Do you think that your child has difficulty remembering his studies, or do you often forget to bring things from the market that you are supposed to bring? Many of us forget things, and forgetting is not unnatural. But when your son or daughter brings poor result or you forget an important letter or document, you feel bad and curse your forgetting habit. There is no miracle to boost memory, but over a period of time, experts have observed that some fruits, herbs and food products are associated with keeping the brain healthy, and are special brain foods.
- Bramhi is a herb that has long been associated with increasing memory and is also known as brain food. The leaves can be cooked as ‘Saag,’ or bramhi supplements are available in the market. Do take medical advice before eating supplements. Eating cooked bramhi leaves does not have any side effects, but they are bitter to taste.
- Apple is a highly nutritious fruit. It has a lot of vitamins A, B and C, iron and calcium and is rich in plant fibre. Moreover, it has no cholesterol. Eating an apple every day is good for brain function. However, the apple should not be peeled, as their peels contain many minerals that are vital for our health.
- Banana is another highly nutritious brain food or fruit. It has magnesium, which makes brain cells active.
- Eating moderate pieces of chocolate is good for the brain. It helps to relax the brain and improve blood supply in the brain.
- Curd helps in physical and mental tiredness. Adding dry fruits is even better.
- Turmeric prevents memory loss and is found to be beneficial in cases of Alzheimer’s disease.
- Eating olive oil is also good. Olive oil has fatty acid and polyphenoyl, which prevent swelling in the brain and improved concentration.
- Walnuts have fat, which is beneficial for the brain. Eating one walnut every day can increase your memory by 19%.
- Similarly, fat found in coconut is good for brain function. One can choose to eat raw coconut or use coconut oil in cooking.
- Mint is also found to have a relaxing effect on the brain. Chewing mint leaves or having mint tea is good for relaxing and refreshing the brain.
- Tomato is known to be a good detoxifier for the body. It has licopin, a strong antioxidant that helps to protect us from free radicals and helps to prevent brain cell damage.
- Drink water. Around 50% of our brain is water. Drinking less water leads to dehydration and causes disruption in blood flow to the brain.
- Fish has omega 3 fatty acid, which is good for the brain.