Memory Boosting Foods For Seniors Really Helps Them
Memory boosting foods really helps seniors not only improve their brain health but also increases their energy level and strengthens their heart.
Foods we eat not only affect our bodies, they also impact our brains. Memory, moods, stress levels, and anxiety are all affected by the foods we eat.
For example, one of the best diets out there, is the MIND Diet ( Mediterranean — Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) and is comprised of specific brain-beneficial food groups. These foods are linked to better brain health as well as dementia prevention.
Here are several recommendations from the food experts that you should be eating for optimal brain health.
Memory Boosting Foods: Leafy Greens
The leafy green vegetables are an important food. For example, senior citizens between the ages of 58 to 99 enjoyed great benefits eating this type of food. A study found that seniors who ate leafy greens once a day, such as lettuce or similar, displayed less cognitive decline — compared to those who didn’t.
Researchers recommend eating at least six such servings per week.
Some recommendations for greens are arugala, kale, and spinach. Try to incorporate these into your daily meals.
Memory Boosting Foods: Berries
While all fruits pack some nutritional benefit, only berries are exceptional in boosting your brain health.
For example, women age 70+ who ate up to, three half-cup servings of blueberries or strawberries per week performed significantly better on cognitive tasks. The reason for this are the powerful antioxidant and anti flammatory properties. Eat these at least twice a week.
They are delicious in salads, smoothies, or mashed up and spread on toast.
Fish
Eating seafood as little as once per week can protect against cognitive decline, according to a recent study.
Researchers tracked 900 men and women in their 70s and 80s for five years.
They found that those who ate more fish experienced fewer declines in memory and other measures of brain health. This compared to people who rarely ate seafood. Seafood contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids which can protect the brain in a number of ways.
The researchers also found that extra virgin olive oil, contains compounds that help clean up tiny tangles and plaques in the brain. Tangles and plaques are found in people with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
Nuts
Scientists recommend that you eat five or more servings of nuts like almonds, walnuts and pistachios per week.
Seniors, age 70 and older, who ate five or more servings of nuts per week, scored higher on cognitive tests compared to non-nuts eaters. Nuts are high in nutrients and are linked to reduced inflammation, decreased insulin resistance, and improved levels of fats in the blood. All of these can contribute to your brain health.