This article was originally published at What to eat to improve brain functioning?

Learning is a long process of getting new knowledge, and it’s not always going as easy as we would like to. Sometimes it’s not easy to remember something or understand, and then we start to look for something to improve our ability to remember things and boost our brain. It’s not necessary to look in the pharmacy, because we can find a lot of natural brain boosters in grocery.

A good diet is essential for the proper functioning of our brain, and I realized it in my example. This is why I would like to share with you 10 natural things I eat to improve brain function.

I’ve also prepared a video episode about it with a bonus recipe at the end, so feel free to take a look.

Let’s start.

1. Nuts

Nuts are one of the best natural brain boosters, and it’s easily accessible in every grocery. The main advantage of nuts is that it’s rich in omega 3 acids, and it is also full of vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals. Omega 3 acids are great for improving brain functioning.

I believe that nuts may not be your favorite snack for every day, but you can easily get the advantage of the nuts eating good quality peanut butter. Of course, you can combine it with something else to make it tasty. The other way is to add a bunch of nuts to your oatmeal, for example.

2. Avocado

Avocado is another easily accessible food which is also a brain booster. It contains Vitamin K and folate, which are responsible for improving your memory and focus. And those two are very important when you are learning.

Avocados are also rich in Vitamin B and C, which makes avocados the best fruit to improve memory. Those brain-boosting benefits may be the reason why avocados are so popular right now.

If you like the taste of avocados, you can eat it with toast, or feel free to add it to the smoothie of creating tasty guacamole.

3. Water

Water doesn’t have any particular vitamins that boost your brain, but taking into consideration that the human body consists mostly of water, we seriously have to take care of proper hydration.

Water is also an essential part of our brain, and it feels every decrease of the water amount. It can cause slower reactions, headaches, or mood swings, and much more serious issues. So, the first thing necessary to remember is to drink water!

4. Green tea | Yerba mate | Caffee

Green tea and yerba mate boost your brain as well with the caffeine they contain. Caffeine can affect the alertness and focus, but besides this, it also affects the mood and helps to improve the memory.

I prefer green tea and yerba mate as a substitute for coffee, but a cup of good coffee is a solution too.

Green tea contains many more components good for our brains. One of them is l-theanine which is an amino acid which can activate GABA neurotransmitter. It decreases neuron activity, and reduce stress and reduces the feeling of tiredness, helping to relax as well.

Green tea also can help to improve memory and the ability to learn new things, which can be very helpful when you start learning programming.

5. Oranges

Oranges contain a lot of Vitamin C, which has a positive impact on our brain and can help to protect it.

Vitamin C helps to clear harmful free-radicals, which can bring damages to our brain, affecting especially memory and the ability of learning.

It also has a positive impact on taking care of our brain while we are getting old.

6. Dark chocolate

Another tasty position in our brain boosters list is dark chocolate. It's done with coca, which contains flavonoids. Flavonoids are the antioxidants that help to protect the brain accumulating in the area responsible for the memory and prevents damages to this area.

Flavonoids can also help to prevent cognitive decline. What’s more, they are able to improve the cognitive functions of our brain and help to improve the plasticity of the brain, which is crucial in learning.

7. Oily fishes

Oily fishes are a great source of omega 3 acids, which is crucial for the proper functioning of our brains. It’s also a booster for memory and cognition skills.

Especially recommended are fishes like salmon or mackerel. I believe not everyone is the biggest fan of fishes, but you may create a tasty salad or paste with fish and eat this with a toast. It’s recommended to consume fish dishes two times per week, but if you are not able to do it, maybe you should think about supplements with omega 3 acid.

8. Eggs

Probably you didn’t have any idea how beneficial for your brain can be scrambled eggs eaten in the morning.

Eggs contain several brain-boosting components, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, choline, and foliate.

Those are responsible for the regulation of sugar level in the brain, prevent memory loss and cognitive decline, and it even affects your mood, improving it.

Eggs are one of the best food on this list, so you should already think of a tasty egg dish for the next breakfast.

9. Blueberries

Blueberries are one of the tastiest brain boosters on the list. They contain Vitamin C and Vitamin K and help you to improve spatial memory.

The biggest advantage of blueberries is that they help to protect the brain from potential risk caused by inflammation. Components included in blueberries also prevent memory loss caused by age.

Blueberries can be used as an ingredient in a smoothie or added to your porridge or omelet.

10. Tomatoes

Tomatoes are a tasty addition to your sandwiches, salads, or sauce, but did you know about their impact on your brain?

Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, a very powerful antioxidant, which helps to reduce cell damages, and it also helps to prevent depression.

Another nutrient included in tomatoes called carotenoids helps to improve cognitive ability and memory.

So, from now, add some more tomatoes to your everyday diet.

Conclusion

In the list above, I shared with you 10 natural brain boosters, which you can easily find in the grocery shop and prepare tasty food. It can be a small addition to your everyday food, which will make a massive difference for your brain functioning, abilities to learn, and will help you to prevent your brain from damages.

Especially if you are learning a lot and need to remember a significant amount of things, pay some attention to your brain, which is so important for you.

Thank you for reading,
Anna from Duomly