The key to nourishing your body and brain is actually an adequate, balanced and healthy diet in general. However, studies say that certain foods should be considered especially to promote brain health and mental performance. Considering that doing sports is not only a physical activity but also an activity based on brain and body coordination, the consumption of these foods is also important for sports performance. However, this does not mean that the foods consumed just before the training increase mental performance. The important thing is to add these foods to your daily natural diet with the right portions and increase mental performance in the long run.
In this content, I will explain these 9 foods that improve mental performance by improving the brain.
Blue, Red or Purple. Colorful Fruits
Studies in humans show that fruit intake positively affects brain function. Flavonoid compounds called anthocyanins contained in fruits;
Increases blood flow to the brain
Protects against inflammation
Promotes nerve cell production
Learning They increase mental performance by improving certain signaling pathways that promote cellular processes related to memory and memory. Fruits rich in these compounds include berries such as blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries. For example, one study in 40 people examined the effects of consuming 400 ml of smoothies containing equal amounts of blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries. The smoothie was found to lead to faster response times on tests of attention and task completion and helped participants maintain attention for over 6 hours compared to those in a placebo group.
A review of 12 studies in children, young adults, and older adults found that Eight of the studies noted improved mental performance after consuming blueberries (2).
Citrus fruits
Intake of citrus fruits has been associated with various health benefits in addition to brain health. Similar to strawberries, citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruits; It is rich in flavonoids such as hesperidin, naringin, quercetin and rutin. bush These compounds show that these compounds may have the ability to improve learning and memory, as well as protect nerve cells from injury, thus preventing mental performance decline.
A study in 40 teenagers found that drinking 500 mL of orange and grapefruit juice increased blood flow to the brain. and showed that it significantly improved performance in a test involving matching symbols to numbers compared to a control drink.
Although juices are more concentrated sources of these potential brain-health-promoting compounds, all citrus fruits are rich sources of flavonoids and can be enjoyed as a snack during periods of intense exercise. .
Dark Chocolate and Cocoa Products
I have said that the flavonoid contents in the foods we mentioned so far help to improve brain health. Cocoa has the highest content of flavonoids by weight of any other food. Therefore, consumption of cocoa products such as chocolate contributes significantly to dietary flavonoid intake. Thus, consuming flavonoid-rich cocoa products can positively affect brain health. A beverage containing cocoa was drank. At the end of the study, it was noted that people who drank the high flavonoid beverage performed significantly better on mental tests than those given the low flavonoid beverage.
Nuts with Nuts
Hard-shelled nuts such as hazelnuts and almonds are among the foods that are often encouraged to be consumed by the public with the awareness that they improve the brain.
Nuts are full of nutrients essential for brain health, such as vitamin E and zinc. These are healthy sources of fat, protein, fiber and can help boost your energy during your workouts.
Eggs
Eggs; Brain function, including vitamin B12, choline, and selenium It is particularly rich in nutrients necessary for For example, selenium is involved in coordination, memory, cognition, and motor performance, while choline is required for brain development and the production of acetylcholine, which is essential for memory storage and muscle function.
Vitamin B12 also plays an important role in neurological health, and low levels of this vitamin Having low levels impairs brain function. What's more, eggs contain lutein, a carotenoid that improves visual and mental function.
Eating a hard-boiled egg for breakfast in the morning; In addition to creating a good source of protein to support your workouts, it is one of the best practices you can do to protect and improve your mental performance.
A study in 84 adults showed that those who ate a meal containing fresh avocado for 12 weeks experienced increased blood lutein levels and improved mental tests (5).
Fish
Omega-3, which we all hear often even in our daily lives, plays a key role here as well. Omega-3s are essential fats that play an important role in brain health. Omega-3; High levels are found in fatty fish, which are also excellent sources of other brain-health-promoting nutrients, such as vitamin B12 and selenium.
A study of 76 Japanese adults linked higher fish intake with better memory performance and brain health.
Red, Green, and Orange Vegetables
Vegetable intake in general is associated with better brain function and promotion of overall health. Red, orange, and green vegetables, including peppers, carrots, and broccoli, contain a variety of beneficial plant compounds, including carotenoid pigments that have been shown to benefit mental performance. Is low carotenoid content a problem? A study on this subject reports that mental performance decreases as a result of insufficient and low carotenoid accumulation in the body. A study of 4,453 adults found that insufficient vegetable consumption was the mental health cause. It has been shown to be associated with poorer performance, poorer memory, and slower reaction time in adults. and green and red pepper. Eggs and pistachios are also good sources of lutein and zeaxanthin.
Beetroots
Beetroot and beet products are rich in nitrates, which your body converts into a molecule called nitric oxide. nitric oxide; plays many important roles in your health, including proper nerve cell communication, blood flow, and brain function. Consuming nitrate-rich beets and beet products has been linked to improvements in brain function in some studies. shows that it has become an excellent choice for those who want to improve their performance. After all, human is not just a physical and physiological being; It also has psychological, sociological and cultural characteristics. Therefore, mental and emotional state is highly correlated with exercise performance. Sportive success is the sum of physical performance, mental performance and psychological performance. Nutrition and behavioral changes to increase mental performance can also help increase exercise performance and make it more productive. If you want to improve your mental performance and improve your overall health, you should add a few of the foods listed above to your diet.
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