Brain fuel

Brain drain

"Drinking one to two glasses of red a day can improve cognition," says Dr Clinton Wright, assistant professor of neurology at Columbia University, New York, whose research found that moderate wine drinkers scored significantly higher on a mental acuity tests than those who didn't drink at all.

Meat head

"Fresh foods as close to their natural state as possible, such as meat, fish, chicken and eggs, fruits and vegetables – preferably organic – optimise brain function," says Dr Caroline Leaf, learning specialist and author of Who Switched Off My Brain? (Wescott Marketing).

Think green

Green beans boost the body's vitamin B stores, which can be depleted through stress. "Mental and physical duress locks the action of the chemical acetylcholine in the brain, which adversely affects memory," says Leaf.
Read more »»