A dietitian shares 6 snacks that’ll help you keep your brain sharp

What is a brain-healthy lifestyle? How to protect, improve cognition

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You may already know that your eating habits can help or hinder your risk of developing heart disease or type 2 diabetes, but you may not know about the ways that nutrition can impact brain health . In fact, numerous studies point to the fact that antioxidant-and-nutrient-rich whole foods play important roles in protecting your cognitive functions — abilities to think, learn, and remember .

Meanwhile, an unhealthy diet filled with heavily processed foods — foods with refined grains and excess added sugar or sodium — may speed up brain aging. Unfortunately, many common snacks — from pretzels to chips to bars — fall in this camp, so swapping your snack for healthier fare is one way to stay sharp as you age. Here are some of the top scientifically backed snack foods to add to your menu. Whole Grain Crackers

Assorted crackers and Triscuits.Getty Images Scientists are studying how diet and nutrition can improve brain health, and the MIND Die t has delivered impressive results. The MIND Diet is a mash-up of the Mediterranean Diet and DASH diets, and there’s evidence that it may reduce dementia risk and preserve cognitive function as you age. The MIND diet includes three or more servings of whole grains daily because they play a role in protecting your brain. That’s what makes whole grain crackers are a great snack option.

When choosing whole grain crackers, look at the ingredient list to make sure that a whole grain (such as whole wheat or brown rice) is the first ingredient. You can tell that a packaged food — like crackers — is less processed if the other ingredients are foods you could shop for. For instance, Triscuits have just three ingredients: whole grain wheat, canola oil, and salt. Mary’s Gone Crackers is another solid option; the first two ingredients are brown rice and quinoa.

On the MIND Diet, cheese is limited to one serving per week, so pair your crackers with brain-healthy alternatives, such as hummus or guac. Popcorn

A movie at home pairs great with a bowl of popcorn.Vesna Andjic / Getty Images Yup, popcorn is a whole grain and, therefore, a top snack for keeping your brain sharp. In one study that followed nearly 140,000 adults for six years, those above 80 who ate the fewest whole grains had the highest risk of memory loss.

Additionally, another study involving adults 50 and older found that those eating the most whole grains (about seven servings per day) were more likely to score higher on a measure of successful aging — including preservation of cognitive function — when compared to those eating the least whole grains. Whole grains were also associated with a lower risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol. This reduction in disease risk is also likely to be a boon for brain health.

While popcorn itself is a nutritious snack, what you add to it can deter from its healthfulness, so lay low on butter and sweeteners. I love this lightly sweetened Maple Kettle Corn from Quinn, which satisfies salty-sweet cravings with a mere 2 grams of added sugar per serving. Another favorite is Skinny Pop , which comes in both microwavable and ready-to-munch options. If you’d rather make your own microwavable popcorn, try silicon popper. Pomegranate juice

Pure pomegranate juice.Liudmyla Yaremenko / Getty Images Most people need from 1 ½ to 2 cups of fruit per day, yet few people meet these recommendations. To help on that front, consider including pomegranate juice in your snack pack. Pomegranate juice can count toward one fruit serving — the others should come from another form of fruit, such as fresh fruit — and it may have a powerful payoff.

This ruby red drink contains phytonutrients that lower inflammation and protect your cells from damage that can promote brain aging. One small study among people with mild memory complaints found that drinking 8 ounces of pomegranate juice daily for a month was associated with improved memory and increased neuronal activity in the brain. A year-long follow-up study demonstrated that pomegranate juice drinkers retained the ability to learn visual information. In contrast, those drinking a pomegranate juice concoction stripped of polyphenol nutrients experienced a significant decline in that aspect of learning.

To make pomegranate juice a balanced snack, drink it with some nuts or use it as the liquid base in a fruit and veggie protein smoothie made with Greek yogurt, silken tofu, or another protein you love. When shopping, choose pomegranate juice with no added sugar, such as this one from POM Wonderful . Walnuts

Walnuts are both great for brain health and look like it too.Getty Images Among the nuts, walnuts may be the best for brain performance. In a review involving 22 studies and more than 47,000 people, researchers noted that nuts were beneficial among people at a higher risk for cognitive decline. However, among all nuts studied, walnuts were most consistently linked with better cognitive health. Another study found that women who consumed at least two servings of walnuts per week during their late 50s and early 60s were more likely to age healthfully — defined as having no reported memory impairment, among other things — compared to those who skipped this practice.

Some of the ways that diet can improve brain functioning involve improving blood flow, lowering inflammation, and protecting against oxidative stress — the phenomenon that occurs when you have more free radicals than antioxidants. This imbalance can result in cellular damage that raises your risk of cognitive impairment and other chronic health issues. That’s why walnuts may be so beneficial. Walnuts are the nut with the highest omega-3 ALA, which protects against inflammation, and they’re also rich in the antioxidants that defend against oxidative stress.

Plain walnuts make a delicious snack, but you can also season them at home or buy them in fun flavors, such as these Maple-flavored Crazy Go Nuts , which have a modest 5 grams of […]

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