Supporting your brain health is crucial. While you can stretch your cognitive skills by reading, doing puzzles and trying new things, you can also eat specific foods to strengthen your mind. Learning how truffles affect the body might encourage you to try a few recipes with the creative ingredient beloved in Italy.
What is Umbrian Cuisine?
Umbrian cuisine comes from the Umbria region of Italy. The food selections prioritize hearty, rich ingredients like olive oil and truffles.
These wild mushrooms have a fragrant aroma and natural health benefits. They’re also a versatile grocery addition because you can add truffles to pasta sauces, stuffing, and butter.
What Does a Truffle Do for the Body?
Truffles affect the body in numerous ways, depending on your selection. White truffles are naturally high in antioxidants, so they minimize cellular inflammation throughout the body. Consistently making cellular inflammation lower can reduce fluids stored in muscle tissue, ease your digestive tract and soothe your nervous system. Truffles may also have positive cognitive effects if they become a regular part of your diet.
Brain Benefits of White Truffles
Adding white truffles to your diet could supercharge your cognitive abilities. Discover their multiple benefits to see why people love it in Umbria and worldwide.
1. They can support neurotransmitter functioning.
White truffles contain choline, which is a form of vitamin B. When it enters the brain, your mind uses it to improve your acetylcholine synthesis and the memory skills associated with that process. You may retain and form memories more easily with additional cognitive support from choline in truffles, which could make bites of antipasti with truffle sauce extra delicious.
2. They could protect neurons from cellular damage.
Free radicals float around your bloodstream and harm your cells if left untreated. White truffles have powerful antioxidants that scavenge for these free radicals, effectively locating and eliminating them. The next time you add the mushrooms to your gnocchi sheet pan dinners, you’ll also shield your brain from cellular damage that may otherwise worsen if free radicals remain unchecked in your body.
3. They might protect against low cranial blood flow.
Researchers found truffles contain powerful flavonoid compounds across the mushroom’s many species. When people get more flavonoids in their diet, it can prevent endothelial dysfunction from occurring, which is a condition that limits blood flow to the brain. You may feel energized and process more quickly if your mind gets the oxygen it needs through functioning blood vessels. Preventing endothelial dysfunction with white truffle recipes makes it easier to do.
Other Umbria-Inspired Menu Additions to Support Your Cognitive Health
Take your tastebuds and brain health to Italy without leaving home by trying some white truffle recipes today. You can also explore other regionally popular ingredients to strengthen your brain health further.
1. Olive Oil
There are numerous ways to enjoy olive oil in your daily diet. No matter how you eat it, it may be good for your mind. People who get at least seven grams of olive oil each day have a 28% reduced risk of dementia-related death compared to those who get less or none of it. Add it to Umbrian recipes like torta al testo to treat yourself to an Italian flatbread.
2. Lentils
Polyphenols are widely available compounds in sources like lentils, legumes and fruits. They help the brain by shielding neurons from damage caused by inflammation and free radicals.
People in Umbria eat lentils by making recipes like lentil soup. Serve it with fresh pasta or bread dipped in seasoned olive oil for an authentic Italian meal.
3. Honey
While honey is an excellent natural sweetener, it’s also a source of cognitive support. The golden ingredient contains polyphenols and flavonoids like lentils and white truffles. Your brain will get twice the cognitive protection from a meal using honey.
Pick up ingredients to make strufoli when you’re craving something sweet. The Umbrian dessert is a festival favorite and uses honey to sweeten the fried dough balls covered in sprinkles.
Tips for Cooking With White Truffles
If you’ve never made anything featuring truffles, you might see the white mushrooms at your local grocery store and not know how to handle them. Get as many as your recipe requires, which may not be much because truffles are costly and limited-availability items.
You might want to wash your truffles when you get home, but resist the urge. Moisture makes white truffles turn out mushy. Instead, brush any lingering dirt off your truffles with a dry paper towel. If you’re not cooking them immediately, wrap each truffle in paper towels and store them in your fridge. They should last a few days before they become rubbery and smell foul.
When you’re ready to make a truffle-based recipe—from Umbria or otherwise—take your dirt-free mushrooms out of your fridge. You can grate, slice or shave them into your latest kitchen creation. Follow your recipe’s instructions closely to use every ounce of your truffle, so you won’t miss out on any cognitive benefits or waste any of your purchase.
Support Your Mind and Body with White Truffles
Once you know how truffles affect the body, they might become your favourite brain-boosting ingredient. Select recipes from Umbria that require the white mushroom to blend your love of Italian food with your desire to support your cognitive health. You’ll discover new flavours while giving your brain everything it needs to thrive.