Super-brainy super-athletes like Wimbledon champ Marion Bartoli with an IQ of 175, Ryan Fitzpatrick, a Tennessee Titan quarterback, who scored 1580 on his (old-school style) SATs out of 1600, and former Knicks' small forward, U.S. Senator and Rhodes Scholar Bill Bradley have all used their smarts to figure out what's good and bad in their diets to come out stronger.
Research shows that the foods you choose have a big impact on the structure and health of your brain, influencing how your brain functions and how it maintains its sharpness over time. Some eats - especially the saturated fat in red meat - can make you sluggish and slow your reaction time. Others support both short- and long-term brain function.
-For example, omega-3s (found in salmon and sea trout) increase blood flow in the brain. That may help protect against some forms of dementia.
-Other polyphenols - especially antioxidants that are found in blueberries, dark chocolate, artichokes, spinach, orange vegetables and strawberries - promote new neural connections, boosting memory and learning while lowering inflammation, which, unchecked, can contribute to cognitive problems and stroke.
-Nuts are loaded with brain-loving inflammation-fighters like vitamin E and omega-3s.
-Drinking up to five cups of coffee daily, according to a study in Practical Neurology, can help protect your brain from cognitive decline, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and stroke.
For a more comprehensive list of tasty brain foods, watch Dr. Mike's Public Broadcasting Service special "What to Eat When and How to Do Intermittent Fasting Right," or read that section in his book, "What To Eat When."
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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