High Fiber Foods
Fuel Brain Memory

High fiber foods stimulate brain memory and protect you from degeneration and dementia because they provide nutrients that start antioxidants health benefits activities.

Your brain uses more oxygen than any other organ in your body, which means

• Your brain requires good blood flow to supply oxygen
• Your brain risks damage from the oxidation process

The natural oxidation process releases free radicals that can cause damage to brain cells, affecting your ability to recall memories.

The best foods to boost brain memory include high fiber foods that stimulate antioxidant activity. Balance nutrient-rich carbohydrate with high protein foods to create a smart eating plan that will protect your brain.

Plant-based foods like blueberries , leafy green vegetables, and tomatoes provide antioxidant protection, along with a bunch of phytochemicals to protect the brain from degeneration.

Leafy green vegetables are also a great source for folic acid (folate), a B vitamin that helps your brain fight dementia. Thiamine (B ₁ ) and other B vitamins support long-term memory and your capacity to learn. And nuts, seeds and green tea protect against brain diseases like Alzheimer's.

Foods delivering antioxidants, phytochemicals, vitamins (especially B vitamins), and minerals (including zinc) bolster your ability to recall memories.

Your Brain Needs

• Choline is a protein (amino acid) important for neurotransmitters involved with memory retention.
• Antioxidants protect your brain from damage by free radicals, released during the normal oxidation process. Because your brain uses more oxygen than other organ, foods that promote antioxidant activity are vital to your brain's good health.
• B vitamins , especially vitamin B ₆ to promote long-term memory, folic acid (B ₉ ) to regulate homocysteine, and niacin to dilate blood vessels.
• Vitamin E seems to protect the brain against degenerative problems like Alzheimer's disease.
• DHA (docosahexaenoic), an omega-3 fat, essential for brain development and cell membranes. Good for vision, too.
• Zinc to feed your ability to create and retain memories. A memory enhancer.

Foods to Eat

• High protein foods like beef, eggs, and foods fortified with lecithin to produce acetalcholine , a neurotransmitter important to brain memory.
• Blueberries and other fruits filled with antioxidants and phytochemicals that protect your brain from degeneration.
• Lettuce and other leafy vegetables provide antioxidants and folic acid to help prevent dementia.
• Brown rice, wheat germ, sunflower seeds, flax, and other foods high in vitamin B ₁ (thiamine), required to synthesize acetalcholine , the neurotransmitter.
• Bananas and cauliflower along with whole grains , eggs, and meats (tuna and turkey) are high in vitamin B ₆ needed for long-term memory.
• Tuna is especially good for DHA, zinc, and B vitamins. Poultry and what bran are other options.
• Walnuts, almonds, and other nuts supply plenty of vitamin E. Another nutrient to help prevent Alzheimer's disease and dementia.
• Green tea is reported to help lower homocysteine and cholesterol, both contribute to plaque build up, blocking blood and oxygen from the brain.

Use brain foods like these to create a varied and well-balanced smart meal plan.  Then your friends can no longer call you absentminded.

Smart Eating Plan

Planning a menu to improve your brain memory requires a balanced diet including foods high in fiber.

1. A breakfast of protein (eggs, whole grains, beans, or meat), whole or fortified grains for vitamins (especially B complex), and fruit and green tea to supply antioxidants establishes a smart start to your day.
2. A vitamin boost mid-morning replenishes brain energy. Vegetable or tomato juice and nuts make a smart snack.
3. Tuna or similar fish at lunch provides protein, DHA, and zinc. Combine this with a leafy green salad to enhance the effect. Fruit and green tea (hot or cold) add more antioxidants and nutrients necessary to good health.
4. Snack on protein mid-afternoon to keep your thoughts from becoming muddled.
5. Form dinner around more protein, whole grains, and vegetables to fill your meal plan and nourish your brain. Ending the meal with fruit or a similar sweet adds a boost of glucose to stimulate serotonin production. That should help you sleep well all night.

Nutrition based on data assembled from United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.
g=grams, mg=milligrams, mcg=micrograms, kcal=calories