Dr. Diana Rangaves, PharmD

Brain food for productive thinking    

Which Foods Increases Thinking Abilities? 

Most people think of their diet as a means to maintain their physical health,  It is also important to consider brain foods for productive thinking in that diet. Through human physiology, neuroscience research identified nutrients found in some foods we consume to influence human cognitive abilities. 

 Neuroscience Research 

Within the interactions of the environment and human physiology it is possible for professionals to understand the relationship between foods and brain functions.

According to Gomez-Pinilla (2010), some foods affect mental functions. This is through eating foods with nutrients, which maintains thinking functions by acting on brain cellular processes. Also, foods with low glycemic index foods increase attention and memory. On the other hand, those with simple sugars decrease mention functions (Garcia et al., 2018). Incorporating healthy nutrients and food sources are vital for maintaining and increasing thinking abilities.

Nutrients and food sources 

Below are vital nutrients for the brain, according to Gomez-Pinilla (2010):

  1. Omega-3 fatty acids-Maintains and increase thinking functions. Food rich in it includes salmon fish, kiwi fruits, flax seeds, krill, butternuts, and walnuts.
  2. Curcumin-Maintains memory functions. The food source of the nutrients is turmeric, specifically curry spice.
  3. Flavonoids-Increases thinking functions. Mostly its food sources are green tea, cocoa, red wine, dark chocolate, and ginkgo tree. 
  4. Saturated fat-Maintains cognitive abilities and food sources are butter, coconut oil, ghee, suet, lard, cottonseed oil, palm kernel oil, and meat.
  5. Other important nutrients-include vitamins B, D and E, and chlorine, zinc, iron, copper, calcium, and selenium. 

Wrap Up 

Most experts believe that nutrients maintain thinking functions and increase cognitive abilities. Always look for specific nutrients in your food sources. When planning a nutrient dense healthy diet, consider consulting a professional to map your individual plan.