It is common to hear that eating whole foods, fruits and vegetables, can help us lose weight and reduce the risk of suffering from heart-related diseases.
What is not so common is to hear that, in addition to these benefits, there are others that affect our brain: it improves memory, increases concentration and can even prevent Alzheimer’s
In recent years, researchers have managed to understand more accurately which vitamins improve brain functioning and that they will have a greater impact on health. Below, we present some benefits that vitamins bring to our brain:
1. Vitamin E
There is evidence to suggest that vitamin E may benefit memory in older people. A recent study by the American Medical Association found that high levels of vitamin E prevent and delay the development of Alzheimer’s
The vitamin E component called alpha tocopherol was long thought to be the most important, but another component called gamma tocopherol is “definitely the one that has the neuroprotective properties,” says Aimee Shunney, the coordinator of the Wellness Education Program from University Hospital in Brooklyn, New York.
By consuming foods rich in Vitamin E, such as asparagus the almonds the tomatoes the walnuts or the olive oil amounts of both alpha and gamma tocopherol are ingested.
Regardless of age, it is important to take the appropriate amount of vitamin E. Deficiency of this vitamin is not common but it can occur in people on a low-fat diet.
Vitamin B9 plays an important role in the formation of dopamine, epinephrine (adrenaline), and serotonin, neurotransmitters in the brain. In fact, each B vitamin plays a determining role in preserving brain functions and Mental acuity Starting with folic acid (vitamin B9), which is essential in the premature development of the brain, these vitamins help our body and our brain in many ways.
There are several studies that have associated memory impairment with inadequate levels of folic acid, vitamin B12, and vitamin B6. Low levels of vitamin B9 are related to high levels of homocysteine, an amino acid produced in the human body. High levels of homocysteine in the blood can damage the lining of the arteries and cause the blood to clot more easily than it should. This increases the risk of clogging of the blood vessels due to the formation of a clot (thrombus) inside the vessel. A thrombus can travel through the bloodstream and get stuck in the lungs (pulmonary embolism), brain (stroke), or heart (heart attack).
3. Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 has a number of roles in the body including the formation of myelin, a layer that covers the axon of some neurons. In general, a neuron with axons covered with myelin transmits nerve impulses about a hundred times faster than an unmyelinated neuron, producing greater efficiency in the functioning of the body.
Vitamin B12 is found mostly in meat and fish, and therefore, vegetarian people are more likely to have deficits. This deficit can cause memory loss, mental slowing, or negatively affect mood.
4. Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 helps convert tryptophan to serotonin, a chemical found in the brain. Low serotonin levels are associated with depression and obsession Vitamin B6 deficiency can cause confusion, depression, memory loss, a faster rate of brain degeneration, difficulty paying attention, fatigue, and insomnia. Therefore, adequate consumption of vitamin B6 can lead to greater mental energy, motivation, clarity of thought, better memory formation, improved concentration and neuronal health, as well as better quality of sleep (promotes creation of melatonin).
In addition, studies seem to indicate that this vitamin also intervenes in the formation of dopamine, epinephrine, norepinephrine, and GABA. This latter neurotransmitter plays an important role in reducing stress and anxiety, and helps calm and relax the brain.
Finally, vitamin B6 is also important in the production of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter involved in memory encoding, information consolidation and working memory functions.
Among the foods rich in vitamin B6 we can find: chicken, salmon, tuna, green pepper, spinach, broccoli, peanuts, wholemeal bread either lentils
5. Vitamin C
Vitamin C is famous for its importance in preventing cancer, colds or cardiovascular diseases, but its benefits in relation to the brain and mind are not as well known. A study from the Medical Research Unit at McGill University in Canada found that vitamin C increases serotonin levels, and consequently improves mood.
For Jean Carpenter, author of the book Your Miracle Brain, “it is smart to take vitamin C, and vitamin C could make you smarter.” Carpenter argues that taking vitamin C can improve memory and cognitive functions, and therefore improve scores on intelligence tests.
Like vitamin E, vitamin C is one of the most powerful antioxidants. The combination of these vitamins has a preventive effect on the development of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Some sources of vitamin C are: orange the strawberries he broccoli the spinach or the grapefruit
6. Vitamin D
Vitamin D is obtained mainly through the action of ultraviolet rays (sun rays). Hence the importance of sunbathing rationally and appropriately, especially in the case of children, in whom a lack of vitamin D can cause, among other consequences, tooth decay and bone malformations. In addition, this vitamin can also be found in some fish such as salmon or sardines.
According to research, Vitamin D is necessary for normal brain development and may prevent multiple sclerosis (EM). Research agrees that it is essential for the proper functioning of the immune system, regulating it and suppressing the proliferation of inflammatory cells related to the activity of MS. It seems that vitamin D supplementation in MS patients can be beneficial and, therefore, recommended given the few adverse effects it entails.
On the other hand, joint research from the University of Pittsburgh (United States) and the Technical University of Queensland in Australia concluded that vitamin D could have a regulatory function in the development of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). This disorder is a type of depression related to seasonal changes and is believed to affect 10% of the population, depending on geographic location.
