10 brain foods for increased intelligence

8/7/2019 10 Brain Foods for Increased Intelligence

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Diet & FitnessKhaja Javid Hussain

10 brain foods for increased intelligence

Certain foods can boost our intellectual performance.

Discover your brains best friends and add them to your

diet in your quest to become the next Nobel Prize

winner!

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Although it accounts for only 2% of your total body weight, the fact remains that the

brain is a food-hungry organ with ten times the appetite of other organs. In order tofunction, it uses up a minimum of 20% of your daily calorie in-take.

In addition to calories, you should also make sure you get good nutrients for your neuronsthrough a balanced and varied diet. To ensure your brain gets what it needs there are

certain foods you should add to your diet.

1. Oily fish (mackerel, sardines salmon) for brain

maintenance

More than 50% of brain mass is made up of lipids, and over 70% of these are fatty acidsthat belong to the well-known Omega 3 group. These fats are crucial to the productionand maintenance of brain cells, preserving the fluidity of cell membrane.

They also play a part in neuron activity. Weakening brain function and memory trouble

can often be traced back to a deficiency in Omega 31. Oily fish are one of the best sourcesof Omega 3, but if fish isn't to your taste, consider nut oils and rapeseed oil as equally

rich alternatives.

2. Pulses (lentils, chick-peas...) for brain energy

The brain is said to be glucose-dependent, which means it uses only glucose to function.

It consumes more than 5g an hour, but doesnt know how to store it. It therefore has to beregularly supplied your diet via the circulatory system. It has long been proven that the

most difficult task within intellectual performance, the capacity to memorise, depends onthe level of glucose in the blood

2.


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But beware of indulging in sugary foods and confectionery; though easy to snack on, theycan lead to such strong fluctuations that your system can react violently and reduce blood

sugar to below its normal level. The brain cannot tolerate this and the drop in blood sugarleads to fatigue and a shorter attention span.

The sugars that are said to be complex and which have a low Glycaemic Index (GI) aretherefore crucial. Pulses are rich in these complex sugars, and their GI is one of thelowest. This really works to allow the regulation of glucose in the blood and its supply to

the brain without creating a reaction of hyperglycaemia. If pulses arent to your tasteeither, consider wholegrain foods, especially cooked al dente.

3. Bananas for a calm brain

Rich in magnesium, which is essential in the transmission of nervous impulses, bananasare equally a source of VitaminB6 (just one banana holds practically a quarter of the

recommended daily amount). This vitamin is not only involved in the assimilation and

use of magnesium in cells, but also in the metabolism of amino acids and the functioningof the nervous system through enabling the production of certain neurotransmitters,notably Serotonin and GABA (Gamma-amino butyric acid).

These two molecules seem to create the right state of mind for prudent, calm andmeasured behaviour. If you dont like bananas, consider prunes or dried fruit instead.

4. Liver (veal, beef, chicken) for intelligence

The brain accounts for around 20% of the bodys oxygen needs, and iron is needed to get

oxygen to the brain by means of the bloods haemoglobin. Liver is one of your dietsassets guaranteed to contain this valuable metal. Equally, liver is one of the mostimportant sources of Vitamin B. Since the mid 1980s, it has been shown that these

vitamins, mainly B9, B12, B1 and B6, improve cognitive function and the results ofintelligence tests. If you dont like liver, consider ham, beef or nutritional yeast as a

supplement.

5. Red berries for happy brain cells

All edible berries (blackcurrants, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries etc.)

are veritable mines of Vitamin C (blackcurrants have twice as much concentration in

Vitamin C as kiwi fruit, and three times as much as oranges). They have antioxidantmicronutrients that make up their colour (anthocyanes, polyphenols, flavonoids)

Together, they not only fight against free radicals which can affect nerve cells, notablybrain cells, but also improve circulation and strengthen blood capillaries, which enable

the best oxygenation of the brain. If you dont like red berries, then go for kiwi fruit orgarlic.


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6. Shellfish for brain function

Though rich in VitaminB

12 and in protein (notably lysine, a precursor to dopamine, apowerful neurotransmitter), it is mostly the oligo-elements in seafood and crustaceans(oysters, clams, shrimp etc.) that are good for brain function. Oligo-elements are crucial

in order to fight and prevent stress and its inconveniences. Some of these can bedescribed as therapeutic weapons as they have a hand in fighting anxiety, mental fatigue

and nervous disposition.

