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20 Foods that will Increase your Studying

Effectiveness
Heres some food for thought: what you eat can affect how well you study. Its true; a
diet rich in essential fatty acids, fruits and vegetables does wonders for your brain power.
Dont worry, pizza counts, as long as you make it whole grain and top it with lots of
colorful vegetables and cheese. Check out our list of 20 foods that can help you boost
memory and study more effectively.

Fish for good health

1. Fish: Herring, salmon, tuna, mackerel, halibut, anchovies, sardines and other cold-
water fish are your best source of Omega-3 fatty acids, the primary components of the
brain, retina and other nerve tissue. Studies have shown that Omega-3 fatty acids boost
energy, enhance learning ability, improve problem-solving skills, and boost memory
power and enhance communication between brain cells.

Show some soy power

2. Soy: Foods made from whole, organic soybeans like soy milk and tofu are rich in
choline, lecithin and isoflavones. Choline has been proven to positively impact brain
development in addition to slowing memory loss, lecithin helps in preventing deposits of
plaque in the brain, and isoflavones help improve cognitive function, category fluency,
logical memory, spatial cognition and memory recall.

Reap the fruits

3. Colorful and citrus fruits: Fill your platter with all the colors of the rainbow and a
few more, and youre guaranteed to improve your brain power. Avocados are especially
potent in increasing blood flow to the brain because of their mono-unsaturated fat
content. Other beneficial fruits that have a positive impact on your brain and help you
recall information quickly include cantaloupes, watermelon, tomatoes, plums, pineapples,
oranges, apples, grapes, kiwifruits, peaches and cherries.

Berry, berry good

4. Berries: Blueberries are known for improving motor skills and learning capacity while
strawberries are rich in fisetin, a flavenoid that improves memory recall. Elderberries,
blackberries and raspberries have other brain power boosting benefits through their
antioxidant content.

Go green

5. Cruciferous and leafy green vegetables: Your mother had a good reason for forcing
you to eat your broccoli. Cabbages, kale, turnips, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, collard
greens, cauliflowers, radishes, spinach, mustard green and water cress all help retain
memory. Other vegetables that are good in boosting brain power are onions, red peppers,
lettuce, carrots, asparagus, okra, mushrooms, broccoli and sprouts.

Chalk it up to chocolate

6. Chocolate: Chocolate is not only delicious, its also beneficial to your brain and can
help enhance your mood. Natural stimulants boost the production of endorphins that
improve focus and concentration. Milk chocolate has been shown to improve verbal and
visual memory and boost impulse control and reaction time. Dark chocolate is rich in
flavanols that boost blood supply to the brain and help improve cognitive skills.

Go nuts

7. Nuts: Rich in Vitamins E and B6, folate, Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, and
antioxidants, these small food items boost your brain power and improve your
mood. The whole nutty family of cashews, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, peanuts, Brazil
nuts and pecans brings some benefit to your brain.

Sow the seeds of wisdom

8. Seeds: Flaxseeds are a rich source of memory-boosting Omega-3 fatty acids. Roasted
pumpkin seeds contain relaxing tryptophan and dry sunflower seeds offer thiamine, a
form of Vitamin B that improves memory and cognitive functions.

Gain from grains

9. Whole grains: The best brain stimulating foods are like financial news and
information, they help the mind grow. Grains like whole wheat, wheat germ and bran
that contain a high percentage of folate. Oatmeal, brown rice, whole-grain breads and
cereals, barley and popcorn boost your blood flow to the brain. Wholegrain breads and
cereals contain Vitamin B6 while wheat germ is rich in memory-improving thiamine.
No pea brains here

10. Pulses and beans: The brain is fueled by glucose, and as it does not produce its own,
the supply has to be kept steady from other sources. Rich in antioxidants, iron and other
nutrients, beans help stabilize blood sugar levels. Peas, lentils, green beans, lima beans,
black beans, kidney beans, and a variety of legumes help energize the brain.

A sage choice

11. Sage: Whether used as a herb in your food or taken as a supplement in the form of
oils and tablets, this member of the mint family has been known to boost levels of the
chemical that helps transmit messages to and from the brain. Sage helps in the break
down of the enzyme acetylcholine that is needed for the brain to function properly.

Currying brain favor

12. Curry: This spicy Eastern delicacy is good for your brain because of a key ingredient,
turmeric. The chemical curcumin which is abundant in turmeric helps remove plaque
from the brain.

Brewing brain cells

13. Tea: This wonder beverage, when freshly brewed, has been proven to improve
memory and focus as well as combat mental fatigue. Green tea is your best bet to good
relax mentally and keep your wits sharpened because of the catechines it contains. Black
tea, while not as potent as green tea, also works well as a brain enhancer.

Egg those memory functions on

14. Eggs: A rich source of Vitamin B and lecithin, eggs are good providers of EFAs
(essential fatty acids) to the brain. The yolk is especially rich in choline, a basic building
block of brain cells that helps improve memory.

Milk the goodness

15. Calcium-rich foods: Yogurt, cheese, milk and other foods rich in calcium help in
improving the function of nerves. Studies have proved that tyrosine, the amino acid in
yogurt, is responsible for the production of the neurotransmitters dopamine and
noradrenalin. In short, yogurt helps improve alertness and memory.

Beef up your brain cells

16. Iron-rich foods: A deficiency in iron has been proven to be the most common cause
for poor concentration, decreasing intelligence and slow thinking processes. Iron is
essential to supplying the brain with the oxygen it needs to continue normal activity. Red
meats and liver are the best sources of dietary iron.
Sweeten the process

17. Carbohydrate-rich foods: When eaten without protein or fat, carbohydrates provide
a soothing effect to the brain. The glucose from the carbs provides the fuel the brain
needs to energize you. Avoid refined carbohydrates like white bread, pastries and pasta
though, as they cause lethargy. Instead, stick to starches and sugars in the form of grains,
legumes, fruits and vegetables.

Super supplements

18. Supplemental herbs: Gingko biloba is one well-known supplement that improves
mental clarity, alertness and memory. It stimulates blood flow to the brain by dilating
blood vessels and increasing the supply of oxygen. It also destroys free radicals that are
detrimental to brain cells. Others, though not as popular, are equally effective. Rhodiola
rosea is a root that is used in the treatment of poor attention span, tiredness and decreased
memory capacity. Herbalgram helps renovate oxygen-deprived cells while Panax ginseng
has memory enhancing effects.

Oil those brain cells

19. Organic and plant oils: Get things moving in your brain with memory-boosting
essential fatty acids. These EFAs can be found in oils such as olive, walnut and flaxseed.

Irrigate your brain

20. Water: Nearly three fourths of the brain is water, which makes this life-giving liquid
an essential component for the smooth functioning of the brain. When dehydration
occurs, the brain releases the hormone cortisol which shrinks dendrites, the branches in
the brain that store information. This leads to a decrease in memory power. Cortisol also
produces adrenaline which affects mental and cognitive functions. Make sure you drink
at least 8 glasses of water a day to keep your brain active and quick.

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