Boost your intelligence with these foods!

Researchers at the University of Illinois discovered high levels of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) in the blood are linked to higher general intelligence in older adults. MUFAs are fat molecules present in foods such as olive oil, avocados, canola oil, and various nuts and seeds.** These molecules are considered healthy fats as they can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke by helping to reduce “bad” cholesterol levels in the blood. This very interesting study included 99 healthy older adults. Blood samples were also taken from each participant and analyzed in depth. All participants also underwent general and functional intelligence tests and brain MRIs. Which allowed researchers to measure brain activity in certain areas. The analysis revealed that general intelligence is associated with a region of the brain called the dorsal attention network. This plays a key role in problem solving and goal-focused attention. More specifically, researchers found that a person’s overall intelligence is influenced by how well the neural connections within this network are organized.** A little confusing, I know, but this is the good part: Interestingly, the results of the study revealed that adults who had higher levels of MUFA in their blood demonstrated better organization of these connections. Which demonstrates an association between higher levels of MUFA and greater general intelligence. The researchers believe their findings suggest that eating more MUFA could be a way to increase cognition :O So, let’s eat more avocado, nuts and olive and canola oil 🙂