4 Foods That Sharpen Focus and Concentration

We live in an age of distraction and overwhelm. It seems everything and everyone is competing for our attention and mental bandwidth. In fact, experts estimate we’re bombarded with 5, 000 to 10,000 ads daily. And that’s not including everyone who comes into our lives wanting or needing something, spreading us way too thin.

If there were ever a time we needed to enhance and boost our brain’s ability to focus, it’s now. Regardless of what you do for a living or the hobbies and pastimes you enjoy, improving your ability to concentrate and focus gives you an edge.

As it turns out, surprisingly, your diet can give you an unfair advantage because of how certain foods are able to sharpen cognitive functions such as focus and concentration.

Omega-3 fatty acids

Foods high in Omega-3 fatty acids help the brain function properly. Great sources of Omgea-3 fatty acids include cold water fatty fish, flaxseed, chia seeds, walnuts, and plant oils like soybean and flaxseed oil.  Omega-3 improves the amount of oxygen available to the brain and boosts the ability to retain new information.

Vitamin D

Research shows that a Vitamin D deficiency is associated with cognitive impairment, especially in older individuals.

According to a recent study published in the journal, Trends in Neuroscience, healthy neurons in the brain are surrounded by what are known as perineuronal nets. These nets act as supportive structures that help maintain the connections between various neurons to facilitate the relay of information via synaptic pathways.

Researchers speculate that a vitamin D deficiency allows certain enzymes to degrade these nets, leading to cognitive deficiencies pertaining to focus and concentration.

Ginkgo Biloba

People have been using the ancient herb Ginkgo Biloba for thousands of years. Although research has yet to pinpoint exactly how this herb improves our ability to focus and concentrate, the working theory is that it helps to increase the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain.

Green Tea

Caffeine is a hotly debated topic because it’s a stimulant than can have adverse side effects. In fact, consuming large amounts of caffeine can make some people feel like they’re on a jittery, out-of-control roller coaster ride with a mental crash at the end!

However, although green tea has caffeine, it contains a chemical called L-theanine which causes caffeine to be released more slowly into the bloodstream. This results in a sustained sense of focus and concentration without the unwanted “crash.”

We think it’s wise to consult with your health care provider before consuming green tea because of its potential harmful impact on the liver.

We live in a time when distractions and overwhelm are coming at us so fast that our brains can barely keep up. Why not give yourself an edge by consuming foods that will boost your focus and concentration?

Image by Ulrike Leone from Pixabay