Forgetting things? Check out what foods are good for your memory loss!

I am writing this one as a special request by one of my clients who is only 29 years old but keeps on telling me that she’s forgetting things like appointments, names of people and places, paying the guy at the shop etc…

Well these days she’s not the only one with these symptoms of forgetting things, this is becoming so common among us, bad memory at such an early age!

Do good and bad nutrition have anything to do with memory? What is your opinion about that?

If we are what we eat, than our memory also depends on what we eat since it is part of us, of our brain, one of the most important part of us, actually!!! So let’s feed it well to make it work well!! J

Here is a list of nutrients our memory needs to function properly and where we can find them:

1- B Complex vitamins:

Studies show B complex vitamins protect our neurons in the brain, especially B1, B6, B12 and folic acid (B9).

B6 is found in sunflower seeds, wheat germ,  meat, fish, soy, milk, eggs, banana, potato, walnuts, oat, avocado, spinach

B12 is found in: meat, eggs, sardines, salmons, cheese.

B9 folic acid is found in: black eyed peas, soy flour, wheat germ, beans, lentils, walnuts, and dark green leafy vegetables.

2- Omega 3:  Also crucial for memory. Studies showed students who ate more salmons which are rich in omega 3 had better grades than those who didn’t. You also find it in flaxseeds, sardines, walnuts.

3 -Selenium: fortifies the neurons. Found in fish, walnuts, wheat germ, cashews, shrimp, oat, brown rice.

4 -Iron: Important for the blood which transports oxygen to our brain. Found in meats and beans mostly.

5- Vitamin D

Vitamin D deficiency affects mental health and brain function. 15 minutes in the sun daily can ensure our daily needs in vitamin D. It’s also found in sardines, egg yolk, and fortified milk.

6-Choline and thiamine (vit B1) :

Choline is essential for the production of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that can prevent loss of memory and improve brain function! It is found in eggs, milk and peanuts!

Thiamin also a B vitamin is essential for the production of acetylcholine too and it is found in whole wheat grains, pumpkins, peanuts.

 

7-  Antioxidants

Some vitamins can act as antioxidants preventing free radicals to damage your brain neurons! They are vitaminc C (kiwi, bell peppers, parsley, strawberries), E (avocado, walnuts, olive oil), A (carrots, sweet potato, papaya)

Follow these recommendations well and soon your memory will be back! Just make sure you don’t wait too long to follow them otherwise it can be too late and loss of memory can be irreversible in the future!  Exercising is also really important for the optimum oxygenation of our brain cells! And don’t forget to sleep well and stress less!

God bless you!

Samia Khoury Dietitian