When thinking about memories and food, French writer Marcel Proust’s novel In Search of Lost Time comes to mind. This writer died a century ago on November 18, 1922.
In the first chapter, Swan’s Way, the protagonist is told that after drinking tea dipped in a madeleine (a sponge cake), his childhood memories are immediately triggered.
Since then, we’ve all had a similar experience known as the Proustian moment or Madeleine de Proust.
“These memories are associated with food. They are formed without any conscious input,” Susan Cross Whitbourne, professor of psychology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, told the BBC.
“They are very fundamentally related to the nonverbal part of the brain. They can slip away from your awareness,” he explains.
Because the food you eat can trigger your subconscious memories, eating that type of food causes strong emotional reactions.
“Even if you don’t store these memories in words, you can know that there is something about food that triggers memories from your past.
But is it possible that some of this connection between food and memories is helping to improve it?
According to Kimberly Wilson, a psychologist with a master’s degree in micronutrient studies, there are foods and drinks that can have surprisingly positive and negative effects on memories.
He shared this with BBC.
Our memory is the ability to recall information related to the recent or long-ago past.
We have three types of memories: immediate memories, work-related memories, and long-term memories.
Immediate memory holds information that you guess is relevant for a short period of time. You can remember and use a mobile number when someone simply tells you, rather than writing it down.
We use working memory when we perform activities with thought. Evidence helps us recall what the interlocutor said during a conversation.
This involves making sense of what he said, relating it to the previous conversation, and then sharing our own thinking.
In our long-term memories, we remember information from the past for days or years.
The process of moving our memories from stored to immediate memory is called consolidation.
By this it is clear that what food we eat, how our memory works well.
In this regard, a study was conducted on adults with memory problems. Accordingly, 500 ml of paneer grape juice per day was given to them for 12 weeks. Those who drank grape juice were able to learn more words compared to the group that didn’t take it.
In another study, children were allowed to consume 240 grams of blueberries. They were also instructed to remember many words. Accordingly, they recalled more words accurately two hours after eating the fruit.
Are Paneer Raisins and Blue Berries Special?
They contain more or less anthocyanins. One type of plant chemical is called polyphenols. They give deep color. These polyphenol compounds are also found in other berries.
They improve the flow of blood in our brain and the flexibility of the blood vessels during metabolism in the body. They provide oxygen and more powerful micronutrients to improve our cognitive abilities.
Long-term consumption of green tea is associated with improved short-term memory, focus on working memory, and reduced risk of cognitive impairment.
Cocoa improves cerebral blood flow, and dark chocolate containing more than 70% cocoa solids should be consumed to reap the benefits. So this is good news for chocolate lovers.
A general rule of thumb for a healthy diet is to eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and oily fish. Then, the memory center of the brain will be bigger and the memory performance will be better.
Refined foods
Chocolate, berries and green tea are great for our memories. Which type of food is not good for memory?
Decades of animal research and a large number of experiments in humans reveal that eating highly refined foods can harm learning and memory.
In one study, 110 healthy people who regularly ate micronutrient-dense foods were asked to follow a highly refined diet for one week.
Two Belgian waffles were given for breakfast for four days. We give you some menu details of two fast food at any time in that one week.
It can lead to learning memory problems and poor appetite control within days of adopting a highly refined diet.
A diet high in refined foods, high in sugar, low in fruits and vegetables, and low in fiber is associated with increased risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Studies suggest that taking small steps to shift our eating habits in a more nutritious direction, such as extra fruit with breakfast and more vegetables at dinner, can help improve our memories today and protect them for the future.
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