Can you imagine if you could literally eat your way to a quick-thinking, idea-wrangling, restful-sleep-having, happy-thoughts-generating brain?
Believe it or not, wild-caught fish is a full-spectrum superfood when it comes to supporting brain health — one that starts working on babies inside the womb, through one’s childhood and adulthood, and well into a person’s older age. So, think of eating fish regularly throughout the course of your life as a one-stop wellness wonder for your ever-developing noggin.
Developmental Do-it-All
Studies show that the omega-3 fatty acid DHA found in wild-caught fish is excellent for cognitive development, which is why pregnant (note to self! ) and breastfeeding women should enjoy wild-caught salmon and other species low on the food chain to their diet. Another study shows that children who ate fish more than their peers got higher grades in school; even those who ate fish just once a week scored higher marks, and the kids in the study who had it more than once a week received the highest grades of all! A whole other found that 15-year-olds who ate fish more than once a week had significantly higher cognitive performance scores at age 18, compared to their peers who ate less than one serving of fish each week. Bottom line: fish very well could be the manna for your kids’ minds.
Anti-Aging Agent
But don’t think that the good stuff in wild-caught fish is relegated to just the youth. There’s a lot to be said for eating fish regularly as grownups to help prevent such as memory loss and neurodegenerative illnesses like Alzheimer’s disease. In fact, research suggests that mental decline slows down for folks who eat fish consistently.
Edible Happiness
A fillet a day might just be the thing to keep those blues away. Eating fish on a regular basis may not only help curb depression, but could also even increase the effectiveness of antidepressant meds. And some studies also show that the omega-3 fatty acids in fish might even assist with conditions such as bipolar disorder!
Sleep Solution
I bet you never thought fish might be an antidote to your annoying insomnia. But get this: studies that vitamin D insufficiency might be the cause of some sleep issues — and guess what happens to be an excellent natural source of vitamin D? You guessed it: wild-caught fish, which is why research is also that fish might be the zzz’-catching solution your still-up-at-4am restless mind has been waiting for.
As the saying goes, the mind is a terrible thing to waste, to which we’d add, the mind is a wonderful thing to nurture at every opportunity — starting with your meals!