Manganese, copper, lithium, zinc and iodine have this effect too and can also be found in

seafood. If you dont like shellfish, consider eating wholemeal bread, algae (which hasiodised salt as in table salt) or wheat germ.

7. Eggs for brain connectivity

Eggs contain lecithin and phospholipids, integral to the construction of brain cellmembrane. In terms of feeding intellect, their value lies mainly in the quality of their

proteins. Long used as points of reference when analysing the quality of other dietaryproteins by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FOA), eggs are actually rich in

amino acids, essential in the production of the principal neurotransmitters.

This is also the case with acetylcholine, a synthesis made from methionine and serineused in the process of memorisation, where noradrenalin (which stimulates learning) and

its production rely on the presence of tyrosine and phenylaline, which are again found in

the proteins in eggs. If you dont like eggs, consider white fish as an alternative.

8. Spinach for good memory

All leafy vegetables share a richness in Vitamin B9 (or folates), which is known to playan active role in the development of a foetus nervous tissue and also in the renewal of

blood cells. One of the signs of Vitamin B9 deficiency is reduced awareness and memorydeterioration

3. This phenomenon, observed in people of advanced age with folate

deficiency, can probably be explained by the fact that Vitamin B9 is needed for themaintenance of dendrites (arborisation of neurons, where B9 levels are high).

If you dont like spinach, go for watercress, lambs lettuce, iceberg lettuce, broccoli ordifferent types of herbs. Of these, rosemary is worth noting as it has certain flavonoids

(notably apigenin) in its aroma, which possess stimulating properties affectingconcentration and memory through encouraging cerebral blood flow.


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9. Cocoa for brain stimulation

In Aztec times, cocoa was already considered a medicine. Later, Casanova, the legendaryseducer of women, used chocolate as an aphrodisiac with the kind of effects we know

well! Since then, the chemical analysis of cocoa paste has revealed many surprises;

besides the important calorific benefits, the presence of molecules similar to caffeine(theobromine, theophylline) and amphetamines (phenylethylamine, tyramine) givechocolate its true power as a tonic and psycho-stimulant. At the same time, chocolates

high magnesium content (330mg per 100g), and the molecules it contains which aresimilar to serotonin (the relaxation hormone), account for its anti-stress and anti-

depressant effects.

But thats not all! Scientists have demonstrated the positive role flavonoids present in

cocoa play in encouraging better dilation of blood vessels4. These antioxidant compounds

help fight free radicals and guard the brains activity. Beware of over-indulging,

however. If you dont like chocolate, drink tea (which also contains antioxidants) and

weak coffee (for its caffeine and its psycho-stimulating effect5), but being mindful ofexcess and without indulging too much at the risk of cancelling out or even reversing theeffects.

10. Avocado to keep the brain young

The avocado is exceptionally rich in Vitamin E. This vitamin constitutes one of the mostpowerful antioxidants and protects the fatty tissues of the brain from ageing. If you dont

like avocado, consider oleaginous fruit instead (nuts, particularly hazelnuts etc.).

And dont forget that, in order to become a real intellectual athlete, you must equallytrain your brain with special exercises (cerebral games, memory puzzles). And you

mustnt neglect rest either (sleep is crucial for the brains regeneration). In followingthis advice, you may not pick up that Nobel Prize, but you will have a brain thats at the

top of its game nonetheless!

1. Neurology. 2004, 62(2): 275-280

2. Psychopharmacol, 1993, 113: 83-83. JAMA, 1983, 249: 2917-21

4. J Hypertens. 2003 Dec; 21(12): 2281-65. J Psychopharmacol, 1991, 5: 120-8

The only way to be healthy and get a brain is by eating most of this stuff that's mentioned

above even if a disagree with a few items but to also get the oxygen flowing to the brainby doing some kind of sports or outdoor physical activity. That means going outside for a

walk, jogging, cycling, playing football, basketball whatever suits you. It's not by stayinginside in front of a screen that you will get a brain. The second aspect is to train the brain

regularly by exercising it through various memory games with words or numbers. Ourgrand-parents used to do it that's why they have better functioning brains than we do. One


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game I can think of is crosswords but there are most probably tones more. Of course ifyou have the means of getting higher education then go for it but it's not available to

everybody. Hope that this comment is useful and that it can help you get a better brain.

10 brain foods for increased intelligence

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