Nine foods that help boost your memory
We recognise the importance of good memory during school and college years when rote learning helps us sail through, then disremember it consciously (after all, what's the note-making app in the phone for?), and only begin thinking about it again (in fact, really worrying about it) when it starts the game of hide-and-seek with us... And that unfortunately is happening to us at a younger and younger age now. Forgetting where you kept the keys... is no longer just coffin-dodgers' problem, it's staring at people of all ages these days.
Why's that? Could what we eat have something to do with that? Apparently yes! So while you do take that really sane advice of solving a Sudoku a day, it also makes good memory sense to get clued-in on what to plate to help sharpen your memory and keep kinks away as long as possible.
First, iron. It is not just needed to prevent your face from looking as pale as a ghost (basically keep anaemia away), it also helps carry oxygen to the brain. When iron levels drop, brain tissues too are starved of oxygen, re-sulting in fatigue, and memory loss. So consciously load up on iron-rich foods: extra-lean red meat, beans, peas, dark green leafy vegetables, pomegranate and dried apricots.
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Make monounsaturated fatty acids (mostly present in vegetable oils and particularly extra virgin olive oil) a major part of your diet. These help maintain brain membranes and protect against age-related cognitive decline.
Check your vitamin B count, B12 (cobalamin) in particular. Vitamins B, it turns out, is essential for our brain's health. That's because vitamin B12 supports myelin (which allows nerve impulses to conduct), and when this vitamin is deficient, the transmission of messages to and from the brain gets affected. Vitamins B6 and B1 are essential too. And as these water-soluble vitamins are not stored in the body, they need to be supplied through our diet regularly. Including a good probiotic in your diet is a good idea to boost vitamin B in the body.
Bet you didn't know this: brains are made up of around 60 per cent fat. So if trans fats clog up the system, what should you eat to keep it well-oiled? Apparently the answer is omega-3 fatty acids, in particular docosahexaenoic acid or DHA. In other words, your granny was right: fish is the best brain food. And the winner in this category is salmon, which is loaded with these fatty oils. Vegetarian? Get your omega-3 from flax seeds and walnuts.
Get micro help. Lesser known astaxanthin, a form of micro algae is now the latest toast of the nutritional community, as besides offering protection from a host of diseases, it also apparently helps boost our brain's health. This natural pigment, which is a cousin of beta-carotene, reduces the accumulation of phospholipid hydroperoxidases (PLOOH) - compounds that lead to dementia. It is a fat-soluble nutrient, so it readily crosses our blood-brain barrier, and according to the results of a study published in the Alternative Medicine Review in 2011, helps improve cognition and slow down age-related functional decline. Therefore, eat plenty of salmon, algae, shrimps and shellfish. Sorry no vegetarian source known yet.
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While we are on the topic of fats, here's another piece of information: after getting flak for decades owing to their saturated fat content, now the news is that coconut oil may actually be beneficial to your brain. That's because it contains medium chain fatty acids (MFA), which promote the production of ketones, a source of fuel for the brain. These ketones help boost the memory, and may also provide protection against brain disorders like Alzheimer's. So begin adding it to salads, soups, and stir fries. One tablespoonful a day is good enough. Ideally, try and have organic, cold-pressed, non-hydrogenated, virgin coconut oil.
Finally three more foods you must know about:
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Pumpkin seeds: for a good amount of zinc, which is a vital mineral enhancing memory and thinking skills.
Broccoli: for a hefty dose of vitamin K, which is known to enhance cognitive function and improve brainpower.
Beets: natural nitrates in beets can increase blood flow to the brain, thereby improving mental performance.
Go on, now look for those keys and go shopping for these brain-boosting foods.