For students taking A Levels, it is important to study and revise correctly, one way to help improve our cognitive abilities is to lead the right lifestyle: sleeping correctly, eating healthy and having the right work to study ratio. There are certain foods that help with the ability to retrieve knowledge, this is known as Brain food. Brain food is food that is beneficial to the brain and can increase intellectual capability. In this article I will walk you through how small changes to your diet can improve your schoolwork.
Many foods have many health benefits, especially because studying is so important and with exam season nearing upon us, knowing what to eat for the best results is important. Starting at breakfast, the best food to eat first thing in the morning are blueberries. Whether that is in a smoothie or sprinkled over cereal, blueberries contain a lot of antioxidants, which according to healthline.com act against oxidative stress and inflammation, which contribute to brain aging and neurodegenerative diseases. Blueberries have been found to help improve communication between brain cells which further contributes to the ability to retrieve information and improving memory.
Moving on to lunch, a spice that could add to the taste whilst improving memory is turmeric. According to Healthline.com the curcumin in turmeric enters the brain and as it’s a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Turmeric benefits the memory and could help with Alzheimer’s in the future. Turmeric also helps ease depression; it boosts serotonin and dopamine. It also helps to grow new brain cells and it may help delay age related mental decline. Therefore, turmeric has strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits which help the brain, reduces symptoms of depression and helps with memory.
And last, for pudding, dark chocolate that has a 70% or greater cocoa content contains brain-boosting compounds, including flavonoids, caffeine and antioxidants. Flavonoids are a ground of antioxidant plant compounds which enhance memory. It is also suggested that dark chocolate may have a prebiotic effect that can improve negative emotional states through the gut-brain connection. In summary the flavonoids in chocolate may help protect the brain; studies suggest eating dark chocolate could boost both memory and mood.