Nourish Your Brain with a Healthful Diet

Nourish Your Brain with a Healthful Diet

In preparation for a presentation, I came across a brochure from North Dakota State University Extension titled “Nourish Your Brain With A Healthful Diet.”  
You can take steps to decrease oxidative damage and protect your cells. Antioxidants protect your cells. They are found naturally in some foods. They help protect your cells from free radicals that cause oxidative damage. Several vitamins and minerals have antioxidant properties.

Some vitamins and minerals naturally found in foods are important for nourishing your brain.  

• Vitamin C – found in citrus fruits, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, strawberries and cantaloupe.
• Vitamin E – Found in vegetable oils (corn, canola, sunflower, soybean and olive oils), nuts, leafy greens and some fortified cereals.
• Vitamin B12 – found in animal products such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and milk. Some breakfast cereals are also fortified with this vitamin.
• Folate – found in leafy green vegetables, dry edible beans, and fortified cereals.
• Beta-carotene – found in dark-colored vegetables such as sweet potatoes, carrots, kale, spinach, and winter squash.  
• Selenium – found is seafood, mushrooms, egg yolks, poultry, liver, red meat, whole grains, seeds, soybeans, nuts, and vegetables.  
• Oega-3 Fatty Acids – DHA – found in all fish, but especially high in pink salmon, trout, albacore tuna, and shrimp, and ALA found in flaxseed oil, canola oil, soybean oil, and walnuts.

Many of the risk factors for age-related memory impairment are the same risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Following a heart-healthy diet can help decrease the risk of these factors and thus improve brain health. 

 

Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, Food and Nutrition Specialist, Sherri Nordstrom Stastny, Assistant Professor, and Jessica Ryant, Student Dietitian, Department of Health, Nutrition, and Exercise Sciences, North Dakota State University Extension