods from the Mediterranean diet to have as part of your healthy diet.
Fish and seafood
Eating fish and seafood twice a week may reduce one’s risk of heart disease, cognitive impairment and dementia. Specifically, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) has been widely studied and known to be beneficial to the heart and the brain. DHA is found in seafood and fatty fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel and herring, which get their omega-3 from eating algae and seafood.