“One cannot think well, love well or sleep well if one has not dined well.” 
  Virginia Woolfe

Much research has been done into the effect having the right diet can have on the body and mind. Research has shown that by giving your brain the right varieties of foods you can help enhance your memory, coordination, concentration and alertness – vital in order to perform at your absolute best during periods of study and in order to progress on a successful career path.

The science behind the research is to do with how our brain functions. According to international consultancy  ‘The Thinking Business’, in order for brain cells to communicate effectively with each other to create neural pathways, they require chemicals called neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are the ‘messengers’ carrying messages from neuron to neuron. We need vitamins and minerals in order to convert ordinary amino acids into these powerful neurotransmitters, and we get these vital vitamins and minerals from many of the foods we eat.

Many foods can help towards maintaining a healthy brain and are key to helping preserve a healthy memory, staying awake, and to encourage lively and continued learning.

Carbohydrates release energy slowly – good sources of which are grain, fruits and vegetables – and help the brain to stay more alert over a longer period of time.

However, on the other hand, studies indicate that diets high in ‘trans fats’ and saturated fats can adversely affect cognition. Foods such as biscuits, cakes, pastries, sausage rolls and hard cheese are often susceptible to containing these so-called ‘bad fats’.

Fiona Cassells, from the University of Cumbria, has recently reviewed the research that is available into how diet can affect the efficiency of the brain: “In a learning environment, levels of concentration, memory and the overall efficiency of the brain are critical.

“The latest evidence suggests the brain can be developed and changed, and that the brain is continually making new neuronal connections well into early adulthood. This information from research conducted by Giedd (1999) makes it even more essential that young people follow a balanced diet, to give themselves an even greater chance of exam success.”

However it is not just food that we need to keep our brain and body active. Fluids are essential to ensure the brain is hydrated and are essential for concentration and mental alertness. The advice is to drink approximately 2 litres a day as ‘a dehydrated brain doesn’t think clearly’.

Top foods to stimulate the mind

A well-balanced diet is key to a healthy mind, but there are a number of foods which can give you a helping hand – here are some tips to help you find the right foods:

Sage
• Research from the Universities of Newcastle and Northumbria has shown that people who take sage oil consistently perform better in memory tests than those who do not.

Nuts 
• Often commonly avoided due to their high fat content, many nuts can be key to a healthy brain. For example, almonds contain phenylalanine, which can increase mental and neurological health; cashew nuts contain high levels of magnesium – a substance that opens blood vessels and therefore increases blood flow to the brain; and pecans contain choline, a key nutrient to help the brain function at its best.

Oily Fish
• Oily fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel and sardines contain some of the essential fatty acids (omega-3) that the body does not naturally produce, but are essential for a balanced diet.

Broccoli
• Another memory-boosting vegetable, broccoli is rich in antioxidants and vitamin K – both brain boosting substances.

Eggs
• Eggs are another food group that contains the nutrient choline, which helps maintain the flexibility and integrity of brain cell membranes. Eggs are also an essential source of many other essential vitamins and minerals including folic acid. The Lancet in January 2007, reported a study which covered a 3-year trial on 818 people over the age of 50. Short-term memory, mental agility and verbal fluency were all found to be better among people who took 800 micrograms of folic acid daily (twice the current RDA) than those who took a placebo.

Tomatoes
• Tomatoes contain an essential antioxidant lycopene, which can help protect your brain against premature ageing.

Wholegrain food
• Wholegrain foods such as brown rice, wholegrain cereal and wholewheat pasta contain the complete package for having a healthy body and mind – fibre, minerals, phytochemicals, antioxidants and complex carbohydrates.

Marmite
• Whether you love it or hate it, marmite contains brain-boosting B vitamins, which are vital for brain function. If you aren’t fond of marmite you can mask the flavour by adding it to soups and stews.  Tamari – a Japanese soy sauce, could be used as an alternative to marmite for getting those all essential B vitamins – or you could simply eat bananas and potatoes.

Kiwi Fruit
• A kiwi fruit not only helps towards one of your five-a-day, but also contains more than your RDA of vitamin C, a substance that can be found in high concentrations in the fluid around neurons in the brain, protecting it against free radical damage – which can cause diminished brain function, poor memory and reduced problem solving.  It also contains a high level of omega-3 fatty acids.

Spinach
• Spinach is rich in Co-enzyme Q10, a vitamin-like substance with a key role in producing energy and without which your brain will degenerate faster making it more difficult for you to perform at optimum level.