Which Foods Improve Memory?

Keeping up with a healthy diet is essential to improving your cognitive abilities and concentration. Therefore, the foods we consume not only have a relationship with our bodies but also our minds.

The brain can’t function without sufficient calories. While your brain only represents 2% of your body weight, it burns around 350 to 450 calories daily. That means about 20% of the calories you consume daily.

Your brain is in control of your entire body. It manages how you move, think, and feel different things. It’s also in charge of keeping your heart beating. So it’s vital to consume a diet that provides the most benefits.

Consuming a diet rich in fatty fish, nuts, pumpkin seeds, turmeric, blueberries, avocados, and leafy greens helps improve memory. These contain antioxidants, healthy fats, carbohydrates, and other nutrients that help improve memory and overall health. 

This post will discuss how certain foods affect your cognitive levels and what foods help boosts brain function. So, keep reading if you’d like to improve your brain health and increase productivity.

Does food affect your memory?

Your brain’s anatomy is very complex. It’s a crucial organ that controls your emotions, senses, thought process, vision, motor skills, temperature, hunger, breathing, and every other process in the body. 

The brain is divided into three main parts, each having a different function. It sends and receives electrical and chemical signals to your body. The central nervous system relies on billions of brain cells to do this. These brain cells are also in charge of your brain health. 

So, does food affect your memory and how you process information? 

A diet rich in veggies, fruits, whole grains, and fish impacts your cognitive function positively. On the other hand, saturated fats, processed foods, and sugar are likely to decrease your brain health and memory function. 

We’ll look at some essential nutrients that help improve your brain memory and thinking skills. 

Essential fatty acids

A fifth portion of your brain is made from essential fatty acids, omega-3, and omega-6. Your body does not produce these acids naturally, so they must come from your diet.

The fatty acid omega-6 is found in eggs, avocados, nuts, and poultry. Most of us eat much more omega-6 than omega-3 fatty acids. Foods like fish, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, and nuts have omega-3, essential for developing your brain health, and serve as excellent brain foods. 

In addition, hydrogenated fats or Trans fats are dangerous for your brain health. They stop omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids from providing optimal results. These hydrogenated fats are primarily found in confectionary items like biscuits and cakes.

A diet high in sugar and saturated fats can lead to poor memory and cognitive decline. A high-fat diet decreases the number of neurons in the hippocampus, a brain region that controls your memory and brain cells.

Complex carbohydrates

You might think carbohydrates are an enemy when it comes to losing weight or improving your health. In reality, they’re an essential nutrient that provides energy to your body because of glucose production.

Starchy foods like whole wheat pasta, brown rice, and whole-meal bread have complex carbohydrates. When taken in appropriate portions, this nutrient helps slowly release energy to the brain to optimize its function and improve brain health. 

Vitamins and minerals

Eating your vitamins daily is very crucial. These vitamins (and minerals) promote optimal functionality for your whole body. A vitamin or mineral deficiency can alter your productivity and affect your memory. Vitamin and mineral shortages can lead to a variety of problems, including:

• Sensation/feeling of pins and needles
• Fatigue
• Memory problems
• Psychological problems

Vitamin B12 deficiency is also linked to cognitive impairments, memory loss, and depression. Iron deficiency can lead to anemia and cognitive decline. Thus, a balanced intake of vitamins like B12 or folate promotes your memory skills. Vitamin C is also an important constituent. 

Amino acids

Although your body does produce amino acids, some of these acids come from what we consume.

Your brain has billions of neurons that transmit signals throughout your body. These neurotransmitters are responsible for regulating our moods too. They’re made from amino acids essential for regulating our mood. 

We’ve all heard that drinking milk promotes sleep. That’s because the neurotransmitter serotonin is made from the amino acid found in milk, tryptophan, and oats. It allows you to feel content and sleep peacefully, improving your focus.

What other factors affect your memory?

Everyone tends to forget things once in a while. But forgetting things frequently shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Sharpening your memory is very important. Factors like daily exercise, a balanced diet, and sleeping well influence your memory. Stress and anxiety, age, medical conditions, and medications also significantly affect your memory. 

Daily exercise

Staying physically active improves blood flow to the entire body, including the brain. If you don’t have the time for a full workout, starting with even a mere 10-minute walk throughout the day helps.

Staying mentally active

Staying organized is another factor that affects your memory. Activities that engage your mind help your brain stay in shape, just like exercise keeps your body stay in shape. Try activities like crossword puzzles, playing games like scrabble, or learning a new skill for improving brain health.

If you need help maximizing your memory, Iris’s Maximizing Memory course is for you. It’s an ideal course for students and professionals that help you remember more, retain critical information, and keep your brain healthy.

