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Do you forget what's-his-name's
phone number or where you put the keys? Rather than blame your dwindling memory
on genes, age, or a busy lifestyle, take a look at your diet.
By Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D.
WebMD Medical News
Do you forget what's-his-name's phone number or
where you put the keys? Rather than blame your dwindling memory on genes, age,
or a busy lifestyle, take a look at your diet. What you eat affects how clearly
you think and concentrate, your intelligence level, memory, and reaction time,
and even how quickly your brain ages.
Brain Basics
The brain is a hungry tissue. Though the brain makes
up only two percent of total body weight, it uses up to 30 percent of the day's
calories. It's also fussy, demanding that all its energy come from high-quality
carbohydrates.
Your brain burns this quick fuel even while you
sleep, so eating breakfast is the best way to restock fuel stores and prevent a
mental fog later in the day. While wolfing down the occasional bagel won't
ensure you ace the morning meeting, after two to three weeks of adding breakfast
to your daily routine, you should notice a gain in energy and mental power,
especially if the meal includes at least one fruit, one whole grain, and a
protein-rich source. One healthy start is a whole wheat English muffin with
peanut butter, an orange, and a glass of nonfat milk.
Also, spread food intake among four to six
mini-meals and snacks evenly distributed throughout the day. Keep these
mini-meals light. Avoid high-fat or big meals that divert the blood supply to
the digestive tract and away from the brain, causing sluggishness and fatigue.
Does Dieting Make You Dumb?
Crash diets do more than deprive you of calories;
they deprive you of smarts, as well. Researchers at the Institute of Food
Research in the United Kingdom report that women on very-low-calorie diets
process information more slowly, take longer to react and have more trouble
remembering sequences compared with non-dieting women. In contrast, losing
weight the good old-fashioned way -- a gradual weight loss of no more than two
pounds a week -- allows you to lose fat not muscle, keep it off, and stay
clear-headed in the process.
Coffee and Cognition
A cup of coffee helps you think and work faster and
more efficiently.
But too much has adverse effects.
Ironing Out Memory Problems
Iron helps carry oxygen to the tissues, including
the brain. When iron levels drop, tissues are starved for oxygen, resulting in
fatigue, memory loss, poor concentration, lack of motivation, shortened
attention span and reduced work performance. Premenopausal women need at least
15 milligrams of iron daily, yet many consume 10 milligrams or less.
How Can You Boost Iron?
B Is for Brain
Inadequate intake of any B vitamin, including
vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12 and folic acid, literally starves the brain for energy
and leads to confusion, irritability, and impaired thinking, concentration,
memory, reaction time and mental clarity.
To boost Bs, include several daily servings of
B-rich foods, including nonfat milk and yogurt, wheat germ, bananas, seafood,
whole grains and green peas. In addition, take a moderate-dose multiple vitamin
and mineral.
Anti-Dumbing Vitamins
The brain consumes more oxygen than any other body
tissue. This exposes the brain to a huge daily dose of free radicals,
by-products of oxygen usage that attack and damage brain cells. After decades,
the wear and tear of free-radical attacks can contribute to the gradual loss of
memory and thinking, an effect associated with aging. Fortunately, the body has
an anti-free-radical army comprised of antioxidant nutrients, which include
vitamins C and E. This dietary militia deactivates free radicals.
To keep your antioxidant defenses strong, consume at
least five but preferably nine servings of the following foods each day: orange
juice, strawberries, carrots, spinach, cantaloupe and other dark-colored fresh
fruits and vegetables.
Brain-Boosting Eating Strategies