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7 Drinks That Boost Your Brain Health Naturally

Green tea contains compounds beneficial for the brain (Reuters)
Green tea contains compounds beneficial for the brain (Reuters)
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7 Drinks That Boost Your Brain Health Naturally

Green tea contains compounds beneficial for the brain (Reuters)
Green tea contains compounds beneficial for the brain (Reuters)

Caring for brain health is not limited to mental exercises and good sleep; it also extends to the foods and beverages we consume on a daily basis.

Certain natural drinks contain nutrients and antioxidants that play an important role in supporting brain function, enhancing memory and concentration, and protecting against cognitive decline associated with aging.

Below are some of the most notable drinks that may help support brain health in a natural and simple way, according to the scientific website Verywell Health:

Green Tea

Green tea contains compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and has been studied for potential benefits related to metabolic health, aging, and immune support. Green tea has been widely studied for its effects on brain health. Regular consumption appears to be more beneficial than occasional use.

Green tea contains catechins, antioxidants that may reduce oxidative stress in the brain. It also provides L-theanine, an amino acid linked to improved attention and calm focus, especially when combined with small amounts of caffeine.

Coffee

Coffee is a major dietary source of antioxidants, and its effects on brain health have been widely studied.
In the short term, the caffeine in coffee works by inhibiting adenosine, a neurotransmitter that contributes to promoting drowsiness. This effect may temporarily improve alertness, reaction speed, and concentration.

Observational studies suggest that moderate coffee consumption, in the long term, may be associated with a reduced risk of age-related cognitive decline.

Blueberry Smoothies

Blueberries are rich in flavonoids, especially anthocyanins, which are plant compounds linked to brain health. Research indicates that regular consumption of blueberries may support memory, learning, and overall cognitive functions by helping to protect brain cells from oxidative stress and inflammation. Blending blueberries into smoothies or drinks helps retain many of their beneficial compounds while making them easy to consume regularly.

Beet Juice

Beetroot contains a combination of dietary nitrate, betalains, and polyphenols that may support brain health. Research suggests these compounds help improve blood flow, support antioxidant defenses, and influence processes involved in cognitive decline. Dietary nitrate from beetroot increases nitric oxide, which helps improve blood flow to the brain. Research suggests nitrate-rich foods may support brain blood flow and be linked to slower cognitive decline, while other beetroot compounds may help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation. Most studies are small, and more research is needed to confirm long-term benefits.

Turmeric Golden Milk

Turmeric contains curcumin, a plant compound with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Research suggests that curcumin may help protect brain cells by reducing inflammation and oxidative stress, which are associated with cognitive decline. Curcumin also affects pathways involved in memory and learning. However, it is poorly absorbed on its own, limiting the amount that reaches the brain.

Pomegranate Juice

Pomegranate juice is rich in polyphenols, plant compounds with powerful antioxidant effects. Research indicates that these compounds may help protect brain cells by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, which are associated with cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease. Preliminary studies conducted on animals suggest that pomegranate compounds may also support healthy blood flow to the brain by increasing nitric oxide production. These effects combined may support brain function over time.

Omega-3-Fortified Drinks

Omega-3 fatty acids, especially docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), are essential for normal brain function, as they help support communication between brain cells. Drinks fortified with DHA and EPA may help people increase their intake of these important fats.

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New York Seeks Rights for Beloved but Illegal ‘Bodega Cats’

Guest Dan Rimada, founder of Bodega Cats of New York holds a cat named Ashley in a bodega corner store on December 17, 2025 in New York City. (AFP)
Guest Dan Rimada, founder of Bodega Cats of New York holds a cat named Ashley in a bodega corner store on December 17, 2025 in New York City. (AFP)
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New York Seeks Rights for Beloved but Illegal ‘Bodega Cats’

Guest Dan Rimada, founder of Bodega Cats of New York holds a cat named Ashley in a bodega corner store on December 17, 2025 in New York City. (AFP)
Guest Dan Rimada, founder of Bodega Cats of New York holds a cat named Ashley in a bodega corner store on December 17, 2025 in New York City. (AFP)

Simba, a large cat with thick ginger and white fur, is one of thousands of felines that live in New York's corner shops known as "bodegas" -- even if their presence is illegal.

Praised for warding off pests, so-called bodega cats are also a cultural fixture for New Yorkers, some of whom are now pushing to enshrine legal rights for the little store helpers.

