You Are What You Eat: Eating “Smart” Can Improve Cognitive Performance

This year has brought a literal return to the classroom after more than a year of virtual learning. For college and university students, this marks a return to 200+ person lecture halls, projector screens, and the hustle and bustle of campus. For many, it was a welcome return to pre-pandemic in person interaction and student organizations. It has also marked a return to something vile: in person exams. It turns out, the phrase “you are what you eat” is more than just an overused cliché. There might be some science to back up the phrase.

The brain uses around 20 percent of the body’s calories and needs plenty of fuel in order to perform its day-to-day tasks (Raichle, 2002). This means that as exam season rapidly approaches, it might be useful to consider changing your diet as a “study hack.” Your diet might be key to maximizing brain power to get the results you want. So, here are six foods that have been found to boost your brain so you can make sure you finish this semester off strong:

1. Dark Chocolate

It turns out that there is some solid evidence to support stress eating chocolate. Dark chocolate has been found to increase concentration, boost memory, reduce stress, and elevate mood. Consuming dark chocolate boosts levels of endorphins, which act on the brain to boost your mood. It also increases blood flow to the brain in the short term due to compounds called flavonoids. These improve cognition, attention span, and memory, so this is the ideal snack to eat during a time when you need your brain to be working at its best!

2. Blueberries

They might be small, but these berries could have a big impact on your brain’s health. These tiny blue spheres are bursting with the power to boost brain cells, increase concentration, and lower the risk of certain age-related disorders. They reduce cellular stress and inflammation, which are linked to brain aging and neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease. This means blueberries can prevent or slow down cognitive aging and age-related disorders because they slow down oxidative stress which accelerates the brain’s aging process (Krikorian, 2010).

There’s a pigment, flavonoid, in berries that gives them their beautiful colors that have been proven to increase memory. Flavonoids have been shown to improve long term memory and slow down cognitive decay (Devore, 2012). In fact, one study found that in women who consumed two or more servings of strawberries and blueberries each week delayed memory decline by two and a half years (Devore, 2012). This makes these berries an ideal choice to help you power up on long marathon study sessions.

3. Hemp Seeds

Hemp seeds are considered both a modern day and ancient superfood. From modern Instagram influencers and scientists to the ancient Vedic texts, there’s a lot to rave about hemp seeds. These small, nut flavored seeds are easy to sprinkle on top of any food, and contain a multitude of vitamins, amino acids (they’re a significant source of plant-based proteins), and nutrients. Notably, just three tablespoons have 45% of the recommended amount of magnesium, which is important in the reduction of anxiety and stress, and they also contain a high amount of Omega-3 fatty acids to boost brain function.

Despite these health benefits, people in the United States, across all ages, consume less than the ideal amount of Omega-3 recommended by medical professionals. The recommended amount is between 250 and 500 mg per day, but average intake is about 90 mg. The reason why Omega-3 fatty acids are so important is because they’re vital to brain and body function.

4. Fish

Another great source for this deficient nutrient is fish. For example, salmon is bursting with all kinds of nourishment, especially high levels of Omega-3 fatty acids. Three ounces of African Salmon has more than double the recommended intake amount. The reason why Omega-3 is so critical is for the role that it plays in helping the body mend itself. These fatty acids are essential to the way that the brain builds and repairs its cells. Studies have found that there is an increase in accuracy and time in cognitive performance in those taking Omega-3 supplements. Omega-3 has also been linked to increased blood flow in the brain, which can help improve cognition and memory abilities, as well as decrease Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

5. Coffee

Studying for finals typically goes hand in hand with drinking coffee, which might be good news for your brain! Certainly, a cup of Starbucks is sure to keep you up all night while you write your 20-page term paper, but it has many more cognitive benefits. Research shows that caffeine may play a role in solidifying new memories and increases attention and alertness (Magalhães, 2021). The benefits of caffeine may not just play a role in your cognition right now, but well into the future. Coffee may also play an important role for your cognition as you age, as coffee may protect the brain from negative effects of aging and protect against age-related disorders like Alzheimer’s and dementia (Shukitt-Hale, 2013).

6. Kale

There are many brain and body benefits to eating kale. Primarily, these are a source of some brain-powering nutrients like vitamin K, lutein, folate, and beta carotene. Research suggests these plant-based foods may help slow cognitive decline (Haugen, 2010). Additionally, there’s an abundance of vitamins B6 and B12 which are linked to alertness and memory (I, 2020).

It’s important to eat a balanced diet and incorporate diverse nutrition into your diet. Understanding what nutrients contribute to improving cognition might just be the key to increasing your studying power and staying healthy throughout your lifetime.

References

Devore, E. K. h. J., Monique, Breteler. (2012). Dietary intakes of berries and flavonoids in

relation to cognitive decline. Annals of Neurology, 72(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/ana.23594

Haugen, L. B., T. (2010). Beta carotene: Dietary sources, cancer and cognition. In.

I, S. (2020). The Real-Time Cognitive Value of Eating Kale, Helping, and Doing Something Special: “Concurrent Experience Evaluation” (CEE), Its Drivers and Moderators, and Research Directions. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 30(4). doi:10.1002/jcpy.1182

Krikorian, R. S., Marcelle; Nash, Tiffany; WIlhemina, Kalt. (2010). Blueberry

Supplementation Improves Memory in Older Adults. J Agric Food Chem, 58(7). doi:10.1021/jf9029332

Magalhães, R., Picó-Pérez, M., Esteves, M. et al. (2021). Habitual coffee drinkers display

a distinct pattern of brain functional connectivity. Molecular Psychiatry. doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-021-01075-4

Raichle, M. G., Debra. (2002). Appraising the brain’s energy budget. National Academy of

Sciences. doi:https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.172399499

Shukitt-Hale, B., Miller, M. G., Chu, Y. F., Lyle, B. J., & Joseph, J. A. (2013). Coffee, but not

caffeine, has positive effects on cognition and psychomotor behavior in aging. Age. doi:10.1007/s11357-012-9509-4