Eat Your Way to a Better Memory

by Elizabeth Siegel

Chris Gentile
Chris Gentile

Youth is a state of mind. Now, if only you could remember who said that. Here are six dietary changes to commit to memory--or fine, write down for future reference--that will boost your brain power.


Eat fruit--it doesn't even have to be goji berries from the Himalayas. Everyday fruits, like oranges, strawberries, blueberries, and grapefruit, aren't just good for your body: "There's evidence that diets high in C and E are associated with better memory," says John Swartzberg, a clinical professor at the School of Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley. "We think it's because they neutralize free radicals before they can damage healthy tissue in the brain."

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Drizzle olive oil over everything and sprinkle nuts on everything else. Stop freaking out over fat. A recent study in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry compared the effects of three diets on the brain: a low-fat diet, a diet rich in monounsaturated fats (found in olive oil and avocados), and one heavy on polyunsaturated fats (nuts). Participants who ate either four tablespoons of olive oil or a quarter cup of mixed nuts (almonds, walnuts, and hazelnuts) daily scored significantly better on mental tests than those on the low-fat diet.

Pass on the burrata and the tenderloin crostini. This was particularly heartbreaking to learn: Women who reported eating cheese and red meat performed the worst on regular memory and learning tests, in a four-year-long study from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Participants who ate the most red meat and dairy were 19 percent more likely to develop cognitive impairment than those who ate primarily fish, fruits, and vegetables, according to a survey of more than 17,000 adults (published in the medical journal Neurology).

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Eat chocolate--the darker, the better. Even at low concentrations, the flavanols in cocoa promote blood flow to the brain, according to a Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter.

Drink green tea at breakfast and red wine at dinner. Extracts from the tea (EGCG) and wine (resveratrol) could help prevent Alzheimer's by stopping a degenerative protein, called beta-amyloid, from clinging to brain cells, according to research from the University of Leeds.


Start popping pills--daily vitamin B12, to be specific. (But only if your doctor says it's OK.) According to a study from the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, B12 deficiency is associated with cognitive decline in the elderly. And as you get older, it becomes increasingly difficult to absorb the vitamin from foods it's found in--primarily chicken and eggs. So which came first: Your body's need for B12 or its inability to absorb it? Either way, ask your doctor about taking a daily B12 supplement after you turn 50 (but you really do have to ask, because B12 could interfere with certain medications).

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