Foods That Age-Proof Your Brain

Studies show that eating certain nutrient-dense foods can protect your brain from mental and cognitive decline.  Help keep your mind sharp with these good-for-you ingredients.

Almonds are rich in vitamin E: an antioxidant that has shown some success in slowing rates of cognitive decline. Consuming excessive amounts of vitamin E can have negative effects, so skip supplements and get your vitamin E from foods instead. Click here to see our best almond recipes.

There is a possibility that folate deficiency is a contributing factor to dementia, so make sure you're getting enough in your diet. Since one cup of avocado has almost a third of your recommended daily intake, you should feel free to indulge in this "good" fat. Click here for our best avocado recipe.

Whether you sprinkle it on roasted sweet potatoes or stir a pinch into hearty beef chili, cinnamon is a delicious way to help ward off Alzheimer 's disease. In a study published in the online journal PLoS One, cinnamon was shown to counteract Alzheimer's-associated changes. Click here for our best cinnamon recipes.

Eggs are a good source of a number of nutrients that make for brain health, but they're also a great way to get more choline into your diet. Choline is an essential nutrient that impacts brain development, even as we age. Click here for our best egg recipes.

Cooking with lentils is an easy way to get more soluble fiber into your diet. We often hear about fiber as an important factor in weight control and the prevention of weight-related diseases. Recent research suggests, however, that fiber may have other benefits, too — like helping to improve memory. Click here for our best lentil recipes.

Many studies have demonstrated the role of omega-3 fatty acids in preventing cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease. Make sure you're getting enough omegas by cooking with olive oil. Click here for more on cooking oils.

One major factor in long-term brain health is the prevention of free radical damage, and antioxidants — some of them found in pomegranates — do just that.  Sprinkle pomegranate seeds on oatmeal and salads or use pomegranate juice in sauces and marinades to boost your antioxidant intake. Click here for our best pomegranate recipes.

Another great source of omega-3s, salmon is also a delicious way to get more B vitamins. Vitamin B deficiency has been linked to certain types of dementia. Eat more salmon with these delicious recipes.

Rich in antioxidant vitamin E, sunflower seeds can help protect your brain from cognitive decline. Try sprinkling shelled sunflower seeds into soups, salads, and stir-fries, or buy sunflower butter for smoothies and sandwiches. Click here for our best sunflower seed recipes.