Keep Your Mind Focused & Memory Sharp At Any Age By Eating “Brain” FoodsHave you ever found yourself rummaging in the kitchen for a baked potato, leftover pasta, or a slice of bread to munch on? If so, your body may have been seeking foods that have the capacity to bring your neurotransmitters into balance, keeping your brain functions sharp. Neurotransmitters are chemical substances that help transmit messages from one area of the brain to another.
When you consume a carbohydrate, your body breaks it down into sugar, or glucose. Insulin is then released into your bloodstream to help your body absorb the glucose, which in turn, helps your cells absorb the amino acid tryptophan. Tryptophan then travels to the brain, where it builds serotonin.
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter. There are foods that encourage regular serotonin production. When your body has enough serotonin, it doesn't have relentless cravings. A number of foods encourage serotonin balance. Some contain the building blocks for serotonin; others support general brain health so your body can regulate serotonin properly. Still others help keep insulin levels balanced so that your system isn't over- or underwhelmed.
The serotonin-boosting foods below provide alpha-linolenic acid (LNA) and DHA, which have a vital impact on brain health. Perhaps the most important is DHA, which is found in fish, DHA-fortified eggs, nuts and seeds, soy, and avocado.
Rich, Tasty Foods That Fuel Brain Cells
- Ocean-going fish supply two readily available forms of omega-3 essential fatty acids-EPA and DHA. But it's important to choose your fish wisely. Young, small fish from cold water seas, such as Alaskan salmon, are safest, with the lowest levels of mercury toxicity and other pollutants. Be sure not to purchase farm-raised fish, which have some of the highest levels of disease and pollutants found anywhere.
- Organic DHA-fortified eggs supply DHA and phosphatidylcholine, which stabilizes membranes. Eggs are the only food that supplies all the amino acids.
- Nuts and seeds are a good source of alpha-linolenic acid (LNA), an omega-3 building block.
- Ground flaxseed particularly ground flaxseed are good sources of alpha-linolenic acid (LNA), an omega-3 building block.
- Soybeans and tofu are two more options for increasing your intake of LNA.
- Complex carbohydrates and whole grains found in organic fruits and vegetables, and legumes help absorb tryptophan.
- Organic turkey and dairy products such as cheese and warmed milk are good sources of tryptophan.
- Avocados provide LNA and some DHA.
- Honey in small amounts, is far better for you than sugar, because honey contains vitamins, minerals, and small amounts of protein—all brain foods. But don't overdo it. Honey in large quantities will raise insulin levels.
But Foods Can't Do It All
There are other key nutrients that provide excellent nutritional support for your brain. For example, your body needs an abundant supply of antioxidants to fight off oxidative radicals. Our bodies naturally produce some antioxidants, but it's very important that we nourish ourselves with a complete range of antioxidants for protection against free-radical damage, especially as we get older.
Acetyl L-carnitine works directly on the nerve cells in your brain, helping to increase energy production. Alpha lipoic acid and N-acetyl-L-cysteine help protect against free radicals before they reach your brain. And phosphatidylserine helps keep your cell membranes fluid and flexible, and also helps to maintain healthy memory-related pathways.
Feed Your Brain
Most of us are living longer, and we want our brains operating at peak efficiency our entire lives. But between the stresses of modern living and the depleted diet of many Americans, it's a wonder we have any brain cells left at all. Add to that, a serious lack of exercise and the use of serotonin-depleting substances such as caffeine, aspartame, and alcohol, and our brains are starving for nutrients. But by simply paying attention to your diet and nutrition, you can help maintain the health and vitality of your brain and memory.
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Your Mental Clarity Can Get Better as You Get Older
We've been told for so long that it is normal to become forgetful as we age, that we've come to believe it, and even expect it. But while everybody will age, your mind, including your memory, can remain sharp.
One of the main causes of memory decline is oxidative damage at the cellular level. Fortunately, brain cells are very receptive to nutritional supplementation. Just as vitamin E and coenzyme Q10 block free radical damage and protect your heart, there are nutrients that can preserve and boost your brain power, actually guarding against memory loss.
For more than 25 years, I've specialized in anti-aging medicine. And through extensive research and working with my patients at the New England Heart & Longevity Center, I've discovered a combination of 11 nutrients that have a powerful anti-aging impact on the brain. In fact, they can help maintain and sharpen your memory power and mental alertness even as you get older.
