Some foods prevent age-related memory decay.

Rats that ate foods with high amounts of antioxidants as measured by high ORAC levels had “had significantly better long-term memory than the animals getting the control diet” when older.

What are some good nutrition tips to keep a healthy brain?

Very few foods actually boost neurogenesis (the production of new brain cells). 

brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) … plays a key role in creating new neurons. … The gene that turns on BDNF is activated by a variety of factors including physical exercise, caloric restriction, curcumin and the omega-3 fat, DHA.
http://drzarkov.com/blog/tag/curcumin/


Here are some specific foods with research showing how they help improve the brain’s performance.

1) blueberries (which contain anthocyanins)
“Animals treated with blueberries exhibited an 83 percent improvement on tests of memory within three weeks, and the improvement was maintained for the remainder of the 12-week study.” 
http://www.creators.com/health/rallie-mcallister-your-health/latest-research-touts-blueberries-as-brain-food.html
We show that a supplementation with a blueberry diet (2% w/w) for 12 weeks improves the performance of aged animals in spatial working memory tasks. This improvement emerged within 3 weeks and persisted for the remainder of the testing period. Memory performance correlated well with the activation of cAMP-response element-binding protein (CREB) and increases in both pro- and mature levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus. 
http://www.wellnessresources.com/studies/blueberries_boost_bdnf_production
2) omega 3 fatty acids (mostly found in fish, but also present in other foods)
Gómez-Pinilla analyzed more than 160 studies about food’s affect on the brain; the results of his analysis appear in the journal Nature Reviews Neuroscience. Omega-3 fatty acids — found in salmon, walnuts and kiwi fruit — provide many benefits, including improving learning and memory and helping to fight against such mental disorders as depression and mood disorders, schizophrenia, and dementia, said Gómez-Pinilla, a member of UCLA’s Brain Research Institute and Brain Injury Research Center.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080709161922.htm
3) turmeric (which contains curcumin, a BDNF activator)
Curcumin reverses impaired hippocampal neurogenesis and increases serotonin receptor 1A mRNA and brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression in chronically stressed rats.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006899307012590
Other supplements:

Several foods also improve blood flow, which likely accounts for their positive effect on the brain, e.g. ginger and gingko.

Several foods increase energy levels which likely accounts for their positive effects on brain performance, e.g. caffeine, ginseng.

Just as creatine boosts energy availability in muscles, it boosts energy availability in neurons, which likely improves performance.

Several vitamins & minerals are likely helpful for brain function, e.g. folic acid, inositol, b-vitamins, iron, zinc, magnesium, etc.
Animals treated with blueberries exhibited an 83 percent improvement on tests of memory within three weeks, and the improvement was maintained for the remainder of the 12-week study.

Blueberries as Brain Food

More evidence on how blueberries improve brain function. As far as I know, there are only a handful of foods that can do this.

Brilliant innovation :) I like the idea of mashing the banana, mixing with other things and then freezing for an ice cream-like dish. devora: Mashed Banana Goodness Recipe Mash up a banana Mix in handful of raw almonds, hemp seed powder and blueberries (or whatever ingredients tickle your fancy!) Simple as that, and you get in your potassium, fiber, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, plus various vitamins and then some. This dish was inspired by my friend, whose daughter loves ice cream, but my friend understandably seldom lets her eat it.  Her compromise?  Put a peeled banana in a Ziploc bag, smoosh it, and put it in the freezer for about 15 minutes. I’m not so keen on the whole Ziploc thing, so I mash it up in a spoon in a bowl and stir in whatever I feel like. Love that I can have something so tasty for breakfast that’s still healthy :)
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Brilliant innovation :)

I like the idea of mashing the banana, mixing with other things and then freezing for an ice cream-like dish.

devora:

Mashed Banana Goodness

Recipe

  1. Mash up a banana
  2. Mix in handful of raw almonds, hemp seed powder and blueberries (or whatever ingredients tickle your fancy!)

Simple as that, and you get in your potassium, fiber, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, plus various vitamins and then some.

This dish was inspired by my friend, whose daughter loves ice cream, but my friend understandably seldom lets her eat it.  Her compromise?  Put a peeled banana in a Ziploc bag, smoosh it, and put it in the freezer for about 15 minutes.

I’m not so keen on the whole Ziploc thing, so I mash it up in a spoon in a bowl and stir in whatever I feel like.

Love that I can have something so tasty for breakfast that’s still healthy :)

Tropical Blueberries Are Even Healthier Than US/Canadian Blueberries

blueberries that grow wild in Mexico, Central and South America … have even more healthful antioxidants than the blueberries — already renowned as “super fruits” — sold throughout the United States. These extreme super fruits could provide even more protection against heart disease, cancer and other conditions

Too bad you can’t buy ‘em here yet. I hope some good company starts importing them.