Brain-healthy bedtime snack you can grab from your own kitchen

What's healthy to eat before bed

The best nighttime snack for brain health is a hard-boiled egg with almonds. This combination provides a key balance of protein, fat, and fiber.

Additionally, this combination delivers key nutrients that support brain health, including magnesium, vitamin E, and choline. These nutrients promote better sleep and support cognitive health.

Benefits for health

Helps stabilize blood sugar levels

According to Science Direct, sweet snacks before bed can cause a rapid spike in glucose, followed by a drop that may disrupt the sleep cycle.

A hard-boiled egg with almonds positively affects brain health before sleep and helps maintain stable blood sugar levels overnight.

This combination is rich in protein and healthy fats, while the fiber in almonds slows digestion, preventing spikes or drops in blood sugar that can interrupt sleep. This stable blood sugar balance supports uninterrupted, restorative sleep, essential for brain recovery and rest.

Contains choline

Eggs are a top natural source of choline, a nutrient that plays a vital role in brain health.

Choline is necessary for producing acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter responsible for memory, learning, and overall cognitive function.

This makes eggs an excellent choice for supporting brain activity, especially during sleep.

Antioxidants

Constant brain activity produces byproducts, including unstable molecules called free radicals. Over time, the accumulation of free radicals can lead to oxidative stress, which damages brain cells and is linked to cognitive decline.

Antioxidants protect the body from damage. Almonds are rich in vitamin E, an antioxidant that shields valuable brain cells from oxidative stress. This vitamin integrates into cell membranes, neutralizing free radicals and protecting brain cells from harm.

Supports brain structure

The fat in both eggs and almonds is a critical component of brain structure and function. These fats are essential for building and maintaining brain cell membranes, ensuring fast and efficient communication between neurons.

In addition to fats, the protein in eggs and almonds provides amino acids, the building blocks for neurotransmitters.

Other tips for better brain health

Eggs and almonds make a great snack for supporting brain health. Here are a few additional strategies:

• Stay physically active. Regular exercise increases blood flow to the brain and promotes the growth of new brain cells. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity per week.
• Keep mentally engaged. Maintain sharpness with stimulating activities, such as puzzles, reading, learning new skills, or playing strategy games.
• Prioritize quality sleep. Aim for 7-9 hours of consistent, restorative sleep each night. Establish a sleep routine and create a dark, quiet, and cool sleep environment.
• Maintain social connections. Strong social support can reduce stress. Moreover, it is linked to a lower risk of cognitive decline.

You may be interested in:

• 12 ways to keep your brain young
• Why the brain dislikes complex tasks and how to teach it to think systematically

This material is for informational purposes only and should not be used for medical diagnosis or self-treatment. Our goal is to provide readers with accurate information about symptoms, causes, and methods of detecting diseases. RBС-Ukraine is not responsible for any diagnoses that readers may make based on materials from the resource. We do not recommend self-treatment and advise consulting a doctor in case of any health concerns.