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Food for Thought

Foods for Memory

almonds300 Almonds 
The almond contains phenylalanine, this is little chemical is shown to work in conjunction with our cognitive processes and supports healthy neurological function.
This chemical very easily passes through our blood-brain barrier and makes our brain produce our natural mood stabilizing hormones adrenaline, noradrenaline and dopamine.
Almonds contain another brain boosting element called riboflavin (B2)  as well as L-carnitine. This little chemical is important for the brain because it helps make it possible for our brain to metabolize acetyl-L-carnitinetransferase which supports choline metabolism. Our brain utilizes choline to prevent any neuronal degeneration.
The L-carnitine that is found in almonds and other nuts also helps in the release of acetylcholine, which is essential for good memory.
blueberries300 Blueberries
Researchers say blueberries contain a wealth of phytochemicals that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
Animal studies have shown that the polyphenols found in blueberries, anthocyanins, have been shown to increase signaling in brain centers associated with memory as well as improve how the brain gets rid of glucose, all of which may help slow memory decline.

In the study, researchers looked at the effects of drinking wild blueberry juice on memory decline in nine adults in their 70s who were experiencing age-related memory decline problems, such as memory lapses.
The participants drank about two and a half cups each day of blueberry juice made from commercially available frozen wild blueberries for 12 weeks. A comparison group of seven older adults drank a similar amount of placebo non-juice beverage for the same time period.
Researchers conducted memory tests, such as word association and list learning and recall tasks, at the beginning and end of the study.
The results showed that those who drank blueberry juice showed significant improvement on learning and memory tests compared to the placebo group.
sunflowerseeds300 Sunflower seeds
Clinical tests continue to show that people with adequate levels of the B Complex Vitamin Riboflavin do well on memory exams. The "B" could stand for "brain," if you're one of many with limited instant recall. And the number one source of that vitamin is sunflower seeds.
greentea300

Green tea
The findings, which are published in the academic journal, Phytotherapy Research, may lead to the development of a new treatment for a form of dementia which affects an estimated ten million people worldwide, Alzheimer's Disease.

They found that both green and black tea inhibited the activity of enzymes associated with the development of Alzheimer's Disease,

Both teas inhibited the activity of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE), which breaks down the chemical messenger or neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. Alzheimer's is characterised by a drop in acetylcholine.

Green tea and black tea also hinder the activity of the enzyme butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE), which has been discovered in protein deposits which are found on the brain of patients with Alzheimer's.

Green tea went one step further in that it obstructed the activity of beta-secretase, which plays a role in the production of protein deposits in the brain which are associated with Alzheimer's disease. Scientists also found that it continued to have its inhibitive effect for a week, whereas black tea's enzyme-inhibiting properties lasted for only one day.
oliveoil300 Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Olive oil contains hydroxyl tyrosol, which protects the brain cells from oxidative stress, also known as free radicals. Free radicals are implicated in many degenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s. "Certain foods can either reduce oxidative stress or increase it,
tomatoes300 Tomatoes
Eating tomatoes protects your brain cells against damaging free radicals. Tomatoes contain a powerful anti-oxidant called lycopene. This acts as a layer of protection and can also prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
greekyogurt300 Greek Yogurt
A source of calcium, yogurt also has tyrosine, which is responsible for making the neurotransmitters dopamine and noradrenaline. They improve alertness and memory. "We’re not talking fruit or flavored yogurt, just plain, nonfat Greek, soy or regular yogurt," she says.
Studies have shown that tyrosine, the amino acid in yogurt, is responsible for the production of the neurotransmitters dopamine and noradrenalin. In short, yogurt helps improve alertness and memory. 
darkchocolate300 Dark Chocolate
"Finish off the list with chocolate, but make it 70 percent dark chocolate," Ms. Jamieson-Petonic says. Dark chocolate is high in flavonols, a type of antioxidant that improves the blood supply to the brain and enhances cognitive skills.
Chocolate is not only delicious, it’s also beneficial to your brain and can help enhance your mood. Natural stimulants boost the production of endorphins that improve focus and concentration.
Dark chocolate is rich in flavanols that boost blood supply to the brain and help improve cognitive skills.
Hoping to get past those challenges to research, Henriette van Praag of the Salk Institute in La Jolla gave flavanol-rich cocoa to laboratory mice and plunked them into a vat of opaque water to see if they were better able to find a hidden platform where they could rest.
Although the chocolate-consuming mice found the platform no quicker than control mice, the flavanols clearly strengthened memory of the platform's location for as long as a week.
Although more research is needed, researchers suspect that compounds in dark chocolate called procyanidins counteract oxidation and inflammation, two conditions that age the brain. Some scientists think procyanidins also improve memory by increasing blood circulation so your brain gets more oxygen and nutrients, explains Victoroff.

 

Nutritional News with Amy J

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