6 Foods that Improve Your Focus & Concentration
We could all use a boost to our focus and concentration. A little less procrastination and a little more drive never hurt anyone, right?
Especially these days, in a time when attention spans are at an all-time low, we’re all looking for ways to improve our mental capacity. We all understand what it feels like to procrastinate, lack focus, and to struggle to get work done.
What if there were foods you could eat that improve your attention span? What if you could boost your concentration just by including a few things in your regular diet and nutrition that would boost your focus, concentration, and memory?
Soon, you could stop struggling to concentrate, and instead find yourself engaging in work and life better than ever before, feeling on top of it with an ease in your ability to be productive.
How Diet Impacts Our Focus & Concentration
A 2013 meta-analysis published in the Research Journal Appetite, discusses findings of the last 30 years of animal studies on the effects of diet on brain function.
These studies show that the Western diet - one high in bad saturated fats and refined carbohydrates and sugars - can damage multiple brain systems. Studies indicate that a typical Western diet likely leads to the development of neurodegenerative disorders - conditions that impact learning, memory, and concentration. (1)
Another meta-analysis published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, shows that an unhealthy diet increases the risk of developing ADHD. On the other side of the spectrum, a healthy diet is shown to protect against the development of cognitive problems like ADHD. (2)
So, the next time a student can’t focus in class, maybe their teacher should tell them to “go eat 4 servings of fruits and veggies and don’t come back until you do!”
One way to get those fruits and veggies is Ruvi Focus; 4 servings that help improve focus and concentration.
6 Foods that Can Increase Focus & Concentration
When it comes to building focus and attention-span, we certainly cannot overlook the importance of avoiding toxins like processed foods, fast foods, and foods high in sugar, bad saturated fat, and artificial ingredients.
Eating a diet filled with clean, whole foods that are high in dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and even beneficial bacteria (probiotics) is one of the best ways to increase your focus.
There are entire books about what to eat and not to eat when it comes to mental health. In this article, we’re going to look at just a few foods that could help you increase your focus and attention, leading to better work, play, and an overall happier you!
Fatty Fish
That’s right, fatty fish.
You might say, “But you just said not to eat a bunch of saturated fat!”
True, but there are many different types of fat. Some are not good for us, and others are absolutely amazing for our body and crucial for the functioning of our brain. There are even highly beneficial saturated fats, such as MCT’s found in coconut oil. Not all saturated fats are created equal.
There are many reasons that good fats are essential to our brain health and ability to focus.
One, is because our brain is made of 60% fat. So, the fat we feed our brain is extremely important.
Another reason is that our brain uses Essential Fatty Acids, found in fatty fish, for the creation and function of neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, serotonin, and GABA. Neurotransmitters are the chemical messengers (hormones) that our body uses for all mental and emotional processes.
One category of fats that are highly beneficial to our focus and attention span are omega-3 fatty acids. Some of the most common types of omega-3’s are ALA’s, DHA’s, and EPA’s.
Fatty fish, such as salmon, cod, herring, and tuna contain DHA’s and EPA’s. If you want to have a great ability to focus, incorporate some of these fish into your weekly meals, or look at purchasing a high-quality fish oil supplement.
Blueberries
Studies show that blueberries are great for improving your concentration and memory. One of the reasons for this is that they contain a ton of antioxidants, which increase the flow of blood and oxygen to your brain. (3)
You know what an awesome way to get blueberries is? Ruvi Focus.
Okay. So we might be biased on that. But seriously, Ruvi Focus contains not only blueberries, but also blackberries, strawberries, acai berries, and maqui berries.
All of these berries are great sources of antioxidants that help to improve your focus and concentration. Plus, there’s several other veggies in there and a couple more fruits, making Ruvi Focus a powerhouse when it comes to brain function.
Leafy Greens
Leafy greens, such as spinach and kale, are great for boosting concentration. There are several reasons why.
One, is that leafy greens contain lutein. Lutein is a phytonutrient that research shows may counter cognitive aging by increasing brain power. (4)
Another reason is that leafy greens contain carotenoids (another phytochemical), which help protect your brain and improve cognitive function. (3)
Yet another reason is that leafy greens contain B vitamins, which are shown to boost energy, memory, and focus. (3)
Ruvi Focus contains spinach, one of the best leafy greens, among several other fruits and vegetables that help boost focus and attention.
Nuts
Nuts contain omega-3 fatty acids, which as we already know are very important for building our brain (which is composed of 60% fat).
Nuts also contain a high dose of vitamin E, which has been linked to a protection against cognitive decline. (5)
A 2017 study showed that eating nuts on a regular basis increases brain waves associated with learning, memory, and other productive brain functions. (6)
Broccoli
Broccoli is a type of cruciferous vegetable. Cruciferous vegetables are especially excellent for building brain function because they are prebiotic. Prebiotics feed the good bacteria in our gut, increasing populations of beneficial microbes in the digestive tract.
