Which Food Benefits Your Brain the Most?

We need food to fuel our body in order for us to be able to do all of our activities. Over the course of human history, the food we eat has changed drastically. From eating meat and berries back when we were still a hunter-gatherer society, to digesting grains and vegetables when we became and agrarian society. Now that we are in the modern age where technology is more advanced than ever, we have a lot more choices to choose from.

With the seemingly endless selection of food to choose from in your local supermarket’s grocery aisle, it would be really hard to determine which food can benefit your brain the most. It’s a good thing that we have come up with a list of the foods that are beneficial for your brain so that you can add them to your daily meals and snacks.

Whether you are reading this as a parent who wants to make a healthy lunch for your child or a young student who wants to know more about what food you should eat to fuel your brain, this article is perfect for you.

Why we need nutritious food?

Almost all living organisms need an energy source in the form of food in order for them to continue living. But why do we need to intake food? The answer may be more complicated than you think. Here are a few reasons why we need food.

1. Energy

The most obvious of these reasons is for energy. Food provides us with energy in the forms of sugar in order for us to be able to do anything. Sugars are broken down in a process called cell respiration which uses ATP and glucose from our food and oxygen from the air to create a chemical reaction within our cells. This will supply us with the energy needed to contract our muscles, breathe, think, and do other functions that we do every day.

However, this is not only limited to food that has high carbohydrate content. Even fruits and meat can supply us with the energy we need to continue our daily lives. However, the energy we gain from eating fruits is only miniscule compared to those in grains, and meat takes up a lot of time to be digested and provide our bodies with the energy we need.

2. Cell repair and production

Cell repair and production is one function of eating food that many people do not know about. Nothing in this world can be created without having to use other materials to make it. The gold in the earth’s crust didn’t just suddenly appear out of nowhere, it is the product of fusing together the electrons of an atom to make a completely new element. The sand on the beach is made out of microscopic fragments of dead crustaceans’ shells, fish bones, and glass.

Following this trend, we can infer that the cells that make up our body need another material in order for it to exist. And that material is protein which we get from eating meat and some types of vegetables. The protein we ingest is used to repair torn muscle tissue, create brand new strands of DNA during meiosis, and help us grow in size.

3. Other bodily functions

Another reason why we must eat od is to maintain bodily functions. Without a stable intake of food, your body would not function as well as it would if you were eating regularly. Not only does food provide us with the energy needed to move our bodies, but certain nutrients we ingest by eating food also allows other bodily function to be executed.

These include skin repair and protection which needs Vitamin C in order to be done, Vitamin A which is partly responsible for maintaining the health of our eyes, Vitamin D which allows our bones to absorb the calcium we have eaten or drank, and other various bodily functions that rely on nutrients we intake through eating.

Foods which are beneficial for the brain

Now that we know why we need to eat nutritious food, we must now slate the food that will be beneficial for your brain. There are a lot of choices out there but we have come up with the top contenders for the best food which can benefit your brain.

1. Eggs

Are you aware why eggs are the number 1 go-to food for breakfast? This is due to the fact that they are easy to cook, cheap, and highly nutritious. Eggs are jam packed with protein: which are necessary for cell repair and production as well as brain function. Protein contains a lot of potential energy which your body can process to be used as fuel. And roughly 20% of the human body’s energy needs come from the brain.

Eggs also contain choline, a mineral which helps with memory development. It should come to no surprise that eggs contain a lot of nutrients as it is essentially a box filled with the nutrients and amino acids needed to form a chick.

Eggs can also be prepared in lot of ways to make sure it doesn’t feel redundant. You can cook them sunny side up, scrambled, as an omelette, poached, soft boiled, hard boiled, or deviled.

2. Yogurt

You might think that yogurt is just for those trying to lose weight, but you will be surprised when you learn that that it can be beneficial for your brain as well. Yogurt contains a surprising amount of protein which can be helpful for your brain’s functions. And the Greek variety contains almost twice as much protein as regular yogurt.

Yogurt is also good for your digestive system as well. However, make sure that what you buy is not pasteurized yogurt as pasteurizing means to heat the yogurt to temperatures where the bacteria in it dies. These bacteria are what aid in your digestive processes, and without them, you would just be eating thick diary.

It is important to keep your digestive system in top shape as it will allow you to absorb more nutrients which will make your efforts to fuel your brain even more successful.

3. Fish

Fish is another contender for the food that will benefit your brain the most. There are a lot of varieties of fish, but there is one thing common among them: and that is the large amount of protein they contain as well as omega 3 fatty acids.

Fish such as tuna and salmon have them within their meat and simply eating them will be enough to give you a constant supply of this nutrient. However, there are some fish where their omega 3 acids are concentrated on specific organs such as the cod where their liver holds most of the omega 3 in their body.

Omega 3 fatty acids are often associated with a better memory and better brain functions. Pair this up with the protein you will receive from simply eating fish and you will have a one-two combo that will surely prove beneficial to your brain.

4. Whole grains

Whole grains are a staple food in most households and communities. It is the primary source of energy and is often paired with other foods to maintain a balanced diet. Whole grains include wheat, barley, brown rice, oatmeal, and buckwheat. A whole grain is any grain that is comprised of an endosperm, germ, and bran.

The endosperm of the grain is filled with carbohydrates to fuel our body with the energy needed to keep active. The germ part contains proteins needed to repair cells and help the brain function properly. The bran part contains a lot of fibre which is a lot of help to keep your digestive system in tip-top shape.

5. Green leafy vegetables

Green leafy vegetables are what your parents always encouraged you to eat back when you were still a kid. But all that nagging to make you eat those veggies are for a good reason as green leafy vegetables are our primary source of vitamins and minerals needed to keep a healthy body and mind.

Green leafy vegetables include cabbage, kale, broccoli, bok choy, collard greens, and spinach. These are rich in fibre to help aid in digestion along with a wide array of vitamins and minerals to keep the body healthy and reduce the risk of having any health complications. The spinach is also rich in protein and can help support the growth of new brain cells.

6. Legumes

Legumes are another group of food that will greatly benefit your brain. Legumes include beans, peas, and lentils. There are a lot of nutrients inside legumes, but let us first discuss what they do not have. Legumes contain little to no cholesterol at all and are typically low in fat. These are what causes major health issues in today’s world and digesting food that are low in cholesterol will greatly improves your health.

Legumes contain potassium, iron, magnesium, protein, vitamin E, and saturated fats as well. These minerals are shown to improve memory, cognitive abilities, and other key brain functions. All of these work well to help benefit your brain and body at the same time by providing them with the necessary nutrients needed to function properly.

Conclusion

By including these food in your child’s or your own daily diet, you will be able to supply your brain with the nutrients that it needs most for it to function properly. All it takes is a little skill in meal planning and you will be set to go.

Did you like our content? Check out more of our blogs here at FamilyTutor, Singapore’s leading home tuition agency which offers private tuition on a variety of subjects. We offer private tuition to students from pre-school and beyond university level to make sure everybody gets quality tutoring services.

Carelle

Carelle

Carelle is a teacher who has been through the ups and downs of the teacher and learner life. She wishes for every learner to gain educational satisfaction that will help embody the people they want to be in the future.

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