Foods for Your Brain

ORLANDO, Fla. (KFSN) -- One in ten people aged 65 or older has Alzheimer's disease. Many more suffer from confusion and forgetfulness. So how can you lower your chances of developing memory problems as you age? But what you eat could make the difference.

The average adult forgets three things a day. What do you struggle to remember?

What you put in your body could help improve your memory. In a study out of Temple University, mice that ate a diet rich in olive oil performed better on memory tests after nine months. They also had lower levels of amyloid plaques, a marker of Alzheimer's, in their brains. Another food to consider: bone broth. This stock is loaded with collagen, a building block for the brain. It also contains glycine, which has been shown to improve sleep and memory. Spinach and beets have high levels of nitrates, which help increase blood flow to the brain and improve mental performance.

Georgetown University researchers found a compound in red wine may help slow Alzheimer's. People who were given resveratrol for a year saw a 50 percent reduction in amounts of a molecule that's harmful to the brain at high levels. The spice turmeric contains an ingredient called curcumin, which can boost the process that creates new brain cells. And in one Italian study, women who ate cocoa or dark chocolate after a night of total sleep deprivation were able to offset the cognitive impairment that usually occurs. So if you want a healthy brain, eat up!

In one British study, participants reported on the things they most often forget. The top three: making a cup of hot coffee or tea and letting it go cold, where they put their keys, and what they went shopping for.