Seattle Chiropractor Discusses Brain Boosters & Brain Busters

Hi, I’m Dr. Zapata with Emerald City Spinal Care and am a chiropractor in Seattle. On this Tip of the Week, I’m going to talk about Brain Boosters and Brain Busters. As in, what are some foods that can be helpful to your brain health, and on the flip-side of that, what are some foods that can be harmful to your brain health!

I’m going to share with you something that not a lot of people know, and that is that the foods that we consume every day can either have a positive or a negative effect on our brain health. Let’s start by talking about some “brain busters”, which are foods that you should either limit or completely avoid because of the effect it can have on your brain health.

Brain Busters:

1. The first one is fast foods. Fast food, or at least an excessive amount of fast food, has been linked to brain shrinkage, which can eventually lead to Alzheimer’s.
2. Another thing to avoid or limit is processed foods. Artificial food additives have been shown in some studies to negatively affect cognitive brain function and behavior in some children.
3. The final ‘brain buster’ I’d like to share with you today is fried foods. Studies have shown that the compounds released by common cooking oils, raises your risk of neurological degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Now, let’s switch gears and talk about some brain boosters, which are foods that you should consume because they can actually improve your brain health.

Brain Boosters:

1. The first one is oily fish. Your body needs essential fatty acids, but cannot produce them on its own. As such, you’ll need to add it to your diet. A few great options for oily fish are wild Alaskan salmon, rainbow trout, anchovies and sardines.
2. Number two is to binge on blueberries! Studies suggest that blueberries can be effective in improving or delaying short-term memory loss.
3. Number three is to ‘Go Nuts’! Raw almonds are a good source of vitamin E, which your body needs in order to help prevent cognitive decline.
4. Finally, ‘bet on broccoli’. It is a great source of vitamin K, which has been known to enhance cognitive function and improve your brain power.

This has been your brain boosting tip of the week! The great news for all of us here in Seattle is that between fresh seafood and many local farmers markets, it makes it easier to gain access to some of these great (and tasty) brain boosting foods. If you like what you read, and want more original content like this, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on Facebook.

For all of us at Emerald City Spinal Care, thank and have an amazing week!

- Zapata and the Emerald City Spinal Care Team