IMPROVE YOUR MEMORY BY CHANGE YOUR FOOD HABITS

According to Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy Memory is a label for a diverse set of cognitive capacities by which humans and perhaps other animals retain information and reconstruct past experiences, usually for present purposes.

If our brains were computers, we'd simply add a chip to upgrade our memory. However, the human brain is more complex than even the most advanced machine, so improving human memory requires slightly more effort.

Just like muscular strength, your ability to remember increases when you exercise your memory and nurture it with a good diet and other healthy habits.

A UCLA research study published in the June 2006 issue of the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry found that people can improve cognitive function and brain efficiency through simple lifestyle changes such as incorporating memory exercises, healthy eating, physical fitness and stress reduction into their daily lives.

today we have discovered that the food can have a significant affect on memory mood and mental functions.

some of these foods are describe here,

Selenium rich food-

Selenium is a trace mineral that is essential to good health but required only in small amounts although it is toxic in large doses. Selenium is an essential micronutrient for animals The content of selenium in food depends on the selenium content of the soil where plants are grown or animals are raised.. Selenium is incorporated into proteins to make selenoproteins, which are important antioxidant enzymes. The antioxidant properties of selenoproteins help prevent cellular damage from free radicals. Free radicals are natural by-products of oxygen metabolism that may contribute to the development of chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease . Other selenoproteins help regulate thyroid function and play a role in the immune system .

Studies have determined that people who do not get enough selenium in their bodies tend to suffer more depression fatigue and anxiety.100micrograms is recommended as adequate intake.

Plant foods are the major dietary sources of selenium in most countries throughout the world. The content of selenium in food depends on the selenium content of the soil where plants are grown or animals are raised.

Seafood is also having high selenium. For long times fish has been termed as Brain food.

Folic acid

Folic acid  (also known as vitamin B9 or folacin)  and folate (the naturally occurring form), as well as pteroyl-L-glutamic acid and pteroyl-L-glutamate, are forms of the water-soluble vitamin B9.

Folate is necessary for the production and maintenance of new cells. It is especially important during periods of rapid cell division and growth such as infancy and pregnancy. Folate is needed to synthesize nucleic acids (most notably thymine, but also purine bases). Thus, folate deficiency hinders DNA synthesis and cell division, affecting hematopoietic cells and neoplasm’s the most because of rapid cell division.

Some evidence links a shortage of folate with depression. There is some limited evidence from randomized controlled trials that using folic acid in addition to antidepressants, specifically SSRIs, may have benefits.

Research at the University of York and HullYorkMedicalSchool has found a link between depression and low levels of folate.

That is also determined that short-term memory, mental agility, and verbal fluency were all found to be better among people who took 800 micrograms of folic acid daily

Lead researcher Jane Durga of WageningenUniversity also endorsed the fact that the folic acid protected users' brains,

in hisemory tests, the supplement users had scores comparable to people 5.5 years younger, Durga said. On tests of cognitive speed, the folic acid helped users perform as well as people 1.9 years younger.

You can also eat foods that are high in folate, such as:

Beans and lentils,Peas (black-eyed peas, chickpeas, green peas),Juices (orange, tomato, grapefruit, pineapple),

Fruits (oranges, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, avocado, papaya, raspberries)Soymilk

Vegetables (green leafy vegetables such as spinach, lettuce, turnip greens, mustard greens, collard greens, and Chinese cabbage; broccoli; Brussels sprouts; asparagus; artichokes; okra; corn; cauliflower; potato; beets; green onions; sweet red peppers)

Nuts, Sunflower seeds, Peanuts and peanut butter, Liver, Giblets.

You can also eat foods that have had folic acid added to them, such as:

Breakfast cereals (Some have 100% of the Daily Value of folic acid in each serving)

Breads, Flours, Pastas, Cornmeal, White rice

Dietary intake for folate:

Infants

0 - 6 months: 65 mcg/day

7 - 12 months: 80 mcg/day

Children

1 - 3 years: 150 mcg/day

4 - 8 years: 200 mcg/day

9 - 13 years: 300 mcg/day

Adolescents and Adults

Males age 14 and older: 400 mcg/day

Females age 14 - 50: 400 mcg/day plus 400 mcg/day from supplements or fortified foods

Females age 50 and over: 400 mcg/day

Garlic

Garlic is mentioned in the Bible and the Talmud. Hippocrates, Galen, Pliny the Elder, and Dioscorides all mention the use of garlic for many conditions, including parasites, respiratory problems, poor digestion, and low energy. Its use in China was first mentioned in A.D. 510.

Allium family, which also includes onions, garlic is rich in a variety of powerful sulfur-containing compounds including thiosulfinates (of which the best known compound is allicin), sulfoxides (among which the best known compound is alliin), and dithiins (in which the most researched compound is ajoene).

in addition, garlic is an excellent source of manganese, a very good source of vitamin B6 and vitamin C and a good source of selenium.

Some studies show that the garlic tends to be a mood elevator .People who takes it regularly report less irritability, fatigue, and anxiety.

Charak, the father of Ayurvedic medicine wrote in 3000 B.C. that "garlic helps in maintaining the fluidity of the blood, strengthens the heart, and prolongs life

Caffeine

Caffeine is a bitter, white crystalline xanthine alkaloid that is a psychoactive stimulant drug. Caffeine was discovered by a German chemist, Friedrich Ferdinand Runge, in 1819. He coined the term kaffein, a chemical compound in coffee, which in English became caffeine.[

It’s widely used as mood elevator. it also function as mild antidepressant through a complex effect on certain brain chemicals.caffine can actually increase concentration as well as reaction time and thought process.

study showed that human subjects—after receiving 100 milligrams of caffeine—had increased activity in brain regions located in the frontal lobe, where a part of the working memory network is located, and the anterior cingulated cortex, a part of the brain that controls attention. The caffeinated subjects also performed better on the memory tasks

but in large amounts, and especially over extended periods of time, caffeine can lead to a condition known as caffeinism.so don’t exceed two cup of coffee daily.

Peppers

Peppers are excellent sources of vitamin C and vitamin A (through its concentration of carotenoids such as beta-carotene), two very powerful antioxidants. These antioxidants work together to effectively neutralize free radicals,

Capsaicin a primary chemical in chilies is a agent for cause the release certain brain chemical like endomorphines that increase the feelings and alertness

Peppers appear to have a protective effect against cataracts