The brain needs different nutrients to promote the process of nerve impulse transmission, improve oxygenation or enhance vascular circulation in different areas of the brain, just like activities promoting neural connectivity.
I – Foods That Promote the Process of Nerve Impulse Transmission
1 – Water
Let’s start with water because the brain contains 85 percent water. Chronically under-consuming water threatens the overall health and, thus, the functioning of the brain. If brain cells do not get enough water, which is also essential for energy production, their work is impaired. Neural connectivity is also affected. Dr. Batmanghelidj, In his book, describes examples of people who have suffered from chronic brain dehydration due to chronic dehydration and, subsequently, stroke. The signs that chronic dehydration may already be a serious threat to our brains include sudden tingling, feeling heaviness, and left or right half-body numbness. With plenty of drinking water on time, these problems can disappear without consequence.
2 – Turmeric
Curcumin is able to cross the blood-brain barrier, which is why it is promising as a neuroprotective agent in a wide variety of neurological disorders.
Thanks to its essential component, curcumin protects the brain from inflammation, stimulates nerve impulses, and improves mental agility. It has even been shown its power to increase memory and stimulate the production of new brain cells, a process known as neurogenesis.
It contributes to the destruction of plaques that accumulate in nerve cells and that, over time, lead to cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. It also supports cellular regeneration, stimulates neuronal activity, and minimizes the negative action of free radicals.
Another bioactive component in turmeric called, turmerone aromatica can increase the growth of neural stem cells in the brain by up to 80% in certain concentrations. Neural stem cells are differentiated from neurons and play an important role in self-repair.
3 – Alaskan Wild Salmon
Omega-3 fatty acids found in wild Alaskan salmon, as well as sardines and anchovies, are one of the best sources. They help fight inflammation throughout the body, including the brain, and offer many protections to brain cells.
4 – Green Tea
Green tea contains two types of antioxidants that fight against the aging of cells, including those of the brain: theaflavins and thearubigins. Anti-inflammatory, they fight as a bonus against cellular oxidation.
The polyphenols that make up green tea improve and brain function, improving memory and concentration.
5 – Dark Chocolate
Sugar-free dark chocolate is very rich in antioxidants. Flavonoids in chocolate are the most important category of polyphenols, molecules that are well known for their antioxidant properties and promote blood circulation to the brain, improving concentration and reactivity. The brain reacts more quickly to stimulations.
This improvement in blood flow and blood vessel function optimizes oxygen delivery to the organism and the brain, whose functions are increased tenfold.
6 – Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds are also full of magnesium and reduce stress with tryptophan, a precursor of serotonin and a component of this neurochemistry that improves mood.
7 – Broccoli and Cauliflower
These are good sources of choline, a vitamin B known for its relationship to brain development.
Broccoli is an excellent source of vitamin K. This component is responsible for improving cognitive function and promoting intellectual capacity.
Glucosinolates – components of broccoli – delay brain damage through the action they exert on acetylcholine.
8 – Coconut Oil
The main fuel that the brain needs for energy is glucose. However, the brain is able to function with more than one type of fuel, including ketones (ketones or ketones). Ketones are produced by the body when it converts fat into energy, as opposed to glucose.
The medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) found in coconut oil are an excellent source of ketone bodies because the coconut oil content is about 66 percent MCT. Medium-chain triglycerides go directly to the liver, where the oil is rapidly converted to ketones. The liver immediately releases the ketones into the bloodstream, where they are transported to the brain for easy use as fuel. Although the brain is very happy with glucose, there is evidence suggesting that ketones can help restore and renew neurons and nerve function in the brain, even after damage.
9 – Blackberry
Antioxidants and other phytochemical compounds in the Blackberry have been associated with improved learning, thinking, and memory, as well as reduced neurodegenerative oxidative stress. It is also relatively low in fructose compared to other fruits, making it one of the healthiest fruits that exist. Wild blackberry, rich in antioxidants and anthocyanins, is known to protect against Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological diseases.
10 – Blueberries
It is a very nutritious fruit and a powerful antioxidant. It is a source of polyphenols essential for combating oxidative stress. The fruits may be red or purple, although they are assigned cardiovascular properties for their red version.
