Brain Boosting Foods
Eat the right food to improve your memory. (Photo: Pixabay)

Can your diet boost your memory? You bet. Research shows that certain components of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and fish can actually enhance brain function, and in some cases even reverse age-related memory loss.

Check out these top foods that can help improve your memory.

Oily Fish

Salmon, sardines and other oily fish are rich in DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid that is essential for optimum brain performance and memory. Try to eat fish three times a week and take a good quality fish oil supplement.

Walnuts

Walnuts are an excellent source of alpha-linolenic acid, a type of omega-3 fat the body uses to make DHA. Walnuts also contain an antioxidant called ellagic acid that helps protect the brain from free radical damage.

Wholegrains

Like everything else in your body, the brain cannot work without energy. The ability to concentrate and focus comes from the adequate, steady supply of energy – in the form of glucose in our blood to the brain. Achieve this by choosing whole grains with a low-GI, which release glucose slowly into the bloodstream, keeping you mentally alert throughout the day. Opt for ‘brown’ cereals, wheatbran, granary bread and brown pasta.

Blueberries

Evidence accumulated at Tufts University in the United States suggests that the consumption of blueberries may be effective in improving or delaying short term memory loss. They are widely available, so there’s no excuse not to load up on them.

Tomatoes

There is good evidence to suggest that lycopene, a powerful antioxidant found in tomatoes, could help protect against the kind of free radical damage to cells which occurs in the development of dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s.

Pumpkin Seeds

Just a handful of pumpkin seeds a day is all you need to get your recommended daily amount of zinc, vital for enhancing memory and thinking skills.

Dark Chocolate

“The cocoa that gives dark chocolate its haunting, addictive flavor is loaded with the memory-boosting antioxidant power of flavonoids,” Rebecca Katz, author of the science-based recipe book The Healthy Mind Cookbook, says. “In two recent studies, cocoa consumption has been linked to higher scores on cognitive tests. Dark chocolate is also a boon to the cardiovascular system, and a healthy heart helps keep the brain sharp.”

RELATED: Read more in The Healthy Mind Cookbook, you can buy the book here