From the many studies in recent years that have linked diet to cognitive function, scientists are slowly putting together a list of foods that seem to have particular influence on the health of the brain.

Studies have shown improvements in memory, IQ, concentration and mood; others have shown a reduced risk of cognitive decline, dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Remember to eat these foods and you'll be more likely to remember everything else.

Antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables:

blueberries

strawberries

blackberries

red peppers

oranges

apples

spinach

Foods dense in vitamin E:

nuts

soybean oil (found in many bottled salad dressings)

canola oil

wheat germ

Whole grains:

whole oats

barley

Foods rich in folic acid:

leafy green vegetables

citrus fruits

dried beans

Foods rich in omega-3s:

fish

flaxseed

purslane

One-Two Punch for Alzheimer's

A recent study of 4,740 elderly people linked the combination of vitamin C and E supplements with a 60 percent reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease. The benefits appeared in people who were taking daily supplements containing about 400 IU of vitamin E and 500 mg of vitamin C.

Why would these two work only in combination? Epidemiologist Peter Zandi at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health says that fat-soluble vitamin E "stays around in the body for a relatively long time," while water-soluble vitamin C is rapidly excreted. Zandi speculates that "vitamin C may serve primarily to recharge the antioxidant capacities of the vitamin E that is in the body."

Arch. of Neur., Jan. 2004