And because many of these nutrients are similar to the ones your brain is made of, they're easy for your body to use. Plus, several of these nutrients can actually cross the blood-brain barrier — so they directly work to boost your mental clarity and sharpen your memory. This combination makes these some of the most powerful nutrients I believe you can take for your brain. To learn more, click here.
As your brain ages, you notice it most in your memory and recall...
It's a scary thing to start forgetting things, like misplacing your keys, losing important documents, or forgetting names of old friends when you run into them at the store. It makes you feel like your brain is betraying you. Scientists have coined this disheartening occurrence as "age-related cognitive decline."
Memory decline usually begins around the age of 50, but can begin as early as your 30s. It is part of the aging process. But unlike the physical signs of aging you can see, such as graying hair or wrinkles, memory decline is very subtle — so it often creeps up without notice.
One of the biggest causes of age-related memory decline is stress from free radicals...
All parts of your body are routinely affected by oxidative damage from free radicals, including your brain.
Your brain is composed of fats — specifically phospholipids and essential fatty acids — both of which play a major role in relaying chemical messages between neurons in your brain. But because these fats are extremely delicate, free radicals can literally punch holes into the cell membranes, subjecting your cells to damage. This damage shows up most noticeably in your memory and recall abilities.
But free radical oxidation of the brain itself isn't the only culprit. Your brain is also influenced by environmental conditions such as pollution, and free radicals caused elsewhere in your body by your body's own natural processes.
Your lifestyle also plays an important role. Nutritional deficiencies can impede the chemical messengers in your brain. And the hormone cortisol that your body releases in times of stress can also contribute to memory decline.
To learn more about Dr. Sinatra's top recommendation for memory health, click here.
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The Seven Do's and Don'ts for a Healthy Brain
- DO eat according to the Pan Asian Modified Mediterranean (PAMM) diet. It's loaded with antioxidant-rich fruits and healthy fats that promote brain health.
- DON'T eat trans-fatty acids and saturated fats, which contribute to heart disease and Alzheimer's.
- DON'T drink excessive alcohol, which causes premature aging of the brain.
- DO place a filter on your kitchen tap that removes heavy metals and chlorine from your drinking water.
- DO avoid products that contain aluminum, including deodorants, antacids and baking powder (aluminum can cause early aging!). Do not drink out of aluminum cans.
- DO make sure you exercise your mind with crossword puzzles, reading, and other activities that will increase your mental sharpness.
- DO keep homocysteine levels under 9.
To learn more about Dr. Sinatra's top recommendation for memory health, click here.
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Top 10 Nutrients for Brain Health
- Alpha lipoic acid (50-150 mg daily) and N-acetyl cysteine (100-300 mg daily) — help protect against free radicals elsewhere in your body, before they can even get to your brain.
- Ginkgo biloba (120 mg daily) — offers antioxidant support and boosts and maintains blood circulation, a major factor in preserving brain function and boosting memory power.
- Vitamin B-complex (800 mcg folic acid, 20 mg of B6, 20 mcg of B12) - support nerve function and promote healthy levels of homocysteine.
- Acetyl l-carnitine (250 mg daily) — crosses the "blood-brain barrier" and works directly on the nerve cells in your body.
- Blueberry powder (25 mg daily) and vitamin C (10 mg daily) — help to fight free radical oxidation throughout the body, including the brain.
- Ashwagandha (100 mg daily) — helps to increase your body's resistance to stress and has a balancing effect on your body's functions. I also believe it may help to reduce your body's level of stress hormones that can impede memory.
- Phosphatidylserine (200 mg) — keeps your cell membranes fluid, flexible and ready for nutrient absorption, and helps with the conduction of nerve impulses, keeping memory-related pathways healthy and intact.
- DMAE (20 mg daily) — converts into acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter vital for short-term memory and learning capacity. It's especially helpful because it's able to cross the blood-brain barrier and is quickly utilized to boost brain function.
- CDP-Choline (50 mg daily) — helps to promote acetylcholine and has the added benefit of serving as an important building block of phosphatidylcholine.
- Phosphatidylcholine (75 mg daily) — aids nerve impulses, and assists in the transfer of information in your brain.
To learn more about Dr. Sinatra's top recommendation for memory health, click here.
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