"Simba is very important to us because he keeps the shop clean of the mice," Austin Moreno, a shopkeeper in Manhattan, told AFP from behind his till.

The fluffy inhabitant also helps to entice customers.

"People, very often, they come to visit to ask, what is his name? The other day, some girls saw him for the first time and now they come every day," said Moreno.

Around a third of the city's roughly 10,000 bodegas are thought to have a resident cat despite being liable to fines of $200-$350 for keeping animals in a store selling food, according to Dan Rimada, founder of Bodega Cats of New York.

Rimada photographs the felines for his social media followers and last year launched a petition to legalize bodega cats, which drew nearly 14,000 signatures.

"These cats are woven into the fabric of New York City, and that's an important story to tell," he said.

- Pressure point -

Inspired by Rimada's petition, New York City council member Keith Powers has proposed a measure to shield the owners of bodega cats from penalties.

His legislation would also provide free vaccinations and spay or neuter services to the felines.

But animal shelters and rights groups say this wouldn't go far enough.

While Simba can nap in the corner of his shop with kibble within paw's reach, many of his fellow cats are locked in basements, deprived of food or proper care, and abandoned when they grow old or fall ill.

Becky Wisdom, who rescues cats in New York, warned that lifting the threat of fines could remove "leverage" to encourage bodega owners to better care for the animals.

She also opposes public funds being given to business owners rather than low-income families who want their cats spayed or neutered.

The latter is a big issue in New York, where the stray cat population is estimated at around half a million.

- Radical overhaul -

Regardless of what the city decides, it is the state of New York that has authority over business rules, said Allie Taylor, president of Voters for Animal Rights.

Taylor said she backs another initiative proposed by state assembly member Linda Rosenthal, a prominent animal welfare advocate, who proposes allowing cats in bodegas under certain conditions.

These would include vet visits, mandatory spaying or neutering, and ensuring the cats have sufficient food, water and a safe place to sleep.

Beyond the specific case of bodega cats, Taylor is pushing for a more radical overhaul of animal protection in New York.

"Instead of focusing on one subset of cats, we need the city to make serious investments, meaning tens of millions of dollars per year into free or low cost spay, neuter and veterinary care," she said.

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Warming Climate Threatens Greenland’s Ancestral Way of Life

Musher Nukaaraq Lennert Olsen offers some dry food to his dogs after a ride near the "dog town" ofSisimiut, Greenland on January 31, 2026. (AFP)
Musher Nukaaraq Lennert Olsen offers some dry food to his dogs after a ride near the "dog town" ofSisimiut, Greenland on January 31, 2026. (AFP)
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Warming Climate Threatens Greenland’s Ancestral Way of Life

Musher Nukaaraq Lennert Olsen offers some dry food to his dogs after a ride near the "dog town" ofSisimiut, Greenland on January 31, 2026. (AFP)
Musher Nukaaraq Lennert Olsen offers some dry food to his dogs after a ride near the "dog town" ofSisimiut, Greenland on January 31, 2026. (AFP)

Standing in his boat with binoculars in hand, hunter Malik Kleist scans the horizon for seals. But this February, the sea ice in southwestern Greenland has yet to freeze, threatening traditional livelihoods like his.

"Normally the seals are on the ice or in the more calm waters. But today we had to sail all the way into the fjords to find them," the 37-year-old tells AFP.

The Arctic region is on the frontline of global warming, heating up four times faster than the rest of the planet since 1979, according to a 2022 study in scientific journal Nature, causing the sea ice to retreat.

Seals rely on pack ice to give birth, to rest and for protection.

Hunters increasingly have to sail farther along the jagged coast of Sisimiut, navigating into the fjords for several hours to find them.

Traditionally, hunters' boats would head straight out to sea, slowly pushing through the ice and creating holes that attract seals coming up for air.

But without any ice, "it's too windy and the waves are too big," Kleist says.

Last year was exceptionally warm in the vast autonomous territory, with several temperature records beaten, according to the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI).

In December, the Summit Station, located at the height of Greenland's ice sheet, recorded an average temperature of -30.9 degrees C (-23.6 Fahrenheit), 8.1C higher than the December average during the period 1991-2020.

"It affects everything we do. Because normally around November, December the ice comes. And this year there's no ice, so it affects our living a lot," Kleist says.

- Financial woes -

For the same reason, the government has also had to postpone the annual winter musk ox hunt that was due to start on January 31.

