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Improve your memory with brain-boosting foods

(Posted September 12, 2007)
Updated Wed. Sep. 5 2007 6:14 AM ET

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If you're wondering how to get your brain back into school and work mode, the answer may be no further away than your refrigerator. Researchers are learning that the right foods can help you concentrate, stay motivated, and improve your memory. Registered dietician and nutrition expert Leslie Beck has some tips on what foods may make you smarter.

Q: How can foods affect our brainpower?

Some foods contain nutrients that are used to manufacture certain brain chemicals called neurotransmitters that enhance mental tasks like memory, concentration, and reaction time. Certain types of foods are used exclusively by the brain for energy. The brain relies almost exclusively on glucose for fuel. Since the brain's energy stores are extremely small, it needs a continuous supply of sugar. Without it, the brain's fuel tank would be drained within 10 to 15 minutes. Certain nutrients are needed for proper growth and development of brain cells.

Q: We've always heard that eating breakfast boosts memory. Any truth to this?

Yes, absolutely. Many studies have shown that skipping breakfast reduces mental performance and concentration. Children who skip breakfast are more sluggish, less attentive, and have less energy for morning activities compared to their peers who eat the morning meal. Studies reveal that among adults, eating breakfast leads to improved mood, enhanced memory, and increased feelings of energy.

Breakfast foods like cereal, toast, and fruit raise blood glucose levels, which in turn fuels the brain after a night of fasting. Glucose not only gives the brain an energy boost, it's also used to make acetylcholine, a memory neurotransmitter.

While any breakfast is better than no breakfast at boosting brain power, certain breakfasts might do a better job than others. In a study of 60 children that assessed the impact of various breakfasts on classroom performance, boys and girls performed better on memory tests after eating oatmeal compared to sugary cereal.

It's thought that breakfast foods which provide a slower and more sustained release of glucose can boost memory and attention. Slowly released breakfast foods (also called low glycemic index foods) include oatmeal (not instant), bran cereals, whole grain breads with nuts and seeds, apples, oranges, grapefruit, berries, grapes, pears, milk, yogurt and soy beverages.

Q: What about blueberries?

Studies conduced in elderly rats have shown that a blueberry-rich diet - equal to one-half cup daily for humans - improved memory, coordination and balance. Another study conducted on mice genetically predisposed to develop Alzheimer's disease showed blueberries were shown to boost the communication between failing brain cells. Phytochemicals in blueberries, called anthocyanins, are thought to combat free radicals, highly reactive molecules that can damage brain cells.

Apples might benefit your brain too. Munching an apple or two each day might sharpen your memory. Researchers from the University of Massachusetts Lowell found that a diet enriched with apple juice --comparable to two eight ounce glasses of apple juice or two to three apples a day -- boosted the production of acetylcholine in the brain, resulting in enhanced memory on maze tests. Scientists suspect that antioxidants in apples are responsible for improving cognition and memory.

Q: Any other foods we should eat to boost memory?

To keep your brain healthy as you age, consider adding leafy greens to your meals. In a recent study of 3,718 Chicago residents aged 65 and older, those who ate 2.8 vegetable servings each day had a 40 per cent slower rate of cognitive decline compared to people who ate less than one serving.

Green leafy vegetables such as kale, arugula, Swiss chard, collard greens, rapini, Romaine lettuce and spinach appeared to offer the most protection. Scientists attribute the protective effect of vegetables to vitamin E, an antioxidant that protects brain cells from oxidative damage and inflammation, processes thought to increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Eating fish might also help keep an aging brain in peak form. A study that followed 815 adults, aged 65 to 94 years, for almost four years revealed that those who ate fish at least once per week were 60 per cent less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease compared to people who rarely or never ate fish. Omega-3 fats in fish, especially DHA (docosahexanaenoic acid), helps keep the lining of brain cells flexible so memory messages can pass easily between cells. Omega-3 fats in fish can also reduce inflammation and prevent the hardening of arteries in the brain.

The best sources of DHA include salmon, trout, sardines, mackerel and herring. You can also find DHA added to certain brands of milk, yogurt, cheese, eggs and soy beverages.