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What 5 Foods Should You Add to Your Breakfast to Improve Brain Function?
18.04.2023 06:50
There are many foods that contain nutrients that are known to benefit the brain.
From nuts and seeds to fish, fruits and vegetables, there are plenty of brain-boosting foods to choose from.
To maximize the positive effects of nutrition on brain health, it is best to eat a variety of brain-boosting foods throughout the day. This includes breakfast.
Although everyone knows that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, it often consists of sweet processed foods or baked goods, and some people neglect it altogether. What makes breakfast so important?
The fact that after waking up, this food replenishes energy levels, which allows you to maintain physical and mental activity throughout the day.
Let's learn more about what foods you should choose for breakfast to support your brain.
Smoked salmon
While fish isn't usually considered an ideal breakfast food, smoked salmon can be a healthy addition to toast, scrambled eggs or savory breakfast porridge.
Salmon contains protein as well as essential omega-3 fats that are good for your brain. Add some salmon to whole grain toast with cream cheese for an easy and delicious breakfast.
Berries
The berries are known for their vibrant flavor, color, and high nutritional value. A study of adults who regularly ate blueberries found improved memory and attention.
While this study looked at the benefits of blueberries, most berries have similar effects. Enjoy the berries, add them to your oatmeal or cereal, or even an omelet.
Flax seeds
These seeds are a plant-based source of omega-3 fats, providing the same benefits as the healthy fats found in salmon.
While the types of fatty acids found in fish may have more powerful effects on the body than those found in plant sources, all forms of omega-3 are good for the brain. Add whole, ground, or crushed flaxseed to oatmeal, cereal, or healthy muffins for breakfast.
Walnuts
Research shows that a diet regularly containing walnuts may have positive effects on memory and learning, improve cognition, and reduce the risk of developing mild cognitive impairment.
Walnuts can be added to oatmeal, granola, homemade pancakes or muffins.
Leafy greens
This category of vegetables includes kale, spinach, collard greens, and other greens. These foods contain many beneficial nutrients, including lutein, folate, beta-carotene, and phylloquinone, which may help slow the natural decline in cognitive ability that occurs with age.
And while it may seem like greens are best suited for lunch and dinner, there are plenty of ways to incorporate them into breakfast.
Stir-fry and add some leafy greens to an omelet, or add fresh vegetables or a few lettuce leaves to a sandwich.
Pumpkin seeds
All nuts and seeds contain healthy unsaturated fats, so pumpkin seeds also contain brain-healthy nutrients.
Like many other foods on this list, pumpkin seeds contain antioxidants that protect body and brain cells from damage.
In addition, the seeds contain a range of minerals that are important for brain health.
In particular, zinc is one of the nutrients that is found in high concentrations in the brain and is involved in the functioning of hundreds of systems and reactions in the body, including the nervous system.
Zinc deficiency may be linked to some neurological conditions and brain diseases. You can add some pumpkin seeds to homemade granola, yogurt, oatmeal, or sprinkle them on toast or scrambled eggs.
