Healthy diet for cognitive fitness
- Reviewed by Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
Lifestyle choices such as diet are some of the ways that you can improve attention and focus. Remember that the brain is an organ that needs enough healthy nutrients, good blood flow, and adequate rest.
One of the most-studied eating styles for heart and blood vessel health is the Mediterranean diet. This eating style emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds, and olive oil and includes moderate amounts of fish, poultry, and dairy products while limiting red meat. It has been recognized as helping to protect against heart attack and stroke, as well as lowering the risk of certain cancers. The eating style also appears to lower the possibility of mild cognitive impairment and slow the progression to dementia in people who have that condition.
Probiotics may also help brain health. Probiotics are living microorganisms found in certain foods, such as yogurt, sauerkraut, and some cheeses, that are crucial to good digestion. Eating these foods helps promote a healthy balance of beneficial bacteria and other microorganisms in your gut microbiome. One 2020 study found that taking probiotics may help protect against cognitive decline and age-related neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and stroke.
Choline is another nutrient that has been linked to better cognitive health. Choline is one of the building blocks of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which plays a critical role in regulating attention. Data from the Framingham Offspring Cohort, a long-term study that tracked the dietary intake of more than 1,300 adults over a 20-year period, showed that those who ate more foods containing choline had better verbal and visual memory. People who had higher choline intakes when they were younger also showed less damage to the small blood vessels in the brain in later life.
Animal-based foods such as meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, eggs, beans, cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and cauliflower, nuts, seeds, and whole grains are all sources of choline.
For more information on conquering distractions and finding focus, check out Improving Concentration and Focus, an online guide from Harvard Medical School.
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About the Reviewer
Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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