Best Brain Boosting Foods - Part 2 - More Fruits, Veggies, & Spices

By Anna Hazard

View the Rest of the Series

Part 1 - General Food Groups
Part 3 - Oils, Drinks, & Dessert

Introduction

Here are a sampling of some of the best natural foods for helping to improve memory & learning ability, stave off neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's, and otherwise maintain overall good brain health.
 
This second part of the series focuses on standalone plant products such as fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices that were not covered in the overall food groups mentioned in Part 1. Beneficial plant nutrients such as caretenoids & anthrocyanins as well as other anti-inflammatory antioxidant compounds & vitamins can be found within each recommended food along with a brief description of how each element contributes to the overall health of the brain.
 
Boosting effects can include increasing the presence of neural transmitters, protecting neurons from the damage of free radicals, or increasing the efficiency of oxygen being carried to the brain.

Brain Boosting Foods

Turmeric

• Turmeric is the spice that gives foods such as curry, mustards, & to a lesser degree ginger their bright yellow coloring. It possesses the polyphenol curcumin which is known to cross the blood brain barrier and thus be able to directly affect the brain. Curcumin has anti-inflammatory & antioxidant capabilities with the ability to boost both brain-derived derived neurotrophic factor that helps with brain cells growth as well as boosting the feel-good brain chemicals serotonin and dopamine whose presence helps improve mood and alleviates depression. In addition, curcumin binds to and helps break down the amyloid-beta plaque formed in the brain that heralds the onset of Alzheimer's or dementia as well as reducing the lipid & plaque levels in arteries that lead to the development of cardiovascular diseases. As turmeric is not easily bio-available or absorbed into the body, it should be eaten with complimentary with an absorption-enhancer such as black pepper.
• In addition, the compound turmerone found within turmeric promotes stem cell production and differentiation in the brain which could help with self-repair and recovery of brain function in neurodegenerative diseases. Aromatic turmerone found within turmeric has been found to increase the efficiency of the transport of curcumin within the body as well

Rosemary

• This evergreen herb that originates from the Mediterranean is a member of the mint family and is often used as a spice, in teas, or in fragrances.
• Rosemary is a rich source of anti-inflammatory antioxidants such as carnosic acid, one of the main ingredients in the herb, that binds the free radicals that cause neuro & macular degeneration thus helping to improve concentration, memory, and both brain & eye health.
• In addition rosemary possesses the fragrant compound 1,8-cineole that increases the presence of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine by preventing its natural breakdown via enzymes. The aroma of rosemary has been found to significantly increase prospective memory(which reminds people to complete present or future tasks) as well as help with concentration, visual processing, performance, accuracy, cognitive accuracy & speed, as well as having slight mood boosting effects.
• Rosemary is also a source of iron, calcium, and the memory boosting Vitamin B6 

Avocado

• Like many other brightly colored foods, avocados are a good source of folate (the natural form of Vitamin B9) whose presence helps lower the levels of within the body of homocysteine, an amino acid that has been found to hamper brain function and whose presence increases the risk of developing Alzheimer's or dementia. Folate in addition to Vitamin E can lower blood pressure whose high levels are a risk factor for stroke & declining cognitive abilities.

• Avocados are also rich in the antioxidant Vitamin E which helps alleviate oxidative damage to the brain caused by free radicals and controls blood vessels constriction (including those supplying oxygen to the brain). The further presence of Vitamin C within the fruit increases the antioxidant effect of both vitamins with C helping to regenerate E after it binds to free radicals.
• Another nutrient within avocados is Vitamin K whose presence contributes to improved cognitive function especially in regards to memory & concentration. Avocados are also high in beneficial monosaturated fats that keep blood sugar levels steady and help increase a healthy blood flow to the brain.

Tomatoes

• Tomatoes are a source of the plant nutrients called carotenoids, in particular they possess the powerful antioxidants lycipene and beta-carotene which help protect against free radical damage that causes inflammation and cognitive decline with age and such diseases as dementia and Alzheimer's. The brain with its high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids is particularly vulnerable to free radicals that have not been bound or neutralized by antioxidants. Seniors with cognitive impairments have often been found to have lower levels of caretenoids like lycopene and beta-carotene.
• Lycopene has been found to help prevent cancer, macular (eyesight) degeneration, and other degenerative diseases such as dementia. Besides its antioxidant benefits, lycopene also regulates cell growth and the genes that influence inflammation and brain growth. Beta-carotene on the other hand has the side benefit of helping to prevent heart disease. A compromised blood flow due to heart failure can lead to further cognitive impairment.
• Carotenoids dissolve in fat and are thus more easily absorbed by the body in that form. Thus tomatoes are often recommended to be served with healthy fats such as extra virgin olive oil. Juicing and cooking tomatoes are also recommended for better lycopene absorption as the process turns lycopene into cis-lycopene which is more efficiently absorbed into the blood. Keep in mind that cooking will neutralize other nutrients in the tomatoes however, such as the antioxidant Vitamin C with its neurotransmitter boosting benefits.
• Other nutrients found within tomatoes include Vitamin A, C, E, and K, all of which have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, or neural boosting abilities. In addition tomatoes are a source of  potassium,  iron, copper, tryptophan (a precursor to the feel good brain chemical serotonin), fiber, manganese, and the Alzheimer's preventing niacin.
• Many of the tomatoes nutrients are found in higher quantities within its skin. In addition, neuroprotective  anthocyanins are found in greater degree in darker skinned tomatoes.

Beet Roots

• Like other brightly colored foods, beets are rich in homocysteine reducing folate and in other neuroprotective antioxidants that help reduce inflammation and rid the body of toxins.
• In particular, beets are high in nitrates which gets converted into nitrite and nitric oxide (NO) within the body, compounds which effect the responsiveness of blood vessels & which can help the body more efficiently utilize oxygen. The relaxed and dilated blood vessels circulate more oxygen through the body decreasing blood pressure, increasing performance, and improving cognitive function such as focus & concentration. This is a particularly marked change within the brain, which at 2 - 3% body weight actually consumed up to 25% of the body's oxygen. The conversion process is further enhances during low-oxygen conditions such as during exercise.
• Beets roots have been indicated to be helpful especially in neurovascular coupling where the cells of a specific location in the brain signal that they need more oxygen to work with maximum efficiency and also reduce the  Cerebral Augmentation Index (CAI) which measures the undesirable stiffness of arteries in the brain and which high levels is linked to cognitive decline. In general, any decreased blood flow to the brain such as that which comes with aging or disease has been linked to over all cognitive decline.
• The nutrients from beets can be most efficiently absorbed when they are eaten raw (such as with drinking raw beet juices or smoothies) with their highest efficiency coming when they are ingested right before exercise.