Spending time with others

Going out and enjoying yourself with friends and family helps ease stress. Mental problems like stress and depression can lead to memory loss. So, it’s always important to stay connected with your loved ones and plan activities frequently.  

Managing chronic health problems

If you face any medical conditions like diabetes, blood pressure, and obesity, it is best to follow proper guidelines from a medical practitioner and implement them. Taking care of yourself leads to better memory and overall better health.

Best foods to boost your memory

Your brain is a crucial organ that controls your life and your entire body. It’s the center of your body, and not taking care of it leads to severe memory problems.

Especially regarding diet, most think good food only impacts our bodies. However, certain foods help keep your brain in optimal working condition and boost brain function.

Foods like whole grains, nuts, seeds, leafy greens, dark chocolate, fish, and berries have improved your cognitive ability and function. This diet helps balance your nutrition and restores essential nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins E, B12, K, and antioxidants. 

We’ll look at some brain foods that boost specific mental tasks such as concentration and memory.

Leafy greens

Green leafy veggies like broccoli, spinach, and kale are associated with reducing cognitive decline. They have neuroprotective constituents like folate, lutein, and phylloquinone that help slow mental decline with age.  

The nutrients present in leafy greens are also known to reduce inflammation in the brain and protect brain cells from damage. Lutein is an abundant nutrient found in these foods that are known to increase the number of neurons in the brain. 

Thus, consuming green veggies is beneficial for improving your memory.

Salmon and other oily fish

Fish is an incredible source of two types of omega-3 fatty acids called eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Apart from their prudent memory benefits, these nutrients also improve your skin and heart health.

These two components have remarkable anti-inflammatory properties that play a massive role in improving your memory. They’re also components of cell membranes that promote your mental growth and reduce problems associated with brain aging.

These fatty acids are also crucial for normal brain function and maintenance throughout your life. They help the brain by facilitating communication between brain cells and preserving cell membrane health. 

Nuts

Nuts may seem like the perfect snack, but these little treats are fantastic sources of fiber, plant protein, and healthy fats.

Nuts like almonds, pistachios, walnuts, peanuts, Macadamia nuts, cashews, etc., improve memory cognition and are great brain foods to eat. They also help control symptoms of neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s disease.

Nuts are a rich source of nutrients that include magnesium, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), and vitamin E. PUFAs improve brain function. In contrast, vitamin E is an antioxidant that helps protect brain and nerve cells. Magnesium promotes optimal neuron function. 

Eating these brain boosting foods in moderation is essential since they’re also very high in calories.

Coffee

Most of us need our daily dose of caffeine to function properly. Our eyes wouldn’t open without a brewed, hot cup of coffee.

Coffee contains a considerable amount of caffeine, a stimulant known to increase alertness, attention, and concentration. Caffeine stops adenosine, which is a neurotransmitter. Thus it helps increase other transmitters like norepinephrine and dopamine that improve your mood and concentration.  

Caffeine also enhances brain function. Some studies also suggest that caffeine improves logical reasoning, reaction time, and memory recall, especially in tasks that require attention, such as reading.

However, it’s important to have a moderate caffeine intake, as excess amounts can lead to heart palpitations, insomnia, and anxiety.

At Iris Reading, we offer courses to help you maximize your memory. When combined with a great cup of coffee and diet, these techniques help promote brain health and train your mind to memorize things better. You can also check out Iris Reading’s speed reading tool.  

Turmeric

Turmeric is a fantastic form of antioxidant that gained a lot of popularity in recent times. This beautiful tangerine-orange colored spice is a crucial ingredient for Asian dishes like curry and provides several benefits for your overall and brain health.

Turmeric contains a compound called curcumin, known for its excellent benefits, like improving memory and mood. The compound also has neuroprotective effects that help protect the brain from damage caused by inflammation and other elements. 

Moreover, turmeric is a great brain food known to improve symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.

Dark chocolate

Dark chocolate and other cocoa-derived food items have brain boosters like antioxidants, caffeine, and flavonoids. Dark chocolate contains about 70% cocoa compared to milk chocolate, making it an incredibly healthy option.

The flavonoids in chocolate accumulate in brain areas that help you remember things and learn.

It’s also a great mood booster if you’re feeling low, so don’t shy away from dark chocolate just because of the bitter taste.

Takeaway: Boost your memory with the proper diet

The proper diet helps you stay in shape and keep your brain healthy. Thus, a balanced diet with regular exercise is essential for your brain health. 

Your diet should have balanced portions of nutrients like vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, fatty acids, and complex carbohydrates.

All this information may seem like a lot but take your time. Improving your memory is an entire process that needs patience, consistency, and persistence.

Our Iris Reading’s Personal Productivity course can help you become more productive by dividing small milestones and helping you achieve a final aim. The skills gained from this course eventually become your habits and improve your memory.