5 Nutrients that May Help Keep Your Brain Active and Healthy

3 minutes

In today’s article, we'll tell you how to help keep your brain active and healthy by choosing a proper diet with the right nutrients.

5 Nutrients that May Help Keep Your Brain Active and Healthy

Reviewed and approved by psychologist Valeria Sabater.

Written by Valeria Sabater

Last update: 27 May, 2022

Do you think your diet helps you keep your brain active and healthy? The truth is that you can never really be sure. Sometimes it’s easy to make mistakes when it comes to your eating habits, and at the moment when you least expect it, they take their toll.

Poor circulation that results in blood clots or hardening of the arteries is certainly a factor to consider. In today’s article, we want to talk about this subject and tell you how to help keep your brain active and healthy by choosing a proper diet with the right nutrients.

The best nutrients that may help keep your brain active and healthy

1. Magnesium

We’ve talked a lot about the benefits of magnesium in this blog. It’s an essential mineral that promotes many of the body’s metabolic processes and also helps mediate the production of neurotransmitters and neuromodulators, which in turn help the brain send nerve impulses.

Therefore, magnesium is an essential component for helping maintain an active and healthy brain. Thus, it’s a good idea to get between 300 to 350 milligrams of this mineral every day.

As you know, you can always make up for any deficit by taking supplements sold in pharmacies. Below, we list the various food options that can also help you get this essential nutrient:

Almonds.
Sesame seeds.
Whole grains.
Cocoa.
Soybeans.
Brown rice.
Spinach.
Chickpeas.
Parsley.

2. Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are essential for energy. But we’ve stressed before the importance of choosing healthier carbohydrates. By this, we mean the ones without added fats and sugars. These may harm you more than benefit you.

Read more here: 8 Carbohydrate-Rich Foods

Your brain needs these elements to regulate many of its basic processes, in addition to providing energy stores. It’s interesting to note that because carbohydrates help stimulate the body’s insulin production, helping to produce amino acids like tryptophan.

These amino acids can be essential for relaxation and the reduction of stress levels. And as you know, stress is one of the worst enemies when it comes to keeping an active and healthy brain.

What are some of the healthiest carbohydrates you can choose?

Oats.
Whole grains.
Beans.
Buckwheat.
Olive oil.
Peas.

3. Phosphorus

Phosphorus is very important when it comes to maintaining an active and healthy brain. This mineral helps keep your cellular membranes and neurons strong and resilient, which may improve memory function and synaptic connections.

The relationship between brain health and getting adequate levels of phosphorus is supported by a large body of science and research. Numerous studies have revealed the importance of this mineral for the production of myelin and many of your basic cognitive functions.

What foods can help you increase your phosphorus intake?

Cheese.
Sardines and shellfish.
Dark chocolate.
Sugar-free Greek yogurt.
Eggs.
Meat and poultry.

4. Vitamins B6 and B12

Vitamins B6 and B12 help your brain properly synthesize dopamine, serotonin, and epinephrine. They also help it metabolize proteins, may foster improved cerebral blood flow, and help strengthen memory function.

Discover: 6 Vitamins You Must Have in Your Diet

Foods rich in vitamins B6 and B12

Pistachios.
Bananas.
Egg yolk.
Nuts.
Shellfish.
Veal and lamb.
Trout, tuna, and sardines.
Yogurt.

5. Zinc

Zinc is an important mineral for your overall health, not just your brain. It helps care for the skin, may promote the healing of wounds, may reduce your risk of cancer, and even help protect you from colds.

You’ll be interested to discover that zinc is an essential element that may boost memory function and cognitive stability. People who suffer from a zinc deficiency often suffer from epilepsy.

For these reasons, it’s important to always include adequate amounts of zinc in your diet. It may help improve the brain’s hippocampal function and also may enhance memory and learning.

Foods rich in zinc

Oysters.
Crab.
Peanuts.
Dark chocolate.
Pumpkin seeds.
Sesame seeds.
Wheat germ.
Lamb.

In conclusion, we want to remind you that in addition to all these nutrients, you should keep your mind busy, do things that spark your curiosity, and lead a healthy physical life.

Try to learn something new every day, strengthen your relationships with those around you, and always stay optimistic and enthusiastic. Watch your stress levels, and don’t forget to add the above foods to your diet.