Some Foods Increase Brain Function

Fruits, Vegetables, and Small Portions Improve Brainpower

Mar 20, 2009 Rupert Taylor

The good news is that brainpower can be raised by eating the right foods; the bad news is many of those foods are not the most popular ones.

The brain is a bit of an energy hog; although accounting for only two percent of body weight it consumes 20% of the body’s calorie intake. There are about 10 billion nerve cells in the brain and they all need the proper nutrients to function properly – none of them seem to thrive on double chocolate, cream-filled doughnuts.

Such things as fish, liver, soy products, wheat germ, broccoli, and cauliflower make really good brain food. Notice the absence of hot dogs, fries, pop, pizza, and candy.

Foods to Boost Brain Activity

On the BBC’s Wellbeing web pages there is a listing of foods that are good for the brain:

• Wholegrains
• oily fish (wild salmon, sardines, yellowfin tuna)
• blueberries
• tomatoes
• blackcurrants
• pumpkin seeds
• broccoli
• sage

Dietician Michèle Turcotte at The Diet Channel makes the case for eggs, spinach, cranberries, sweet potatoes, kidney beans, raisin bran, lamb loin, and wheat germ.

Again, notice what’s missing – cheeseburgers, potato chips, cookies, and cake.

When to Eat is also Important

Mother always said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and Mother was right. The brain needs a kick-start in the morning, and not with sugar-coated, chocolate-loaded pastries. Some carbohydrates are good, along with a small amount of protein.

According to the article “11 Steps to a Better Brain” in the May 2005 issue of NewScientist “kids breakfasting on fizzy drinks and sugary snacks performed at the level of an average 70-year-old in tests of memory and attention…Beans on toast (whole grain) is a far better combination…Toast alone boosted children’s scores on a variety of cognitive tests…the breakfast with the high-protein beans worked best.”

At the website HealthMad Nobert Soloria Bermosa advises that people should “Avoid eating sausage, bacon, and eggs because they are rich in fat and cholesterol. They are slow to digest and tend to direct the flow of blood away from the brain and reduce mental alertness.” (The traditional English breakfast; this might explain Margaret Thatcher.)

Other meals need to be small and balanced, and between-meal snacks are important. While the brain needs a lot of feeding, it seems it’s also a picky eater, and its favourite food is glucose. Grazing on fruits, veggies, unsalted nuts, and orange juice will keep the glucose levels up.

Brainpower Supplements

The BBC Wellbeing website says that deficiencies in the diet can be made up by using supplements. One of these is called Eye-Q and is a blend of fish oil and evening primrose oil. “A study by Durham County Council and Mansfield College, Oxford,” says the BBC “concluded that 40% of the children sampled improved both their reading skills and attention spans when taking the supplements.”

The best advice is to eat a little and often from a balanced range of foods. Plenty of fruit and vegetables and keep away from the junk food.

The copyright of the article Some Foods Increase Brain Function in Healthy Cooking is owned by Rupert Taylor. Permission to republish Some Foods Increase Brain Function in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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