Should You Follow Mom’s Nutrition Tips?

“Spinach Is Brain Food”

Tara Gidus, M.S., registered dietitian and nutrition consultant based in Orlando, Florida, and the author of the book Pregnancy Cooking & Nutrition for Dummies ($20, amazon.com): Absolutely! Spinach is loaded with lutein, folate, and beta-carotene. These nutrients have been linked with preventing dementia. I know neurologists who recommend eating spinach at least three times a week.

Dawn Jackson Blatner, registered dietitian in Chicago and the author of The Flexitarian Diet ($17, amazon.com): Spinach is super nutritious, potentially anti-inflammatory, and good for heart health. However, there are foods that are even better for the brain, such as blueberries, which are full of antioxidants; eggs, which contain choline, a compound that can help maintain healthy brain-cell membranes; and coffee, which enhances alertness and concentration.

Katherine Tallmadge, registered dietitian; the president of Personalized Nutrition, in Washington, D.C.; and the author of Diet Simple ($15, amazon.com): You could consider spinach a brain food because it contains antioxidants and phytochemicals that help improve blood flow and reduce inflammation. Good blood flow is critical to brain function. But the best brain food is salmon. Its omega-3 fatty acids are highly correlated with reductions in dementia, Alzheimer’s, and depression.