Certain foods can help keep your body fit and your brain sharp. Which are these special foods that help your brain function better and prevent it from ageing? Let’s try to find this out!

1. Foods that protect brain cells

Antioxidants are among the most important things both for your body and mind, since they help combat rogue chemicals called free radicals, which are believed to attack and damage cells, including brain cells.

According to a study published in Neurology, people who ate two-plus servings of foods rich in flavonoids (it’s a type of antioxidant) per day boasted the mental focus of someone approximately five years younger. According to another research from France, people who at foods rich in carotenoids, another antioxidant, saw less cognitive decline over 13 years.

These foods are rich in antioxidants: Apples, onions, and citrus fruits, orange vegetables (such as pumpkin), squash, leafy greens such as spinach and broccoli.

2. Foods that improve blood flow

Your brain needs a constant supply of nutrient-rich blood to stay sharp and easily learn new things and react faster. They say monounsaturated fats (also known as “good fats”) help lower the levels of bad fats and cholesterol in your bloodstream. Besides, other studies have shown that monounsaturated fats lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol levels, and reduce the risk for strokes and heart attacks.

These foods are rich in monounsaturated fats: avocados, nuts, olive oil.

3. Foods that prevent inflammation

As you age, brain cells can spurt inflammatory chemicals, and chronic inflammation is rather dangerous and can kill your brain cells, potentially leading to dementia, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's diseases. They say Curcumin and catechin can help prevent such inflammations.

By the way, people in India eat a lot of Curcumin, since their national food curry is rich in it. Some researchers believe that this is the reason why India has such low Alzheimer's rates.

These foods are rich in Curcumin and catechin: Yellow mustard, curry, green and black teas, blackberries, apricots, strawberries.