Critical Health News... These brain vitamins are key in helping improve your memory, focus and mood while guarding against mental and physical diseases. See if you’re deficient.
It’s nearly impossible to get brain-healthy nutrition from diet alone these days.
Stress, sugar, caffeine, tobacco, alcohol, medications, and poor digestion are just some of the issues that increase your need for vitamins.
There’s an abundance of evidence that taking the right vitamins can improve how well your brain works now … and protect it from mental decline in the future.
These brain vitamins can even make you happier and help you live longer.
While all vitamins are required for optimal health and brain function, there are a few that stand out above the rest as being essential for a healthy brain.
And two of these have deficiency levels that have reached epidemic proportions!
And they may just be the ones you are short on in your diet. Vitamin C — The Most Popular Vitamin
Vitamin C is the most popular single vitamin supplement.
And for good reason. It’s safe, inexpensive, and there are few things this powerhouse vitamin can’t do!
It’s widely taken to prevent, or at least minimize, the discomforts of the common cold.
It’s a natural antihistamine used by millions to reduce allergy symptoms.
Studies suggest it can help prevent both heart disease and cancer.
And, of course, it’s the cure for scurvy, a former scourge among sailors and pirates.
✓VITAMIN C | C is a potent factor in good brain health
But its benefits as a most important vitamin for the brain are less well known.
Here are some of the many reasons vitamin C rates among the best vitamins for the brain. Neurotransmitter Production
Your brain has approximately 100 billion neurons which communicate with each other via brain chemicals called neurotransmitters.
Vitamin C is essential in their production.
Neurotransmitters impact your ability to focus, concentrate, and remember. They also control your mood, cravings, addictions, sleep, and more. Improved Mood
Vitamin C can make you happy!
In a recent study, subjects randomly given vitamin C reported feeling happier, often within as little as one week.
Since vitamin C specifically increases the neurotransmitter serotonin — the “happy molecule” — it may act as nature’s own natural antidepressant. Increased Intelligence
“It’s smart to take vitamin C, and it may make you even smarter,” states best-selling author Jean Carper in EPA.gov.
#4 Light-skinned people from very northern areas evolved to utilize sunshine more efficiently. If you have dark skin, you’ll need more sun exposure to keep your levels up.
So remember that if you expect to get your vitamin D from the sun, the “20 minutes twice a week” rule of thumb rarely holds true. Vitamin D Supplements — A Necessity for Most
The bottom line is that most people in North America and Europe need to take supplemental vitamin D.
When choosing one, however, be sure to buy from a reputable company you can trust.
A study on 55 brands of vitamin D supplements found contents diverged wildly from what was stated on the label.
✓ VITAMIN D | D is an essential brain vitamin; most of us are deficient
Brands in the study contained between 9% and 146% of what was listed on the label!
The only way to know for sure if you need vitamin D (or how much you need) is to have a blood test to check your 25-hydroxy level.
You can see your doctor or you can purchase a vitamin D test online from a lab like True Health Labs. These Brain Vitamins Are “Complex” — The B Vitamins
The last brain vitamin I’m going to talk about is not one vitamin. It’s a group of vitamins known as the B complex vitamins.
B vitamins have been called the “happy vitamins” or “anti-stress vitamins.”
They can improve energy levels and increase your tolerance to stress.
✓ SUPER COENZYME B-COMPLEX | B-complex vitamins work together to support brain health
The “B” in B complex doesn’t stand for brain, but perhaps it should!
The B vitamins can ward off brain aging, banish depression, and can even help you live longer! B Vitamins for Brain Chemicals
An important role of B vitamins for brain heath is in the production of the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, and GABA.
Imbalances of these important brain chemicals can wreak havoc with your state of mind.
If you’re low in serotonin, you may suffer from anxiety, insomnia, low self-esteem, negative thoughts, OCD, and SAD (seasonal affective disorder).
Without adequate GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), you may find yourself easily stressed, overstimulated and overwhelmed.
Dopamine helps you get focused. Signs that you need more dopamine are low energy and motivation.
You may rely on pick-me-ups like caffeine, sugar, chocolate, or other stimulants to get you through the day.
Taking B vitamins can improve your neurotransmitter balance and your mental well-being. The 3 B Vitamins That Prevent Mental Decline
All the B complex vitamins are vital for your overall health. But three of them — B6, B12, and folic acid (B9) — are especially critical for brain health.
Studies have shown that these vitamins work together to prevent mental decline, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease.
✓ VITAMIN C | C is a potent factor in good brain health
A recent Oxford University study found that taking B6, B12, and folic acid together reduced brain atrophy, improved brain function, and dramatically reduced brain shrinkage in the part of the brain most affected in Alzheimer’s.
These vitamins work by reducing levels of homocysteine, a toxic amino acid that’s a natural byproduct of digestion.
High levels of this amino acid double your risk for developing Alzheimer’s.
Below are brain scans from the control group (marked “placebo”) and the group that took B vitamins.
The areas of brain atrophy are in yellow. You can see the placebo group shows much more brain atrophy than the group that took B vitamins.
It was discovered that high levels of homocysteine doubled the risk for developing Alzheimer’s back in 2002.
Yet frustratingly little has been done with this information since. That’s why it’s up to each of us to take care of our own brains.
A Very Common Vitamin Deficiency — B12
If your memory is poor or you’re in a constant state of brain fog, you may have a vitamin B12 deficiency.
This is a very prevalent vitamin deficiency in the US. Two high risk groups are seniors — who often have poor absorption — and vegetarians.
Animal foods are the only dependable sources of vitamin B12 and over 90% of vegans are B12 deficient.
✓VITAMIN B12 SUPPLEMENTS
Vitamin B12 deficiency is a serious matter and should not be taken lightly.
It can lead to a wide spectrum of mental disorders including dementia, depression, and even schizophrenia.
It can ultimately cause brain atrophy and shrinkage, and that’s as detrimental as it sounds.
If you suspect you are deficient, have your B12 level checked. If it’s low, vitamin B12 supplements can bring your levels back to normal quickly. The Best Food Sources of B Vitamins
Folic acid can be found in green leafy vegetables, legumes, fruit, eggs, and organ meats.
Interestingly, some people absorb this better as a supplement than from food.
The best food sources of vitamin B6 are fish, poultry, bananas, carrots, spinach, peas, and potatoes.
Vitamin B12 can be found in all animal products — meat, fish, eggs, and dairy.
Some fermented soy products like miso and tempeh are purported to possibly contain B12. But these are no longer considered reliable sources of B12 due to processing methods. When You Should Supplement
The B complex vitamins are known as the anti-stress vitamins.
If you are under a lot of stress, taking B complex vitamins can replenish what stress has depleted.
✓VITAMIN D | D is an essential brain vitamin; most of us are deficient
If you are a senior or a vegetarian, or you have any doubt that you might have a vitamin B12 deficiency, a B12 supplement can readily address the problem.
As with any supplement, not all B12 supplements are created equal.