Foods to nourish the brain

Day 171: One thing I learned today…

The following foods can help nourish the brain:

· The Mediterranean diet (whole foods with healthy fats, low in processed foods) has been shown to slow the progression of cognitive decline in older individuals.

· Blueberries have been shown to increase neurological function among individuals with mild cognitive impairment.

· Flavonols from cocoa may help reduce the severity of age-related cognitive decline.

· As a rich source of antioxidants, avocados may help improve cognitive function.

· Walnuts are a powerful brain food shown to support increased processing time and cognitive flexibility.

· Green tea consumption may help reduce the risk of cognitive decline.Green tea is high in antioxidants and helps fight inflammation, which can lead to premature aging. Which are your favorites?

Sources: IIN Brain Food

Solfrizzi, V., Panza, F., Frisardi, V., Seripa, D., Logroscino, G., Imbibo, B. P., & Pilotto, A. (2011). Diet and Alzheimer’s disease risk factors or prevention: The current evidence. Expert Rev Neurother 11(5), 677–708. Retrieved from www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21539488

Boespflug, E. L., Eliassen, J. C., Dudley, J. A., Shidler, M. D., Kalt, W., & Summer, S. S....Krikorian, R. (2017). Enhanced neural activation with blueberry supplementation in mild cognitive impairment. Nutr Neurosci [epub ahead of print].

Retrieved from www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28221821

Sokolov, A. N., Pavlova, M. A., Klosterhalfen, S., & Enck, P. (2013). Chocolate and the brain: Neurobiological impact of cocoa flavanols on cognition and behavior. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 37(10), 2445–2553. Retrieved from www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23810791

Johnson, E., Vishwanathan, R., Mohn, E., Haddock, J., Rasmussen, H., & Scott, T. (2015). Avocado consumption increases neural lutein and improves cognitive function. The FASEB Journal 29(1), Supplement 32.8. Retrieved from www.fasebj.org/doi/abs/10.1096/fasebj.29.1_supplement.32.8

Poulose, S. M., Miller, M. G., & Shukitt-Hale, B. (2014). Role of walnuts in maintaining brain health with age. J Nutr 144(4 Suppl), 561S–566S. Retrieved from www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24500933

Noguchi-Shinohara, M., Yuki, S., Dohmoto, C., Ikeda, Y., Samuraki, M., & Iwasa, K....Yamada, M. (2014). Consumption of green tea, but not black tea or coffee, is associated with reduced risk