This is especially important as many studies over the last 20 years are showing that gut health is directly linked to brain health. This is due to the constant communication that is going on between our gut and brain. This communication occurs along the Vagus Nerve, also known as the ‘gut-brain-axis’. Our gut wall contains over 100 million neurons; these neurons are all connected to our brain and communicate with it regularly.
Our gut also communicates with our brain via immune cells as well as the constant production and transfer of neurotransmitters (hormones) from the gut to the brain.
If we want to have optimal focus and concentration, it is important that we eat a lot of high-fiber, healthy foods, especially fruits and veggies, to build up our beneficial gut bacteria so they can make our gut happy, and therefore our brain.
On top of feeding our beneficial gut microbes, broccoli also contains antioxidants and vitamin K2. We already know that antioxidants are extremely beneficial for the brain, but what about vitamin K2?
Vitamin K2 is a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for forming what are called sphingolipids (try saying that ten times fast). Sphingolipids are fat molecules that are packed into brain cells and have a large impact on brain development. (7)
Want to know what has this miracle vegetable that is broccoli? Ruvi Focus. Pretty awesome, huh?
Maqui Berry
A study conducted on the mental benefits of maqui berry investigated its impacts on the cognitive functions of rats. Rats were subjected to prolonged ozone exposure (exposure to harmful oxygen levels). While they were exposed, maqui berry extracts were given to them.
It was found that the typical negative effects on the brain from exposure to ozone were decreased in rats that were given maqui berry extract. (8) The maqui berry actually seemed to protect against, or undo, some of the harmful effects of the exposure to too much oxygen.
Quite the study, isn’t it? The study was designed to determine whether antioxidants in maqui berry impacted brain function. According to the results, it would seem they did!
In addition to being antioxidative, maqui berry is also anti-inflammatory, which has a very big impact on brain function.
Maqui berry also contains vitamin C. Vitamin C is involved in multiple processes that have to do with neurotransmitters (hormones), which are central to focus, concentration, and memory. (9)
Naturally Boost Your Concentration with Ruvi Focus
Ruvi Focus has five different berries (including blueberries, acai, and maqui), spinach, broccoli, bananas, and more.
Ruvi is so excellent for your nutrition because it contains fruits, veggies, and nothing else. It has all the fiber, all of the nutrients, and has no added sugar, preservatives, artificial flavors or colors, etc.
It’s just freeze-dried fruits and veggies, and that’s it.
The berries and spinach in Ruvi Focus contain antioxidants that studies show are powerful for brain function, focus, and attention span.
The broccoli in Ruvi Focus is excellent for building your gut health, and thus improving your brain health.
The bananas in Ruvi Focus contain potassium, and many other micronutrients, that are shown to boost brain power.
And this is just scratching the surface. Try Ruvi Focus for yourself and feel the difference it can have on your level of focus, concentration, and overall happiness.
Sources
- Francis H, Stevenson R. The longer-term impacts of Western diet on human cognition and the brain. Appetite. 2013 Apr;63:119-28. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2012.12.018. Epub 2013 Jan 3. PMID: 23291218. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23291218/
-
Dietary patterns and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165032718329720?casa_token=OJK-A1fm6jgAAAAA:jCRJCnm3qJqE0twt3peMFKUBT6TxGL6vUyaTzn9vRFbMdoicXokvdRTLTCnwopr46XeWBKyMLW8y
-
9 brain foods that will improve your focus and concentration. A Life of Productivity. https://alifeofproductivity.com/9-brain-foods-that-will-boost-your-ability-to-focus/#:~:text=improve%20your%20focus.-,Blueberries,and%20keep%20the%20mind%20fresh%E2%80%9D.
-
Lutein may counter cognitive aging, study finds. Illinois News Bureau. https://news.illinois.edu/view/6367/534683
-
Slideshow: Brain Foods That Help You Concentrate. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/ss/slideshow-brain-foods-that-help-you-concentrate
-
Consuming nuts strengthens brainwave function. ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/11/171115091809.htm#:~:text=strengthens%20brainwave%20function-,Researchers%20find%20that%20nuts%20benefit%20the%20brain,cognition%2C%20memory%2C%20recall%20and%20rest&text=Summary%3A,and%20other%20key%20brain%20functions.
-
Vitamin K and the Nervous System: An Overview of its Actions. NCBI. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3648721/
- Maqui berry (Aristotelia chilensis) extract improves memory and decreases oxidative stress in male rat brain exposed to ozone. Taylor & Francis Online. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1028415X.2019.1645438#:~:text=Articles-,Maqui%20berry%20(Aristotelia%20chilensis)%20extract%20improves%20memory%20and%20decreases%20oxidative,rat%20brain%20exposed%20to%20ozone&text=Introduction%3A%20Prolonged%20ozone%20exposure%20can,and%20affects%20memory%20and%20learning.
- The neuropsychiatric effects of vitamin C deficiency:a systematic review. BMC Psychiatry. https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-020-02730-w#:~:text=The%20functions%20of%20vitamin%20C,acetylcholine%20release%20from%20synaptic%20vesicles.