11 Foods To Be More Intelligent.

Eating healthy can be just as important to your mental health as it is to your physical well-being. Feeding your brain with the right foods gives this vital organ the nutrients it needs to be healthy and happy. Besides eating brain-friendly foods, how you eat is also important including having a light lunch, eating regularly, avoiding eating too late in the date, and drinking plenty of water throughout the day. The following are just some of the foods that can boost your intelligence by improving your memory and making you more alert and focused.

1 - Dark Chocolate

11 Foods to be more Intelligent
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Chocolate, especially dark chocolate, helps boost your circulatory system and blood flow to the brain, which helps increase brain function to keep your mind sharp. A 2009 study by Northumbria University in the United Kingdom found that students perform better on math tests after drinking hot cocoa shakes rich in flavanols. The study found that mental arithmetic becomes easier thanks to the consumption of flavanols, which is an antioxidant in chocolate. It also found that people were less likely to feel tired after eating flavanol-rich chocolate. Choose chocolate with at least 70 per cent cocoa, which has higher levels of flavonoids. Although chocolate can be great for a healthy and smarter brain, you should enjoy it in moderation as part of balanced and healthy diet. Other foods rich in flavonoids include apples, onions, and red and purple grapes.

2 - Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds are great sources of zinc, which help enhance your memory and improve thinking skills. 11 Foods to be more Intelligent
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Just eating a handful of pumpkin seeds can be enough to provide the daily recommended amount of zinc. To maximise the amount of zinc you get from pumpkin seeds, purchase unshelled seeds so you can the zinc-rich endosperm envelope that is often difficult to preserve when eating seeds with shells. Pumpkin seeds are rich in vitamin E, which can help prevent Alzheimer’s disease and improve cognitive function.

3 - Fatty and Oily Fish

Fish provide powerful nutrients that give you a healthier mind by helping to improve your memory. But not all fish are equal. Fish with high levels of omega-3 fatty acids are the best options to improve your brainpower and help improve signal transmission between brain cells. 11 Foods to be more Intelligent
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Since essential fatty acids that are found in fish are not made by the body, they must be consumed. Fatty and oily fish options include salmon, trout, mackerel, sardines, herring, kippers, pilchards, and albacore tuna. Approximately 40 per cent of fatty acids in brain cell membranes are docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which happens to also be one of the main omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil. A study in 2006 by Tufts University in the United States found that people who ate fish at least three times a week and had the highest DHA levels cut their risk of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease by about 39 per cent.





4 - Greens

Eating leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables is an excellent way of keeping your brain healthy. Delicious examples include bok choy, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, and kale. These vegetables are packed with antioxidants, including vitamin C. 11 Foods to be more Intelligent
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Antioxidants prevent cell damage from free radicals, something brain cells are particularly vulnerable since it uses relatively more energy than other parts of your body. Broccoli is another great option. In addition to being a source of vitamin C, it is also a good source of vitamin K to help improve brainpower and cognitive function. The 2004 Nurse's Health Study from Harvard Medical School found that women who ate the most cruciferous vegetables lowered their brain age by one to two years. For children, greens are vital for their developing brain. Kale and spinach are full of vitamins as well as folate. Starting to eat a healthy and balanced diet that includes greens from an early age will help lower the chances of dementia later in life.

5 - Avocado

Foods with high levels of vitamin E can help lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. One 2009 study in the Indian Journal of Psychiatry found that people who ate moderate levels of vitamin E from food lowered the risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s by 67 per cent. 11 Foods to be more Intelligent
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For the best effects, get vitamin E from foods like avocado rather than supplements. Certain oils and sees are also good sources of essential fatty acids, including linseed or flaxseed oil, soya bean oil, walnut oil, and pumpkin seeds. As a fatty fruit, an avocado contributes to a healthy blood flow that keeps your brain focused and concentrated. Avocados also have other health benefits, including lowering blood pressure. A lower blood pressure can also improve brain healthy and improve cognitive abilities.

6 - Nuts

Another good source of vitamin E is nuts. A study from the American Journal of Epidemiology in 1999 found that vitamin E can help prevent cognitive decline. These results were particularly noticeable in seniors. 11 Foods to be more Intelligent
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In addition to being sources of glucose that help give your brain the energy it needs to be alert, whole grains and brown rice are also excellent sources of vitamin E. Just an ounce a day of certain nuts can provide great benefits. Options include walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, cashews, peanuts, and Brazil nuts. Other great sources of vitamin E include various oils and seed such as flax seed, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds, as well as leafy greens, olives, asparagus and eggs.





7 - Whole Grains

Whole grains with a low glycemic index (GI) help give your brain a steady supply of energy. These foods infuse glucose slowly into your blood, which delivers an energy boost to your brain throughout the day. 11 Foods to be more Intelligent
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Glucose is the brain’s main source of energy, so keeping levels steady in your bloodstream helps avoid feeling tired or drained. It also helps improve concentration. Energy is vital for your brain, which is unable to work at its best without enough energy. Good options oatmeal that is rich in fibre and brown rice or pasta. Other choices include oat bran, wheat bran, brown cereals, and granary bread.

8 - Beer and Wine

Red wine and beer in moderation can be a good source of flavanols, which help improve blood flow to the brain for a more alert and math-friendly brain. Drinking alcohol can help protect the brain. A 2003 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that people who have between one and six drinks a week were 54 per cent less likely to develop dementia than someone who avoids alcohol. 11 Foods to be more Intelligent
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The reason is still not fully understood, but it may be related to alcohol’s ability to prevent blockages in blood vessels. Alcohol in moderation can also have positive effects on your heart, with moderate drinkers often having reduced rates of heart disease. At the same time, heavy and chronic drinking has been found to lead to dementia.

9 - Blackcurrants

Blackcurrants have a wide range of health benefits, in addition to being delicious. They provide vital nutrients that help protect your body from cardiovascular disease and other effects of ageing, including memory loss. 11 Foods to be more Intelligent
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Rich in vitamin C, blackcurrants can help improve mental agility as well as prevent eyestrain and joint inflammation that can make you feel mentally drained and tired. In fact, blackcurrants have more than three times as much vitamin C as an orange. They also have anthocyanins, an antioxidant that can also improve the health of your brain.

10 - Tea

Tea is another good source of flavanols, which help improve blood circulation to keep your brain focused. Whether hot or iced, tea also provides just enough caffeine to keep you alert. Green tea especially releases caffeine slowly to leave you more relaxed over a period of time rather than the jolt offered by coffee. 11 Foods to be more Intelligent
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Caffeine in moderation can also help enhance memory and your mood. Tea also has catechines, a type of antioxidant that also promotes healthy blood flow. The one catch is that tea must be freshly brewed in order to give you the best effects. Bottled or powdered teas do not offer the same benefits as a fresh cup of hot or iced tea.

11 - Berries

Berries are a great option for improving your focus. Blueberries, for example, can help increase concentration and improve memory for up to five hours thanks to antioxidants in the berries according to a 2009 study by Surrey University. 11 Foods to be more Intelligent
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These antioxidants help stimulate the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain, helping to keep your mind fresh. Antioxidants including anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, resveratrol and tannins found in berries also help boost focus and prevent a range of conditions, including cancer, heart disease and dementia. A 2000 study by Tufts University also found that eating blueberries may also improve or delay short-term memory loss.



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