There wasn't enough snow and ice to transport the massive animals that roam the Arctic tundra back from Kangerlussuaq where they are predominantly found, around 165 kilometers (103 miles) away. Greenland has no roads connecting its towns.

That has left some Sisimiut hunters with less income than usual.

"This time of year there is not much to hunt. So we rely on musk ox meat and skin," Kleist says.

"Many of my fellow hunters are struggling with money right now."

Every part of the animal, from the fur to the meat, is either used or sold.

The summer hunting season has therefore gained importance, enabling Greenlanders to fill their freezers to get them through the winter months, he tells AFP over a steaming bowl of fish stew.

The shorter winter season has also impacted another key activity in Greenland, one that has become increasingly important to the tourism sector: dogsled tours.

In the Sisimiut neighborhood where the dogs are kept, their thunderous barking mounts as Nukaaraq Olsen, a 21-year-old musher, attaches them to the sled.

Raring to get going, his 18 dogs are hard to hold back. Twenty minutes later, the group bounds off.

But the road is bumpy, and several times Olsen has to get up to manually push the sled, stuck on the tundra's rocks in patches where there is no ice.

"This year we had a lot of hot, warm days, even though it's December or January," he says.

Other parts of the route are no longer safe to use, due to repeated melting and freezing of snowfall which causes uneven layers, he explains.

- Dehydrated dogs -

The dogs' health is also affected by the changing climate.

They are used to quenching their thirst with snow, but with little or no snowfall, they can easily get dehydrated. Mushers have to take that into account when caring for their animals.

Many have even had to get rid of their dogs, the business of maintaining them no longer profitable with the dogsled season shrinking to just two months, says Emilie Andersen-Ranberg, a researcher at the University of Copenhagen who runs a dog clinic in Sisimiut.
Others, such as 72-year-old Johanne Bech, are finding novel ways to adapt.

She plans to put wheels on her sled to continue running dogsled tours during the summer period.

That solution is growing in popularity, as "the window with snow is getting more and more narrow," the veterinarian says.

Over the past 20 years, the number of sleddogs has been halved from 25,000 to 13,000, according to a 2024 article from the University of Greenland in 2024.

Yet Johanne Bech remains optimistic about the future.

"I hope this is just for a short time, so we can go back to a little more stable snow or more ice in the future."

Varieties

January Was Fifth Hottest on Record despite Cold Snap

This handout photo taken on February 7, 2026 and received on February 10 from Japan's Ministry of Defense shows members of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's 5th Infantry Regiment, stationed in Aomori Prefecture, carrying out snow removal work in a town within Aomori Prefecture. (Photo by Handout / Japan's Ministry of Defense / AFP)
This handout photo taken on February 7, 2026 and received on February 10 from Japan's Ministry of Defense shows members of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's 5th Infantry Regiment, stationed in Aomori Prefecture, carrying out snow removal work in a town within Aomori Prefecture. (Photo by Handout / Japan's Ministry of Defense / AFP)
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January Was Fifth Hottest on Record despite Cold Snap

This handout photo taken on February 7, 2026 and received on February 10 from Japan's Ministry of Defense shows members of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's 5th Infantry Regiment, stationed in Aomori Prefecture, carrying out snow removal work in a town within Aomori Prefecture. (Photo by Handout / Japan's Ministry of Defense / AFP)
This handout photo taken on February 7, 2026 and received on February 10 from Japan's Ministry of Defense shows members of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's 5th Infantry Regiment, stationed in Aomori Prefecture, carrying out snow removal work in a town within Aomori Prefecture. (Photo by Handout / Japan's Ministry of Defense / AFP)

The planet experienced its fifth-hottest January on record despite a cold snap that swept across the United States and Europe, the EU's climate monitor said Tuesday.

The Northern Hemisphere was hit by severe cold waves in the final weeks of January as a polar jet stream blew icy air into Europe and North America, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service.

But monthly temperatures were above average over much of the globe, including in large parts of the Arctic and western North America, according to Copernicus.

"January 2026 delivered a stark reminder that the climate system can sometimes simultaneously deliver very cold weather in one region, and extreme heat in another," said Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF).

The average global temperature in January was 1.47C above preindustrial times.

Europe endured its coldest January since 2010, with an average temperature of 2.34C, the service said.

The United States, meanwhile, was hit by a monster winter storm that dumped snow and crippling ice from New Mexico to Maine. It was linked to more than 100 deaths.

The planet remains in an extended run of human-driven warming, with 2024 setting a record high, 2023 ranking second 2025 now third warmest.