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With the aging of the population and the increase in degenerative brain diseases - it is already clear to all of us that treating our brain is just as important as the rest of our body.
So what can we do, or in this case - eat, to keep our brains healthy?
Nahid Ali, a senior nutritionist was interviewed by the Mirror website where she explained that: "As a doctor who researches nutrition and brain health, I have seen firsthand the power our food has to help protect against dementia as we age. A few simple choices can make a real difference."
And to help us all make better choices for our bodies, she shared three foods that can help boost brain power, reduce the risk of dementia, and generally make us feel better.
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Berries
First, Nahid says we all need to add more berries - including blueberries, strawberries and raspberries - to our diet.
They're "amazing brain foods. I regularly keep a mix of blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries on hand because each color has its own protective compounds. A handful or two daily is so easy—whether it's tossing them into oatmeal, yogurt, or just Eat them as they are as a snack."
Indeed, the studies back her up.
A study published about a year ago found that consuming a handful of wild blueberries can improve brain and heart health.
Researchers from the Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine at King's College London in the United Kingdom evaluated 61 healthy participants, men and women, aged 65 to 80. The participants received a daily drink of 26 grams of freeze-dried wild blueberry powder for 12 weeks, while the control group was given a matching placebo.
At the end of the study, the researchers found that the group that took the blueberry drink improved short-term memory and exhibited faster reaction times.
They were also found to be better at remembering word lists and switching between tasks.
Participants also showed improvements in systolic blood pressure and vascular function compared to the control group.
The researchers believe that the beneficial effects of blueberries were due to their blue pigments called anthocyanins.
They are a type of polyphenols found to be effective in increasing cardiovascular and cerebral blood flow.
These pigments are found in strawberries, raspberries, red grapes and purple vegetables.
Other foods containing anthocyanins are broccoli, pears and spices such as turmeric.
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fish
Fatty fish such as salmon are considered to have a strong effect on the brain.
This is because they are rich in omega-3 oils, which are critical for brain cell function.
Omega 3 also helps reduce inflammation in the brain, which is associated with dementia.
According to research published in the BMJ, high dietary fish consumption has been consistently linked to improved cognitive health in old age.
To get the best results, Nahid recommends aiming to eat a few servings each week, as it's one of the "easiest ways to support your brain health."
nuts
Thanks to the mixture of healthy fats, protein and fiber, nuts are great for nourishing the brain.
However, Naheed explained that one should be careful about portion sizes because nuts are "high in calories."
The expert wrote: "The study shows that those who eat nuts regularly tend to stay sharper as they age."
According to a recent study published in Clinical Nutrition, eating two handfuls of nuts of all kinds (60 grams) daily can improve memory and boost brain health in adults.
For the study, the researchers evaluated 28 healthy people with an average age of 65 and an average body mass index (BMI) of 27.9 after dividing them into two groups.
One group was given 60 grams of walnuts, pistachios, cashews and hazelnuts daily for 16 weeks, while the other group was given no nuts.
The groups switched diets after a period of 8 weeks.
At the end of the experiment, the brain function of the participants was evaluated based on various factors such as brain blood vessel function, endothelial function (the inner lining of the blood vessels), arterial stiffness, retinal microvessels and cognitive performance.
Researchers found that the participants who consumed walnuts daily showed a marked improvement in blood flow in different parts of their brain.
They also had a 16 percent improvement in a verbal memory task, which involved recalling words.
More on the same topic:
Blueberries
nuts
fish
diet
Alzheimer's
dementia
brain