Foods to Improve Memory
This page contains information about how memory can be affected by foods, nutrition, and diet.
Disclaimer: please note that nothing on this website should be construed as medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or qualified health professional.
General Research
According to Harvard Health Publishing, “Nutritionists emphasize that the most important strategy is to follow a healthy dietary pattern that includes a lot of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.” It also recommends seeking foods that are rich in “omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, and antioxidants”. A few examples of foods they mention are:
- Green, leafy vegetables — “vitamin k, lutein, folate, and beta carotene”
- Fatty fish — “omega-3 fatty acids”
- Berries — “flavonoids”
- Tea and coffee
- Walnuts — “nuts are excellent sources of protein and health fats”
There also may be a relationship between saturated fats and cognitive performance.
LDL cholesterol builds up in, and damages, arteries. “We know that’s bad for your heart. There is now a lot of evidence that it’s also bad for your brain,” says Dr. Francine Grodstein, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and associate epidemiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
…As evidence of this effect are the results of a study conducted by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, published online May 17 in the journal Annals of Neurology. Women in the study who ate the most saturated fats from foods such as red meat and butter performed worse on tests of thinking and memory than women who ate the lowest amounts of these fats. [Boost your memory by eating right]
Discussions
We’ve had many discussions about diet, nutrition and memory. The links below are good places to start.
- Water Fasting, Calorie Restriction, FMD, and High-nutrient Diets
- Research shows loss of memory, recovery after high-fat diet
- High Fat Diets and Brain Aging
- Effects of Sugar on the Brain and Memory
- What is your strategy for fitness and nutrition?
- “Stop Wasting Money on Vitamin and Mineral Supplements”
- Fat, Sugar, the Human Microbiome, and Cognitive Function
- Study: Fasting Helps the Immune System
- How Obesity Makes Memory Go Bad
- Greens, Vegetables, Fruits, and Memory
- Eating and mind clarity connections
- Trans Fats and Memory Loss
- Chocolate and Memory
- Gut Bacteria May Affect Brain Function
- Lifestyle and brain function (type 2 diabetes)
