MANILA, Philippines — People have a tendency to focus too much on body health, and it is understandable, considering how much abuse it is taking with the kind of unhealthy environment we live in and the unhealthy lifestyle we lead these days. It is indeed important to start taking good care of the body and nursing it back to health.
But what about brain health? Maybe it is time, too, to take good care of our brain by feeding it with not just good thoughts and a positive attitude but, literally, with brain food that boosts memory, sharpens attention and focus, and enhances the mood all the time.
Related Stories
In observance of Healthy Aging Month this September, Dr. David Heber, chairman of the Herbalife Nutrition Institute, suggests enhancing brain health with these six nutrient-packed food choices to fuel the brain cells:
Fish Oil
If there is one food you can relate to brain health, it is definitely fish oil. This is because fatty fishes — such as sardines, salmon and trout — have high levels of Omega-3.
Farm-fed fish, including tilapia and some salmon, have both Omega-3 and Omega-6 and are less desirable. Eating ocean-caught fish is much healthier.
About 60% of the brain is made of fat, and the long-chain Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) found in fish are a type of fat that is not made efficiently by the body so you have to obtain them from food. Omega-3 fatty acids also keep your heart healthy.
Black and Green Tea
Black and green teas provide hydration any time of the day, and this is essential for the brain while jump-starting thermogenic (metabolic) activity and boosting energy. Caffeine is known for its natural thermogenic (metabolism-boosting) benefits and black tea contains a good amount of it. Green tea, meanwhile, is known for its antioxidant properties and is really good for the body.
Tea, in general, also supports the body’s antioxidant activity, which helps protect it against free radical damage. To get maximum benefit from drinking tea, don’t drink it immediately after steeping it in hot water. Give it time so the water can extract and concentrate the tea’s components.
Lutein-rich vegetables and fruits
Lutein is a yellow antioxidant phytonutrient found in spinach, kale and avocados, and can also be obtained from dietary supplements for eye health. Lutein is concentrated in the back of the eye in an area called the macula, which is hit with the most ultraviolet light due to the focusing of light by the eye's lens.
The eye is connected to the brain via the optic nerve and Lutein is transported to the brain where it is in higher concentration than in the blood (58% of carotene-like antioxidants in the brain but only 28% of this family of phytonutrients in the bloodstream). Studies being conducted both among young people and the elderly show positive effects of Lutein on brain function.
Dark chocolate
Dark chocolate is rich in flavonoids, but be sure to get chocolate that is at least 70% cocoa. Flavonoids, which are strong antioxidants that may enhance memory and also help slow down age-related mental decline, are found in cocoa but not in all chocolate.
For example, white chocolate has no cocoa, and many candies are only 30% cocoa. The best news? Chocolate is a guilty pleasure because it also causes the brain to release dopamine, which improves mood.
Eggs
Eggs and egg yolk are rich in protein and vitamins such as B, D and E, which may help improve memory. Choline is also found in eggs; it is a micronutrient that the body uses to create acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood and memory. Egg yolk also has Lutein.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Extra Virgin Olive Oil is rich in a polyphenol called hydroxytyrosol, which sadly is removed in refined forms of olive oil. This powerful antioxidant may improve learning and memory, but it also has a compound that mimics a painkiller. The compound, called oleocanthal, acts in the same way as ibuprofen to stifle components of a pain pathway called the prostaglandin system.
Ultimately, make sure to consume high-quality food that contains lots of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Another essential part of keeping a healthy brain is neurobic exercises, which help boost attention, memory, cognition and mood.
Remember: Of all parts of the body, the brain is the one organ you cannot transplant or replace, so take good care of it. You have only one brain.
RELATED: Brain fitness: Doctor shares strategies as part of healthy aging