Here are some common foods that have been know to aid in memory and retention-to keep you going strong through finals week!
Eggs
Did someone say breakfast? Whether it's poached, boiled, fried, scrambled or even eaten raw, eggs have a surplus of B vitamins, which has been found to help in preventing cognitive decline and brain atrophy. A study that analyzed cognitive decline in older adults found that adults who supplemented their diets with B vitamins were less likely to experience brain atrophy and cognitive impairments. Because brain atrophy and cognitive impairment can subsequently lead to Alzheimer's disease, these tiny B vitamins may be more important than previously thought. So, before you're next morning study session, grab some scrambled eggs and reap the short and long term effects of this tasty food.
Berries
Have you ever noticed that your motor and cognitive skills have significantly increased after eating some strawberry shortcake? Well, unfortunately it's not due to the "shortcake" part of the equation, but fortunately it's not limited to strawberries-in fact, all berries have been found to increase motor and cognitive functions. A study in 2014 found that berries can decrease inflammation of signaling pathways in the brain and enhance neuroplasticity, which is the ability for the brain to adapt and change throughout a lifetime. Not only can the phytochemicals found in strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, currants, and mulberries aid in your hoop skills, but these delicious foods can also help your brain adapt and change when new information is received-such as material for an exam. So, next time you're deciding between cake and strawberries during a stressful finals week, reach for the strawberries and reap the rewards of these awesome fruits.
Coffee
Okay, before you glance over this article, read the word "coffee" and sprint to the closest Starbucks to order a triple red eye, please take this suggestion in moderation. A 2018 study analyzing resting brain entropy, which is the number of neural brain states one can access at rest, concluded that caffeine has been found to increase resting brain entropy. This means that caffeine increased the amount of information that could be processed at a higher level. So, it can be reasonably assumed that if you want to really crank out a paper or study some tough physic equations, a cup of coffee may aid in the processing and subsequent retention of the information. What cannot be reasonably assumed is that if you drink five cups of coffee, you will be able to process all information at a higher level than before. Just as you wouldn't down five pints of strawberries, having too much coffee can have the opposite effect-making you jittery, less concentrated, and unable to sleep, which greatly decreases memory retention abilities. By all means, have that regular cup of joe to kickstart your studying session-just don't go overboard and send yourself into a caffeine coma.
Dark Chocolate
Want something to compliment that coffee that will also help your memory? Well, I've got just the thing-dark chocolate. I think when most people read that dark chocolate improves memory or has health benefits, they feel less guilty about eating that whole bag of Reese's peanut butter cups. But, the thing to remember is that dark chocolate, not milk or white chocolate, has been most proven to aid memory. A 2013 study found that the antioxidant qualities of dark chocolate improves blood flow in the brain, namely in areas sensitive to learning and memory. The advantages of added blood flow results in increased neurogenesis (ability to make more neural connections between information), making information easier to process and recall. In addition, this study studied the positive effects that dark chocolate has on mood, concluding that dark chocolate can increase one's mood. Overall I think this deal is almost too sweet to be true-you can improve neural connections in your brain and increase your studying mood-all while indulging in some delicious chocolate.
Now armed with a diet fit for a genius you can tackle any paper or exam that comes your way!
