5 BRAIN-BOOSTING SUPERFOODS TO ADD TO YOUR DIET NOW

Just as certain foods can boost your physical health, there are loads of superfood ingredients that can give you serious brain power. Loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fatty acids that are essential for cognitive health, these science-backed supplements and superfoods can help improve recall, memory and concentration, as well as prevent certain neurodegenerative diseases.

Folic Acid

Folic acid is part of the B series of vitamins and can potentially help ward of a number of diseases, from cancer to stroke. Found in high concentrations in leafy green vegetables, kidney and liver, it’s widely agreed that the maintenance of folic acid levels in the body is a key way of ensuring good health.

While historic research suggesting that folic acid, otherwise known as vitamin B9, could actively improve memory have been called into question, there is significant evidence that folate deficiency can accelerate neurological degeneration. Making sure you keep folic acid levels in the healthy range is therefore really important in safeguarding your mental dexterity into old age.

DHA

DHA, or Docosahexaenoic acid, is an omega-3 fatty acid and a primary structural component of your brain and cerebral cortex. This makes it one of the most important fatty acids in supporting brain health, and has been shown to promote general cognitive functions, safeguard against Alzheimer's, and improve depression symptoms.

Yet our body’s way of producing DHA is not very efficient, with our liver having to convert it from other fatty acids. That means it’s really important to incorporate omega-3 foods like eggs and fatty fish, or a DHA supplement, into your diet.

Choline

Required for a wide array of the functions of your body, liver, nerve, metabolism and muscle function, choline is essential for a healthy body. It’s so important that in 1998, the American National Academy of Science identified it as a required nutrient for humans and recommended daily intake amounts.

Choline is especially important for brain function, supporting both proper brain development and ongoing cognitive health. Our body is only able to make small amounts of choline on their own, so we must get the rest from supplements and foods such as eggs, beef cauliflower, and peanuts.

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha, one of the most prized herbs in Ayurvedic medicine, has been used for millennia as both a preventative and curative treatment. It has always been prized for its ability to promote memory and intellect, and now a wealth of studies bring us closer to understanding the effect of this superfood on brain health. Recent research has revealed that ashwaganda has promising neuroregenerative properties and could help to slow the cognitive damage caused by conditions such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer's, and even potentially prevent their occurrence altogether.

Zinc

Zinc is an essential trace element, and the second most common trace metal after iron. It’s required for a huge range of essential functions, including keeping around 300 enzymes in good working condition.

While zinc is concentrated in several parts of the body, including muscle, bones, kidney, liver, prostate and eyes, one of the most important places that zinc makes an appearance is in the brain. For example, zinc deficiency has been linked to disorders in cognitive development among children. So for optimum brain health, try to add more zinc-rich foods like shellfish, legumes and seeds to your daily diet.

Even incorporating just one or two of these science-backed superfoods into your diet can boost your cognitive health. But for those wanting to get serious about safeguarding their brain, why not add all five?

You can find all of these brain-boosting ingredients in our Lumimind Pro+ supplement, making it effortless to nourish your brain with all the nutrition it needs.