How can certain foods help you study better?

Look after your gut

We will have all experienced feelings of stress or excitement in our stomachs, but scientists now know that there is a link between our brain and our gut. So having a healthy gut is really important for our brain health too. Have you heard about the ‘gut microbiome’? It refers to all the good bacteria that live naturally in our intestines and are essential for us to be healthy.

Scientists believe that the more diverse these bacteria the better our overall health will be. The good news is that this is easy to achieve – eating fibre (in wholegrain breads, fruits and vegetables), and as much variety of plant foods as possible will help protect our gut and encourage the good bacteria.

Think about eating a rainbow of fruit and vegetables and you will be getting a wide variety of vitamins, minerals and fibre. 

Foods to study better

Other top foods for brain health include oily fish – such as salmon and mackerel. Oily fish contain omega-3 which protects our body cells from damage, including our brain cells. Try and have one portion of oily fish a week.

Other ‘brain foods’ have magnesium and zinc in them. You can find magnesium is nuts, beans such as black beans and edamame and also dark chocolate!

So if you are feeling the need for chocolate when studying have a square or two of dark chocolate and you will actually be helping your brain too! Just make sure there is at least 70% cocoa solids.

Zinc is also in wholegrains, meat, shellfish and legumes such as peas, chickpeas, beans and lentils. Check out our recipe cards for meals which can help you study better.

Let’s look at sugars

Refined carbohydrates like cake and biscuits will give you a quick energy hit but will then send you on a rollercoaster ride where you will quickly crash back down. This will leave you low in energy and lacking in concentration. 

Instead try to go for carbohydrates that will give you a slow energy release, such as oats, wholegrains, fruits and vegetables. These take longer to digest and so release energy more slowly and will leave you feeling fuller for longer and more energised! 

Have a look at these healthy lunches, ideal for hard working brains. Click the button to download the recipe card. 

Breakfast

Don’t skip breakfast! If you are not a morning person or rushed for time, why not try getting your breakfast ready the night before. Overnight oats and homemade breakfast oat bars are ideal for this. 

Not too sure how to make them? Click the buttons to download the recipe card. 

Hydration

Drinking water is another way you can study better. Water carries essential nutrients to our cells – without it we can become dehydrated and find it hard to concentrate. Try to aim for 8-10 glasses of water a day. Remember that you may need more if you are exercising strenuously.