Foods that Improve Memory and Brain Function
For general information only, please consult a healthcare practitioner for any health problems.
🧠 Fascinating Brain Facts
⚖️ Physical Structure
- • Weight: About 3 pounds average
- • Composition: 75% water, 60% fat
- • Neurons: ~100 billion
- • Synapses: 1,000-10,000 per neuron
🩸 Circulatory System
- • Blood vessels: 100,000 miles
- • Pain receptors: None (brain feels no pain)
- • Oxygen need: 20% of body's total
🔄 Plasticity & Learning
When we learn something new, our brains undergo physical changes through neuroplasticity.
⚠️ Brain Atrophy
As we age, our brains tend to shrivel - this can be counteracted with supportive nutrition (see below).
🏥 Related Brain Conditions
🧬 Brain Function Support: Key Supplements
🅱️ Vitamin B12
Research supports that food items rich in vitamin B12 (eggs, tuna fish) may prevent brain shrinkage as we age. B12 is critical for red blood cell production and maintaining nerve cell myelin sheaths.
Best Food Sources:
Eggs, tuna fish, salmon, beef, dairy products
💊 Typical Dosage
10-500 mcg per day
(Discuss with your doctor)
⚡ Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALC)
Helps deliver long-chain fatty acids into nerve cell mitochondria for ATP production and acts as a potent antioxidant. Levels decrease with age, potentially leading to decreased brain energy and cognitive decline.
Research Benefits:
Delayed Alzheimer's progression, improved brain energy creation
💊 Typical Dosage
500mg - 2g daily
(Health practitioner recommended)
🌿 Ginkgo Biloba
Traditional herbal supplement used for memory enhancement and cognitive support. Click the link above for detailed information about Ginkgo Biloba benefits and research.
🛡️ N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine (NAC)
Precursor of glutathione, a significant antioxidant and key detoxifying agent. NAC levels may drop with age, leading to oxidative stress in brain cells - a suspect in neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Key Functions:
Antioxidant protection, detoxification, glutathione production
💊 Typical Dosage
250-750mg daily
(Health practitioner recommended)
🧱 Phosphatidylserine
Key structural component of cell membranes, particularly concentrated in the brain. Assists electrical signal flow within neurons and maintains membrane fluidity for neurotransmitter function.
Research by Dr. William Crook:
Improved memory in elderly subjects with memory impairment
💊 Typical Dosage
200-500mg daily
(Health practitioner recommended)
🌺 Vinpocetine
Derived from periwinkle leaves, used as stroke treatment in Eastern Europe and Japan. Improves red blood cell flexibility, allowing better flow through brain's smaller vessels.
⚠️ Important Note:
Not recommended for dementia not caused by vascular issues
💊 Typical Dosage
5-10mg daily
(Always verify with physician)
🐟 Omega-3 Fatty Acids
May augment brain function by fortifying the myelin sheath - a fatty membrane that covers and insulates each nerve cell. Also helps blood deliver nutrients directly into neurons.
Best Sources:
Key Benefits:
- • Myelin sheath protection
- • Enhanced nutrient delivery
- • Anti-inflammatory effects
⚡ Coenzyme Q10 (Co-Q10)
Activates enzymes in mitochondria to produce ATP (cellular energy). Its antioxidant properties neutralize free radicals created during ATP production.
UC San Diego Research:
Parkinson's patients had lower Co-Q10 levels; supplements slowed functional decline
💊 Typical Dosage
30-200mg daily
(Discuss with your doctor)
💊 Essential Brain Vitamins
☀️ Vitamin D
The "Sunshine" vitamin acts as an antioxidant that may mitigate free radicals in red blood cells, possibly maximizing their nutrient-carrying capacity to the brain.
Key Benefits:
Antioxidant protection, enhanced nutrient delivery, neuroprotection
🥜 Vitamin E
Well-known antioxidant that significantly slows progression of Alzheimer's and stroke-related dementia. However, research shows overdoing it does more harm than good.
💊 Dosage Range:
30-400mg per day (discuss with doctor)
✅ Safer Approach:
Eating foods rich in Vitamin E (nuts, seeds, vegetable oils) is safer than supplements
🥗 Supportive Brain Foods
🥜 Nuts & Seeds
Walnuts - Rich in omega-3s and antioxidants for brain health
🫐 Superfoods
Blueberries - ORAC value of 2,400 per 100g
- • Rich in anthocyanins, ellagic acid
- • Fight bacteria (UTI prevention)
- • Fresh/frozen comparable nutritionally
🥗 Vegetables
- • Spinach - Iron and folate
- • Eggplant - Antioxidants
- • Green beans - Nutrients
- • Potatoes - Complex carbs
🌽 Other Foods
- • Beans - Protein and fiber
- • Corn - Complex carbohydrates
☕ Beverages
Coffee/Caffeine Benefits for mental function
🫐 Blueberry Spotlight
Blueberries have exceptional antioxidant power with an ORAC value of 2,400 per 100 grams. They help fight bacteria that cause urinary tract infections and blueberry extract may combat pain. Choose fresh or frozen without added sugar for maximum benefits.