Researchers and experts believe that some superfoods can improve cognitive performance and prevent depression symptoms. Superfoods, such as dark chocolate, can boost cognitive performance and help prevent depression. Leafy greens can delay cognitive deterioration.
Let’s take a look at five superfoods and the mental and brain health benefits that experts claim they provide.
1. Kale and leafy Greens May Decrease Cognitive Deterioration
Dark, leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, and Swiss chard are good for brain health and can help delay cognitive loss. A regular intake of dark, leafy greens can improve cognitive functions such as memory, mental response speed, decision-making, and mood.
A 2018 study published in the journal Neurology discovered a correlation between persons who consumed one daily serving of green leafy vegetables and slower cognitive deterioration in areas such as memory.
Researchers tracked over a thousand dementia-free older adults for an average of five years. They discovered that people who ate at least one serving of leafy green vegetables each day were around 11 years younger cognitively than individuals who rarely or never ate dark leafy greens.
“It’s almost unbelievable,” said Martha Morris, the senior author of the study who studies nutrition and brain health at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, per the Los Angeles Times. “Eating these leafy greens was independently associated with slower cognitive decline. That tells you this single food group contains so many nutrients it could be brain-protective.”
2. Dark Chocolate Can Reduce Depression Symptoms
Dark chocolate is typically considered a treat, although it has numerous health benefits. It contains fiber, iron, magnesium, and antioxidants. Dark chocolate can also enhance brain function.
A 2020 study discovered that consuming high flavanol cocoa (70% dark chocolate or greater) can improve cognitive function and neuroplasticity in young individuals. Dark chocolate may also be regarded a preventive against neurodegenerative disorders and cognitive loss.
“Short and middle-term effects of daily cocoa intake may provide young adults with a better cognitive performance in verbal learning, memory, and attention favoring academic achievement,” according to the research.
Dark chocolate is also thought to improve mood and mental health. According to a 2019 study from University College London, people who ate dark chocolate were much less likely to experience depressed symptoms than those who ate no chocolate at all. According to the American Psychiatric Association, milk chocolate had a different effect.
3. Fish Are High in Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Fish including salmon, tuna, trout, and anchovies are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which give a variety of health benefits, including increased brain health.
According to a recent study published in the journal Neurology, middle-aged adults who ate diets high in omega-3 fatty acids had greater hippocampal volumes — the hippocampus is a brain region that plays an important role in memory and learning. These folks were better suited to grasp difficult concepts.
4. Eating Nuts Can Reduce The Risk of Depression
Eating a handful of nuts every day is associated with a lower incidence of depression. A recent study published in the journal Clinical Nutrition discovered that eating a handful of nuts everyday is associated with a 17% decreased incidence of depression.
Researchers discovered that middle-aged and older adults who consumed 30 grams of nuts (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, cashews, and Brazil nuts) were less likely to use antidepressants or develop depression.
Consuming nuts on a daily basis has also been linked to improved memory and brain health. A 2023 study found that eating 60 grams of nuts per day, equivalent to 1/2 cup of almonds, improved verbal memory and blood flow to the brain.
5. Berries Enhance Brain Function
According to Scientific American, berries like strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries are high in flavonoids, which have been shown to boost memory and decrease age-related cognitive decline.
“Adding a handful of berries to the diet each day is one of the first and easiest changes I recommend to those looking to improve their brain health,” Dr. Uma Naidoo, director of nutritional and lifestyle psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, told the American Association of Retired Persons.
King’s College London discovered that eating a handful of wild blueberries every day could boost brain function. Over the course of 12 weeks, researchers discovered that people who drank wild blueberry powder had better memory and concentration skills.
“It’s clear from this study that consuming wild blueberries is beneficial to cognitive function,” said Professor Claire Williams, chair of the Neuroscience Department at the University of Reading, according to King’s College.
“The group who had the wild blueberry powder showed signs of better memory and greater mental flexibility when completing cognitive tasks.”