Maintaining your memory is a daily job.
Reading, board games and reflection, or physical exercise are the cornerstones.
But it also goes through the plate.
The scientific literature is categorical: an unbalanced diet, rich in sugars and fats, causes memory to fail.
On the other hand, a healthy and varied diet preserves it!
To this end, certain foods are real allies.
First in line: omega 3. These polyunsaturated fatty acids are found in fatty fish (sardines, salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, etc.), but also in vegetable oils (rapeseed, walnuts, flax, etc.).
Once consumed, they provide the brain with DHA and EPA, molecules essential for the production of neurons and the proper development of the brain in childhood.
Later, they play a protective role and maintain brain functions.
"Several epidemiological studies have proven that the weekly consumption of oily fish is associated with a slowing of cognitive decline and protects against the development of dementias such as Alzheimer's disease",
says Sophie Layé, director of the NutriNeurO laboratory (Inrae, University of Bordeaux) and coordinator of the Food4BrainHealth international research network.
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In addition, it has been shown that people with a diet low in omega 3 have a lower level of DHA in the brain, in particular, at the level of the hippocampus, the seat of memory.
Consequence: the connection between neurons is disturbed, which leads to memory deficits.
“It has also been established that these fatty acids reduce inflammatory phenomena that are harmful to the brain,”
adds the specialist.
Cocoa boosts working memory
Also to take care of your brain, it is recommended to consume about 250 mg of DHA and 250 mg of EPA per day.
Needs covered by eating portions of blue fish at least twice a week, but also by decorating your salad with a mixture of vegetable oils or by eating nuts.
To further improve your memory, succumb guilt-free to a square of chocolate with dessert or coffee.
Several studies show, in fact, that cocoa stimulates working memory, the one that allows us to carry out a mental calculation or remember a telephone number.
Chocolate would even be able to reverse the normal decline of memory in people aged 50 to 70 by improving the functioning of certain brain regions.
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All of these benefits are attributable to the polyphenols, called flavonoids, in the cocoa bean.
Substances with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that would protect the brain, and in particular, the blood vessels that cross it.
Many studies show that the consumption of a square of dark chocolate, or about 6 g, reduces between 20 and 40% the risk of cardiovascular diseases, such as stroke, pathologies linked to accelerated cognitive decline.
And for those who don't like chocolate very much, don't panic!
Fruits and vegetables are also very rich in polyphenols.
