FOODS THAT INCREASE BRAIN CELLS

Undoubtedly, nourishing from the inside is as important as nourishing from the outside for our brain health. So, what are the basic foods that nourish the brain and how do they affect it?

Omega-3
Omega-3 is one of the best nutrients known for brain health. It is found in the most and best way in salmon. However, it is impossible to find salmon fresh in Turkey. Therefore, it is necessary to benefit from other food sources and learn about them. There are many suitable foods growing in our lands. Oil seeds, especially walnuts and almonds, are good sources of Omega-3. In addition, purslane, spinach, chia seeds, flaxseeds are other foods that are sources of Omega-3.

Selenium
Selenium is one of the minerals that has an effect on our mood, first and foremost. It is found in foods such as eggs, peanuts, chicken, whole wheat bread, kidney beans, hazelnuts and sunflower seeds.

Folic Acid
Folic acid, which should be used even before pregnancy, can be obtained from foods such as spinach, bananas, lentils, broccoli, asparagus and beets in our daily lives.

Coffee
We have many studies on the fact that coffee can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. The caffeine in coffee blocks a chemical called adenosine and helps us mentally revitalize. However, it also has the effect of increasing neurotransmitters that make us happy, such as serotonin.

Antioxidants
Inflammation, which we do not feel in the body, may not make us sick in the short term but is found in high levels, is actually the cause of many diseases and forms the basis of many neurological diseases. For this reason, it is important to consume foods that act as antioxidants. Some antioxidant foods that are beneficial for the brain are blueberries, turmeric, pumpkin seeds, and dark chocolate. Pumpkin seeds are also a great source because they contain significant amounts of zinc and magnesium.

Regular and quality sleep
Unfortunately, the importance of sleep is not understood enough, no matter how much we warn about it. If insomnia showed its immediate harms like a vitamin C or iron deficiency, maybe we would understand this better, but unfortunately, sleepless nights that come to mind years later, and late sleeps are very harmful to us. What we mean by regular sleep here is that the difference between weekends and weekdays is not too much. In addition, working from home and quarantine processes have also disrupted sleep. It is important to sleep and wake up at similar times on weekdays and weekends, to create a routine, and not to sleep less than 8 hours. What determines the quality of sleep is uninterrupted, deep sleep in a dark and quiet environment. This also balances the hormones secreted during sleep.