Did you know that your brain only accounts for 2 percent of your body weight, but uses about 25 percent of your glucose energy to function?
The human brain truly is a complex organ that relies on nutrients to help the body function properly, which is why a deficiency of some vitamins and nutrients can affect how well you concentrate on things.
Fortunately, studies have shown that an increase in brain supplements – food that contains lots of vitamins and nutrients – can improve your focus, mental balance, and overall health. Making sure your brain gets enough nutrients throughout the day is extremely important. After all, the brain is essentially the body’s biggest energy guzzler, so you need to give it the medicine it needs.
So, what are some vitamins and nutrients that can increase your brain’s overall performance?
Vitamin B: The brain operates by using nerve cells, or neurotransmitters, to receive and send messages. This is what allows the body to communicate with the brain on the day-to-day basis. But in order to produce neurotransmitters, however, the body needs vitamin B-6, vitamin B12, niacin, and folate.
What are these vitamins for?
Vitamin B12, according to Oregon State University is needed to keep the body’s nerves and blood cells healthy since this helps the body produce DNA. It also helps prevent certain types of anemia – called megaloblastic – from forming inside the body. This is the same anemia that makes us tired (physically), weak (mentally), and exhausted.
Vitamin B12 deficiency or folate deficiency anaemia can lead to a range of different symptoms. These typically develop gradually but can worsen if the condition goes untreated. Consequently, b12 shots are often used to treat vitamin B12 deficiency.
Vitamin B12 supplements are also sometimes recommended for people on diets such as the HCG diet that involve calorie restriction.
Vitamin B-6 on the hand, allows the body to turn food into energy. Although vitamin B-6 has many other uses throughout the body, perhaps the most important feature is making sure the body is healthy and the brain is functioning correctly.
Calcium: As far as vitamins and nutrients are concerned, calcium is the number one thing the brain needs to function properly. In fact, calcium plays a pivotal role as a nerve messenger. It also helps the body regulate neurotransmitters and controls nerves from being overactive – causing unnecessary excitement. If the body is experiencing low levels of calcium, you may notice muscle cramps in your legs and arms, and experience spasms or twitches. Low calcium levels may also lead to hypocalcemia overtime, which can affect the brain, causing confusion, memory loss, and depression.
Vitamin E: According to Healthline, there’s evidence that suggests that vitamin E can be beneficial to both the mind and body. Similar to vitamin C (Interesting facts you should know about Vitamin C in your skincare! Click Here!), vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that protects the tissue surrounding the brain from by-products called free radicals. This means that if there is a severe deficiency in this particular vitamin, your body will have a difficult time staying balanced, making cognitive decisions, and could even affect your vision. Vitamin E is especially important for developing children, and athletes in contact sports who might experience constant hits to the head.
The University of Maryland Medical Center has also reported that an increase in vitamin E could help slow down or even prevent the progression of Alzheimer’s. This theory, however, requires further study in order for this claim to be supported.
Some rich food sources that contain lots of vitamin E typically include wheat, eggs, fruits, and leafy vegetables. With that being said, don’t be afraid to include snacking into your diet.
The Sunshine Vitamin: Commonly referred to as “the sunshine vitamin,” vitamin D affects the way the brain functions and the way it processes information. In fact, this vitamin is what helps the brain grow throughout its developing stages and prevents brain disorders later on down the road – such as sclerosis. Although the body naturally produces vitamin D, it can still use some help from other food sources – like salmon, tuna, eggs, and sardines.
In the long run, although there are things about the brain the scientific industry might not be able to answer when it comes to brain development: proper nutrition is required according to Regis University. So making sure your body gets the vitamins and nutrients it needs for proper development is essential if you wish to preserve your brains health and mental agility. In other words, make it a point to learn about the dangers in certain food products, organic food recalls, and diseases associated with dietary products. Staying well-informed will make keep your brain performing at a high level.
