The Foods to Eat for a Stronger Memory
Some foods can genuinely help you hold on to life's little details. Age, stress, the quality and length of your sleep, medications and, of course, your diet can all shape how well your memory works.
Physiologically, a good memory depends on the total number of your brain cells (neurons), the smooth flow of communication between them, and the health of those cells. Your overall health can strongly affect memory in many ways. For example, your cardiovascular system influences how well your brain cells perform. Every cell in the body needs a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients to survive and function, and because these travel through the blood, anything that hinders blood flow can affect brain-cell function. Simply put, a healthy heart works for a healthy brain. That's why it matters to keep your blood pressure and cholesterol in check, exercise regularly, and steer clear of energy-draining habits like smoking and alcohol. A heart-protective diet is important not only for general health but also for your memory. In fact, striking research has found links between certain foods and the ingredients within them and the protection and improvement of memory. These "memory" foods contain flavonoids — the chemical compounds that give fruits and leafy greens their colour. Two important flavonoids shown to support memory are anthocyanins and quercetin. Other memory-boosting nutrients include folate and omega-3 fatty acids. Take a look at this list of the best foods for strengthening your memory and boosting brainpower.
Berries
Compared with other fruits, berries hold some of the highest concentrations of certain antioxidants, and they're all rich in beneficial anthocyanins and flavonols (a subgroup of flavonoids) that help protect brain cells from deterioration.
Some studies suggest that diets rich in flavonoids may help reverse memory loss in people. Because blueberries are one of the best sources of flavonoids, I strongly recommend making room for them in your daily diet. A study in the UK found that eating plenty of blueberries can improve memory and learning. Fresh berries like blueberries are available at farmers' markets, local supermarkets and health-food stores — and in the off-season, frozen berries are just as nutritious a choice.
Leafy Green Vegetables
Leafy greens like spinach, cabbage, kale, mustard greens and turnip greens are loaded with folate (folic acid, found in supplements and fortified foods, is the synthetic form of this nutrient), which has a direct effect on memory.
In a study at Tufts University in Boston, researchers followed 320 men over 3 years, tracking their blood levels of homocysteine (an amino acid linked to higher heart-attack risk). Participants with high homocysteine levels had weaker memories, while those who ate folate-rich foods (a diet that directly lowers homocysteine levels) had a protective effect against memory decline. An Australian study linked a diet rich in folic-acid foods to faster information processing and better recall, and in another study, women who consumed enough folic acid over 5 weeks showed overall improvements in memory.
Oily Fish
Healthy fats matter for a healthy mind. When it comes to food and memory, oily fish like salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel deserve to be the stars of the show, thanks to the abundant omega-3 they provide. In fact, a study published in the Archives of Neurology in November 2006 found that people with high omega-3 levels were significantly less likely to be diagnosed with dementia than those with low levels.
In an earlier study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, more than 3,000 women and men were followed for 6 years to see how their diets affected their memory. Those who ate fish at least once a week showed a 10% slower decline in memory than those who ate none — a difference that, in terms of memory and thinking ability, was equivalent to being 3 years younger.
Important! Try to eat oily fish in 110-gram portions three times a week. If that's not realistic for you, you might consider fish-oil supplements.
Coffee
Good news for coffee lovers: about 2 years ago, researchers at the University of Innsbruck in Austria found that drinking caffeinated coffee temporarily sharpens focus and memory. After volunteers were given roughly 2 cups of coffee with equal caffeine levels, magnetic resonance imaging showed an increase in brain function, including memory, in two areas — an effect not seen in volunteers who received no caffeine.
Another study, published in a leading neurology journal, found that caffeine's effects may last longer in women. This 4-year study of 7,000 participants assessed cognitive function, blood pressure, cholesterol and other key vascular measures. When participants were re-evaluated at 2 and 4 years, women aged 65 and over who drank 3 cups of coffee a day (or an equivalent amount of caffeinated tea) showed a threefold reduction in memory decline over time compared with women who drank 1 cup or less. These results held even after accounting for age, education, baseline cognitive function, depression, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, medications and chronic illness. Researchers suspect this link wasn't seen in men because caffeine may be metabolised differently between the sexes.
Keep in mind that unfiltered coffee (such as French press or espresso) can raise cholesterol levels because of the compounds it contains, so anyone managing high cholesterol should be especially careful. To be safe, stick to filter coffee, choose fat-free milk, and avoid adding sugar wherever you can.