We hear and read a lot about food that’s good for your brain, even activities that have been proven to boost your brainpower, but what about beverages? We do consume them after all, so there must be some that are better for our brains than others. So whether you’re looking for a way to kickstart your morning sans coffee or you’re needing a little something to help keep you focused throughout your day, we’ve got you covered with our list of brain-boosting beverages! Let’s take a look!
Green Tea
(image via: delish)
Not only is green tea delicious, but it contains two nootropic compounds, known as I-theanine and epigallocatechin gallate. And no, we can’t pronounce that last one. I-theanine promotes relaxation and when combined with caffeine improves attention, while EGCG can actually work to combat neurodegenerative diseases. If you do happen to be on the search for a hot beverage to replace your morning coffee, green tea is a great alternative! (And no pressure, you’ll have to pry our morning coffee from our cold, dead hands)
Lemon Water
Lemon water is perhaps one of the more refreshing ways to boost that brain of yours! Lemon contains high levels of potassium, and high levels of potassium allow more oxygen to reach the brain and improve its all-around function. So if you’re never without your reusable water bottle, next time slice some lemons and add them to your water. Your brain will thank you.
Berry Smoothies
(image via: the spruce eats)
Berries are uber-rich in antioxidants which protect cells from damage; and when we look at long-term effects, we’re talkin’ all-around improved brain health as well as less age-related memory loss. So go ahead, treat yourself to a delicious berry smoothie every now and then!
Hot Chocolate
No, we’re being serious! But not just your everyday hot chocolate, you’ll want to find one that is a dark chocolate hot chocolate made with at least 70% cacao. Cacao has been shown to improve a number of cognitive functions from memory to learning.
Orange Juice
(image via: glamour)
Orange juice is super rich in Vitamin C, and vitamin C has been proven to help people stay more focused and improve memory. But be careful with orange juice because it does contain a lot of sugar which can lead to diabetes and heart disease, so don’t go overboard with the OJ consumption.
Herbal Teas
We mentioned green tea, but if that isn’t your thing, or you just love to have a variety of tea in your cabinets, sage, ginkgo, ashwagandha, ginseng, and rhodiola are all herbal teas that have been proven to be good for your brain.