Eat Your Way to Better Poker III - More Memory-improving Foods!

Your mother was right in more ways than one when she told you to eat your vegetables – as we have recently learned; brightly colored vegetables and fruits are a great source of antioxidants, which can help keep your brain younger and fitter for those long Razz sessions.

But it does not end there: besides antioxidants there are many other food chemicals which have been proven to be beneficial for your brain in general and your memory in particular. Let’s go over some of them and where you can find them.

Choline and acetylcholine:
Alzheimer’s patients show low levels of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter responsible for brain power and memory. Meat lovers will be happy to hear that these chemicals are found in protein foods, such as liver, meat and fish. Vegetarians need not despair, since choline and acetylcholine can also be acquired by eating egg yolks, milk, orange juice, peanuts, wheat germ and vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. There is definitely something to suit every taste!

Curcumin:
Are you a fan of curry? If so, this may come as good news: turmeric, the ingredient that gives curry its yellow color, contains a chemical called curcumin which has been shown to prevent Alzheimer’s. An investigation carried out on over 1000 older Asians showed that those who ate curry twice a year or more often performed better than those who never ate it. So get a takeaway curry before you sit down to play – it’s good for your brain!

Iron:
Good old iron is not only good for your body, it is also vital for your brain: Iron carries oxygen to the tissues in your body, and the brain is the highest oxygen-consumer among all organs. You do the maths! If you do not get enough iron, you will be prone to fatigue, poor concentration, memory loss and a shortened attention span – hardly ideal if you want to win those WSOP qualifiers. Keep your iron levels high by eating plenty of extra-lean red meat (dried beans and peas are a good vegetarian option), dark green leafy vegetables and dried apricots. A good cheating trick is to cook in cast iron pots – it will honestly raise the iron content of your meals! And for maximum iron absorption, drink orange juice with your iron-rich meals.

Epicatechin:
This sounds too good to be true: chocolate could improve your memory! Let’s not get too excited yet – although studies have shown that epicatechin (a chemical that can be found in chocolate, tea, grapes and blueberries) can improve the memory of mice, it has not yet been proven to also work on humans. We’ll wait anxiously for the results of that one!

Zinc:
If you thought zinc was only used for roofing, think again: over 100 enzymes in your body depend on zinc to work well! It has been recently discovered that zinc is necessary for the good functioning of the hippocampus, a part of the brain that deals with memory: a test made on seventh-graders showed that those who took zinc supplements over a few months performed better on memory tasks and had a longer attention span. Anything that improves a seventh grader’s attention span must be worth a try! If you want your memory to be better than Annette_15’s, try eating more meat and seafood. Eggs and milk also supply you with zinc, but in smaller amounts, and you can also get some by eating whole-grain products, pumpkin seeds, miso soup and black-eyed peas.

Sage:
OK, sage is not a chemical, but it has been proven to improve memory almost immediately after consumption! Clinical tests with young adults (18-37 years old) showed that those who took sage oil capsules remembered word lists better than those who didn’t. Capsules are fine, but sage is a deliciously flavored herb, and you can work it into quite a few recipes that are bound to impress... and to be remembered!

We’ll give you some yummy ideas to work these brain-healthy foods into your diet in an upcoming article.