12 Foods That Supercharge Your Brain

 

Photo Credit: Livescience

'Simply put, your brain likes to eat. And it likes powerful fuel: quality fats, antioxidants, and small, steady amounts of the best carbs. The path to a bigger, better brain is loaded with Omega-3 fats, antioxidants, and fiber. Give your brain a kick start: eat the following foods on a daily or weekly basis for results you will notice.'

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How Fitness Protects Aging Brains

By Dr. Mercola

'Aging Americans are experiencing cognitive decline in numbers never before seen. Alzheimer’s disease has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. Consider these troubling statistics from the Alzheimer’s Association1:

5.4 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. It’s estimated that up to 16 million will have the disease by 2050.

One in eight Americans age 65 and over has Alzheimer’s. Every 68 seconds, another American develops Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the U.S. and the 5th leading cause of death for those aged 65 and older.
Alzheimer’s deaths increased by 66 percent between 2000 and 2008.
One in seven of the estimated 800,000 people with Alzheimer’s lives alone, left to fend for himself/herself.

If you develop Alzheimer’s disease, it’s a far greater problem than just memory loss — it can kill you. And it makes every other medical problem much more difficult to treat. Although many will claim Alzheimer’s is not preventable, there ARE measures you can take that will lower your odds of developing age-related cognitive decline or, worst case scenario, full on dementia.'


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Omega-3 fatty acids: are supplements truly necessary for optimal brain health?

'Greater intake of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) is associated with decreased risk of brain disorders (such as Alzheimer’s disease) and cardiovascular disease.^1-3 DHA is a crucial factor in early brain development because it is a major constituent of cell membranes in the brain, retina, and nervous system. There is significant evidence in the fossil record that a increase in DHA availability in the diet of early humans was responsible for the expansion of the brain into the large, complex organ it has now become.'


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The Benefits of Flaxseed

'Is flaxseed the new wonder food? Preliminary studies show that flaxseed may help fight everything from heart disease and diabetes to breast cancer.'

'Some call it one of the most powerful plant foods on the planet. There’s some evidence it may help reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, anddiabetes. That’s quite a tall order for a tiny seed that’s been around for centuries: flaxseed.

Flaxseed was cultivated in Babylon as early as 3000 BC, according to the Flax Council of Canada. By the 8th century, King Charlemagne believed so strongly in the health benefits of flaxseed that he passed laws requiring his subjects to consume it. Fast-forward 13 centuries, and some experts would say we have preliminary research to back up what Charlemagne suspected all those years ago.'

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Omega-3s Lower Heart Failure Risk by 15 Percent

'Increased intakes of omega-3s and higher blood levels of the fatty acids are associated with a 15% decrease in the risk of heart failure, says a new meta-analysis.


Seven prospective studies, which provided data on 176,441 subjects and 5,480 incident cases of heart failure, indicated that people with the highest category of EPA and DHA levels had a 14% lower risk of heart failure, compared to people with the lowest levels.'

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Why All the Fuss About Flax?

 

'Wondering why there's so much interest in flax lately? It's because flax oil and flax seeds have been shown to lower blood cholesterol and triglycerides without side effects, and to help reduce damage to cell membranes. 

Flax is also important in the body's ability to reduce inflammation and prevent the many degenerative diseases associated with it. Studies have shown that women with a high intake of flax oil and flax lignans are at much lower risk of developing breast cancer. 

Research is now documenting the benefits of flax oil, lignans, and flax meal in preventing and treating cancers of the gastrointestinal tract and colon, and breast cancer metastasis.'

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