Everyone knows what it’s like to have a spotty memory. Sometimes, I just can’t keep track of information, whether its random trivia or that one guy’s name – it’s right on the tip of my tongue!
Unless I keep a written record, sometimes I can hardly remember what happened last week. And good luck finding out what I did last month.
Most of the time we chalk it up to how busy we are, or how much other stuff is swirling around in our heads in this fast-paced modern world.
But wouldn’t it be great to strengthen our ability to recall everything we need to?
This is why, as longevity increases, it’s becoming more and more important for us to maintain a healthy brain.
So what can we all do in our daily lives to help improve cognitive function, both now and in the long-term?
Well, diet is part of the equation, and we’re going to look at how your food choices can maintain your brain health in this article.
The brain needs fat to function and can consist of up to 60% fat.
Omega-3 fatty acids are especially important for brain function. They can be found in a number of foods, and more and more research is linking them to improved cognitive function.
The American Heart Association recommends two servings a week of fish containing these fatty acids because your body can’t produce them on its own. Fish like salmon, mackerel, herring, lake trout, sardines, and albacore tuna are high in EPA & DHA, the most usable forms of omega-3 fatty acids.
Since new research has demonstrated they have positive benefits for brain health, this is partially why people have been going so crazy for fish oil supplements in recent years.
A study published in PloS ONE observed the benefits of taking fish oil pills in young adults whose brains were still developing. A group of 18 to 25 year old subjects took the supplement pills every day for six months while being tested regularly in a memory recall game. The results showed that taking the fish oil pills boosts working memory by up to 23 percent.
If anything, this will definitely encourage me to flip to the seafood section of the menu in my favorite restaurants more often.
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Eating plenty of vitamins and minerals is essential for a healthy brain. One of the easiest ways to do this is by consuming a diet high in veggies.
If you aren’t already including these veggies in your diet, now’s the time to begin.
Berries
Berries contain a flavonoid called anthocyanin – antioxidant pigments that give them their red and blue colors. These flavonoids appear to strengthen memory connections in the brains of rats, promote coronary heart disease prevention, and fight cancer. The exact way these flavonoids work to affect the brain is currently unknown, but research indicates they’re helpful.
A USDA study at Tufts University found that eating blueberries every day was associated with a reversal of age-related mental decline while improving short-term memory.
Coffee
Studies have been done for decades on the effects of caffeine on the brain.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have found it to have a remarkable effect on boosting short-term memory by enhancing the memory by at least 24 hours after its consumed.
A study in the Journal of Nutrition found that coffee might not only have short-term benefits, but could even positively affect long-term thinking skills.
So I’m pretty happy about that, I don’t have to give up my morning coffee!
Well, that concludes our list of foods and beverages that could potentially help you stay sharper than ever.
What’s your take on these brain-healthy foods? Have anything else you’d like to share? Let me know in the comments below!
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Mike Matthews
Mike Matthews is the founder of Legion as well as the author of several award-winning fitness books, including Bigger Leaner Stronger, Muscle for Life, and The Shredded Chef.
His simple and science-based approach to building muscle, losing fat, and getting healthy has sold over a million books and helped thousands of people build their best bodies ever, and his work has been featured in many popular outlets including Esquire, Men’s Health, Elle, Women’s Health, Muscle & Strength, and more, as well as on FOX and ABC.
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Free Worldwide Shipping & Returns
Many companies use shipping and handling fees to increase their profit margins, but here at Legion, we hate profits, so our shipping is free!
Okay, so we do dig on profits, but we also go in for happy customers, and free shipping works like gangbusters. So, if you live in the UK or Canada, your order ships free when it’s over $99.
Why the restriction on international orders? Unfortunately, shipping abroad is very expensive, and if we didn’t require a minimum order size, we’d lose a lot of money. But! We're also hustling to improve our international logistics and will be passing our savings along to our international customers.
Also, if you don’t absolutely love our stuff for whatever reason, we don’t request you deliver it to a PO box in the Gobi Desert by carrier pigeon.
We just . . . wait for it . . . give you your money back. No returns. No forms. No nonsense. Holy moo cows.
That means you can say “yes” now and decide later. You really have nothing to lose.
Free Worldwide Shipping & Returns
Many companies use shipping and handling fees to increase their profit margins, but here at Legion, we hate profits, so our shipping is free!
Okay, so we do dig on profits, but we also go in for happy customers, and free shipping works like gangbusters. So, if you’re outside the USA, your order ships free when it’s over $199.
Why the restriction on international orders? Unfortunately, shipping abroad is very expensive, and if we didn’t require a minimum order size, we’d lose a lot of money. But! We're also hustling to improve our international logistics and will be passing our savings along to our international customers.
Also, if you don’t absolutely love our stuff for whatever reason, we don’t request you deliver it to a PO box in the Gobi Desert by carrier pigeon.
We just . . . wait for it . . . give you your money back. No returns. No forms. No nonsense. Holy moo cows.
That means you can say “yes” now and decide later. You really have nothing to lose.
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Some popular pre-workouts are all-natural. Some contain the right mix of high-quality ingredients. Some provide clinically effective doses. But only Pulse checks each of these boxes.
Pulse doesn’t just “contain natural ingredients''—every ingredient is naturally sourced from plants and animals. Pulse contains no artificial or synthetic substances of any kind.
Every serving of Pulse contains 15.1 grams of active ingredients that have been shown to be safe and effective in peer-reviewed scientific research.
Every active ingredient in Pulse is backed by published scientific studies that show benefits in healthy humans.
Pulse contains no harsh stimulants that wind you up and burn you out. Instead, it contains a 1:1 ratio of caffeine and L-theanine, which produces a smooth energy rush and comfortable comedown.
We carefully examined 508 pages of scientific research to find out exactly what should and shouldn’t be in a pre-workout supplement.
Every bottle of Pulse is guaranteed to provide exactly what the label claims and nothing else—no heavy metals, microbes, allergens, or other contaminants.
While these types of chemicals may not be as dangerous as some people claim, studies suggest that regular consumption of them may indeed be harmful to our health. And that’s why we don’t put any of them into our products.
Before you buy a sports supplement, you should know that it's clean, safe, and transparent. And that's exactly what Labdoor's third-party testing and certification means.
It's hard to know for sure, but this probably makes Pulse the most-popular all-natural pre-workout supplement in the world.
If you don’t absolutely love this product, just let us know, and we’ll give you a full refund on the spot. No forms or return necessary.
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Analyzed for purity and potency in a state-of-the-art ISO 17025 accredited lab by Labdoor™, the gold standard of third-party lab testing.
Analyzed for purity and potency in a state-of-the-art ISO 17025 accredited lab, the gold standard of third-party lab testing.
This product doesn’t just “contain natural ingredients”—every ingredient is naturally sourced from plants and animals. This product contains no artificial or synthetic sweeteners or flavors of any kind.
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