It’s no secret that you are what you eat. If you eat junk, your body and health is going to take a wrong turn and it will affect you negatively. In order to live long and healthy, you need to fill your diet with various foods and balanced proportions of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. It’s also been proven, according to clinical psychologists in Montreal, that the food you eat can boost your brain function, and therefore help enhance learning and memory retention.
Here are 10 vitamins and nutrients that are good for your brain:
- Magnesium
Magnesium is a mineral that improves neural plasticity, or the ability of the nerves to adapt and avoid nerve damage. It also improves focus, memory, and sleep. This mineral is also shown to fight stress and depression, and treat ADHD and Hyperactivity due to its calming effect on the nervous system.
- Omega-3s
The brain is made of nearly 50% fats. Omega-3 fatty acids help build the barrier that protects our nerves, and help create proper neural connections.
- Vitamin D
Vitamin D is not just good for the bones. It also improves your brain’s ability to keep and form new nerve connections. It facilitates the synthesis of neurotransmitters in the brain, and is shown in recent studies to prevent Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
- Vitamin E
Vitamin E is one of the most potent antioxidants that help with the high levels of oxidation in the brain. Studies show that it helps reduce stress by providing energy and stress relief, therefore aiding the brain to produce clearer thoughts.
- Vitamin C
Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is also a powerful antioxidant. Also known as ascorbate in the body, it is regulates a dozen different neurochemicals and can reduct the risk of stroke.
- B6
Vitamin B helps keep your memory sharp, and is a key nutrient in the production of hemoglobin. Lack of this vitamin is known to cause depression, anemia, and low body oxyen levels.
- B12
This vitamin is one of the nutrients responsible for the production of the myelin sheath, which covers the nerves. It is also referred to as the “energy” vitamin and is known for helping with red blood cell formation and healthy circulation, as well as proper digestion.
- Thiamine
Thiamine, or vitamin B1, helps improve mood, ward off depression, and keep the body energized. It also helps prevent memory loss, strengthen the immune system, and even benefit people with Alzheimer’s disease.
- Riboflavin
Also known as vitamin B2, riboflavin helps transmit neuro impulses, and helps prevent migraines, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, and epilepsy, among others. However, too much supplementation of this vitamin would be waste since it is not stored in our body. The human body takes what it needs, and the rest is taken out.
- Folic Acid
Folic acid helps protect the brain from the stress of heavy studying and work. It reduces the chances of dementia and the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
Remember to eat foods rich in these vitamins and minerals for brain health.