Your brain functions depend on fats, proteins, carbohydrates and micronutrients. Fats supply fatty acids, proteins break down to provide amino acids, carbohydrates supply glucose, and micronutrients provide antioxidants. While a balanced diet generally provides the nutrition your brain needs, some foods contain nutrients that affect memory to a greater degree than others.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are the primary component of the brain. They promote communication between brain cells and enhance cognitive functions such as perception, thinking, reasoning and memory. Fish, particularly cold-water fish such as salmon, tuna and herring, are high in omega-3 fatty acids. Also good are walnuts and flaxseed.
B Vitamins
Foods rich in B vitamins improve your capacity to remember. These include foods such as milk, spinach, broccoli, asparagus, strawberries, citrus fruits, melons, soy-based products, black beans, and whole grain breads and cereals. B vitamins help to break down amino acids that are toxic to nerve cells. They also help in red blood cell production, essential for carrying oxygen to your brain. As you age, B vitamins, especially B-12, do not metabolize as easily as in younger people. So including foods fortified with B vitamins and adding a supplement to your diet is a good idea.
Antioxidants
Berries, especially blueberries and blackberries, as well as sweet potatoes, red tomatoes, liver, spinach, broccoli, citrus fruits and nuts contain antioxidants. Antioxidants such as vitamins C and E help to neutralize free radical atoms that form when oxygen combines with certain molecules. Over time, the presence of free radicals can cause damage to your brain, resulting in memory loss. In addition, the antioxidants in these foods help to improve oxygen flow in the body and brain.
Carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates, such as those found in grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables, break down slowly, provide a steady stream of glucose for fuel and brain energy, and have a calming effect on the brain. In contrast, simple carbohydrates, such as those in white bread, pastries and pasta, break down quickly, cause spikes in glucose levels and then fade, causing sluggishness and lethargy.
Calcium
Calcium-rich foods such as cheese and milk, and especially yogurt, help to improve nerve function. In particular, yogurt contains the amino acid tyrosine. Tyrosine is responsible for producing dopamine and noradrenaline, both of which can increase alertness and improve memory.
Water
Almost three fourths of your brain is water. Dehydration causes your brain to release a hormone called cortisol that acts on and shrinks the area of your brain responsible for storing information. This in turn, decreases memory power. Cortisol also aids in the production of adrenaline, which disrupts brain function and memory.