11 – Yogurt
Yogurt not only helps regulate intestinal flora, but there is a direct relationship between intestinal bacteria and proper brain function.
12 – Oats
A good balancer for the nervous system has vitamin B1. It is assigned properties for concentration and performance in moments of special intellectual effort, in addition to being an anxiolytic and a good fighter against stress.
13 – Walnuts
Nuts are a good source of plant-derived omega-3 fatty acids, natural phytosterols, and antioxidants. Eating between 3 and 5 nuts every day helps prevent cognitive deterioration with vitamin E.
An omega-3 fatty acid is a very powerful component when it comes to improving cognitive performance and even slowing down age-related deterioration.
Walnuts contain a number of other neuroprotective compounds, such as vitamin E, folic acid, melatonin, and antioxidants that provide even more benefits to the brain.
Nuts are a good source of plant-derived omega-3 fatty acids, natural phytosterols, and antioxidants. Eating between 3 and 5 nuts every day helps prevent cognitive deterioration with vitamin E.
An omega-3 fatty acid is a very powerful component when it comes to improving cognitive performance and even slowing down age-related deterioration.
Walnuts contain a number of other neuroprotective compounds, such as vitamin E, folic acid, melatonin, and antioxidants that provide even more benefits to the brain.
II – Activities That Promote Nerve Impulse Transmission the Process of Nerve Impulse Transmission
1 – Reading
Reading stimulates brain activity and strengthens neuronal connections. As we read, we force our brain to think, order ideas, connect concepts, exercise memory, and imagine, which allows us to improve our intellectual capacity by stimulating our neurons. Reading also generates topics of conversation, which facilitates interaction and social relationships, another key aspect of keeping our brain exercised.
In recent years, many studies have linked the level of reading and writing with an increase in cognitive reserve. It has been proven that the greater the cognitive reserve of an individual, the greater the ability of the brain to compensate for the brain damage caused by certain pathologies.
Reading, especially fictional stories, can help reduce the level of stress, which is the origin or aggravation of many neurological conditions such as headaches, epilepsy or sleep disorders.
2 – Music
Music, which is, in principle, the physical substance, influences many biological and behavioral aspects of the human being. Perhaps the most striking influence is on the brain, which is plastic and adaptable. The study and practice of music can modify it to make its two hemispheres work with more agility and integration in a more holistic way, not only in musical functions but also in areas such as memory or mathematics.
Music stimulates specific neuronal connections in the brain’s abstract reasoning center, making people more intelligent.
According to Dr. Gottfried Schlaug (Director of Music, Neuroimaging and Stroke Recovery Laboratories), music education produces changes in the synaptic connection of extended neuronal cell sets; that is, it produces changes in the Software of our brain. But also in the Hardware: the anterior half of the corpus callosum that connects the right and left central lobes is greater in musicians than in non-musicians; the number of fibers that connect the two frontal lobes increases following the early training coordination of both hands.
3 – Meditation
Meditation stimulates the increase of connectivity of brain networks that control attention. These neuronal relationships may be involved in the development of cognitive skills such as attention retention and distraction disengagement.
After only 11 hours of learning a meditation technique, positive structural changes in brain connectivity can be verified by increasing efficiency in a part of the brain that helps regulate a person’s behavior.
People who have been meditating for years show a greater amount of gyrus in the brain – folds in the brain material involved in the faster processing of information -. This is yet another proof of brain plasticity, how the brain adapts and changes according to experience.
4 – Physical Exercise
Exercise stimulates the brain to work at its optimum capacity by multiplying nerve cells, strengthening their interconnections, and protecting them from damage. During exercise, nerve cells release proteins known as neurotrophic factors. One, in particular, called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), triggers many other chemicals that promote nerve health and directly benefit cognitive functions, including learning.
FNDC and endorphins are factors triggered by physical exercise that directly affect mood and cognition.
In addition, exercise offers protective effects on the brain through:
– The production of compounds that protect the nerves,
– increased blood flow to the brain,
– improved development and survival of neurons,
– reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as stroke.