Boost Your Brain Power

Thanks to modern advancements in brain imaging, scientists now know we have the power to shape our minds—literally.

- Vanessa Milne

London cab drivers, who spend years memorizing city streets, have expanded hippocampi, the brain’s memory motor. Meanwhile, violinists’ brains contain more grey matter in the part connected to the hand that manipulates the strings than the one that simply holds the bow.

And it isn't just people who've mastered a skill who experience such brain changes. According to Harvard researchers, people who practised 45 minutes of meditation every day for two months exhibited decreased grey matter in their amygdala, the area related to anxiety and stress. Even something as basic as getting regular exercise shores up our brain’s memory centre.

These kinds of changes can happen at any age. In fact, the minds of people who make brain-healthy choices can function as if they were 10 years younger—and those habits can contribute significantly to preventing dementia.

Now that we know our genes, and our age, don’t have to determine the strength of our brain, what can you do to boost yours?

EAT MORE BRAIN FOOD

While there isn’t a miracle food or supplement that can instantly make you smarter, changing your eating patterns can definitely affect your brain health. Here’s what to put on your plate:

Leafy green vegetables—think spinach, kale and arugula—are rich in brain-boosting folate, antioxidants and vitamin K. A study from Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center found that eating just one serving of these a day is enough to preserve your current cognitive function—and people who ate more had a brain as strong as those 11 years younger.