To start, no, this isn’t spam. Also, this is a good thing for medical students, who need all the brainpower they can muster. Here we go:

  1. Salmon

In general, fish are good for your brain but salmon is king. It has it all: dense in Omega-3s (which help brain function), low in mercury, and a delicious option for every meal. Random aside:avocados can have positive effects as well. The next time you get sushi, order a salmon avocado roll and you’ll feel invincible.

  1. Sage

No, you can’t straight up eat sage but it has been known to improve memory retention and learning in people suffering from mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease. Imagine what it can do to a healthy, med student brain. Sprinkle fresh sage on some of your favorite food or cook with it for an extra study boost. Note: do not sprinkle on ice cream, which is surprisingly not as delicious.

  1. Spinach

If Popeye were real, instead of gaining super strength, his reasoning skills would probably improve after eating a can of spinach. But that’s not so fun, is it? A Harvard study showed eating spinach and other leafy greens are especially good in slowing cognitive decline in women. The jury is still out on if it can help you beat up Bluto – with mind powers.

  1. Blueberries

Blueberries, is there anything they can’t do? They decrease stress, reduce your chance of getting Alzheimers and/or dementia, and improve learning capacity.  A Harvard study recommends eating them three times a week for maximum effect. Perhaps the only thing they can’t do is feel real, human love. But I think that’s asking a lot out of our food.

  1. Whole Grains

Never go half grain. As opposed to these other healthy foods (sorry other healthy foods), whole grains can decrease your stroke risk by 30-36% and body maintenance in general. Now you may be thinking: “I’m young and in perfect health, why do I need to worry about getting a stroke or having chronic gastrointestinal distress?” Exactly.

  1. Pumpkin seeds

Can you believe it’s almost Pumpkin Spice Latte season? Well, that won’t help your brain. Pumpkin seeds will. They provide the essential daily amount of zinc, which enhances your thinking skills. So the next time you get a pumpkin for Halloween, just save those seeds. Rinse, salt, and roast them for a great snack! Then you can enjoy a pumpkin spice latte, which has the magical property of being a pumpkin spice latte.

  1. Nuts (Especially Walnuts)

Yeah, this one is pretty vague but, seriously, all nuts. You can’t go wrong – particularly with walnuts. Besides having tons of omega-3s, walnuts have a lot of melatonin, which will help you sleep better. And as that article mentioned, they look like brains. Get it? Because it’s brain food! You can’t compete with puns like that.

  1. Garlic

Besides the essential health effect of warding off vampires, garlic has some great benefits for molding healthy brains. DATS, a compound in garlic, can prevent brain tumors from developing. Plus, it improves memory, learning, and blood flow regulation. But, seriously, it also prevents vampire attacks, which is equally as important.

  1. Dark chocolate 

Dark chocolate will save your life and possibly your grade in Anatomy. It can give you a short boost in cognitive skills lasting two to three hours. That’s enough time to finish a shelf exam or complete almost half of the USMLE STEP 1. So, the next time you order that coffee, consider pairing it with a piece of dark chocolate.

Do you have any good recipes combining these ingredients? Sound off in the comments!

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