We all know food can affect our bodies and emotions, but food can also have a major impact on our brains cognitive function. As deadline season, dissertation stress and exam prep are all etching ever closer, we thought now would be a great time to explore the concept of brain foods: what they are, where to find them, and how they help our brains.
Although there isn’t a magic chocolate bar that makes you have a photographic memory, or a super apple that lets you type at twice the speed, there are foods we can eat that boost our brains ability, so called brain foods. You might have heard of these before, we see you Tiktok, or even been force fed them by your parents around GCSE’s, either way there is some truth to the theory. These foods are packed with a variety of vitamins, minerals and general goodness that have scientific benefits ranging from mental agility, to reduced risk of Alzheimer’s. We have compiled a list of the top 10 that are the easiest and cheapest to source on a student budget, plus, ways you could incorporate them into your weekly diet.
Up first is blueberries: Blueberries include anthocyanins which helps boost your short-term memory, great for late night cramming. This can also be found in other purple fruits and veggies like red cabbage!
- Try adding them to your morning cereal or porridge.
Next, we have red peppers: Well known for being good for your heart, peppers have been found to reduce anxiety and stress, plus they include lots of Vitamin C which can increase mental agility.
- Try a house fajita night.
Thirdly we have broccoli: Broccoli is packed with Vitamin K which can enhance the brains general cognitive function, Vitamin K is found in lots of green veggies including Kale, another well known superfood!
- Try making a creamy broccoli and cheese pasta for ultimate comfort food.
Another easy win is Avocado: Avo is high in magnesium, this mineral is great at fighting stress and depression, and can also improve your memory-great for long study nights and exam prep.
- Try a classic avo toast or creamy avo pasta.
Although this might divide opinion, next up is celery: Celery contains luteolin which has been found to be great for maintaining brain health and lowering stress levels, an essential at this time of year.
- Try adding to a veggie cottage pie for hidden goodness.
Finally, we have chocolate: We’re not talking about a bar of dairy milk- although this is a super food in its own way. We’re talking about dark chocolate, packed with antioxidants and caffeine it acts as a stimulant for upping concentration in short bursts.
- Try in a protein shake or milkshake.
There are loads more options for brain boosting foods, but these are our faves. Remember that food and nutrition are super important when you’re studying, so don’t forget to take a break and have a snack- bonus points if it’s brain food!
Other websites to have a look at: