The 6 vitamins to take care of brain health

It is common to hear that eating whole foods, fruits and vegetables, can help us lose weight and reduce the risk of suffering from diseases related to the heart.

What is not so common is to hear that, in addition to these benefits, there are others that affect our brain: improves memory, increases the concentration, and can even prevent Alzheimer's.

Vitamins and brain health

In recent years, researchers have gained a better understanding of which vitamins are improve brain function and that they will have a greater impact on health. Here are 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.

For a long time it was thought that the component of Vitamin E called alpha tocopherol was the most important, but another called gamma tocopherol is "definitely the one with the neuroprotective properties," says Aimee Shunney, the coordinator of

Wellness Education Program of the University Hospital in Brooklin, in 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. The deficit of this vitamin is not usual, but it can occur in people on a low-fat diet.

2. Vitamin B9

Vitamin B9 plays an important role in the formation of dopamine, epinephrine (adrenaline), and serotonin, neurotransmitters in the brain. In fact, each vitamin B 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 that is 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 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. B12 vitamin

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 myelin-coated axons transmits nerve impulses about a hundred times faster than an unmyelinated neuron, producing greater efficiency in the functioning of the organism.

Vitamin B12 is found mostly in meat and fish, and therefore, vegetarians are more prone to deficits. This deficit can cause memory loss, mental slowing, or negatively affect mood.

4. Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 helps convert tryptophan into 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, an adequate intake of vitamin B6 can lead to increased mental energy, motivation, clarity of thought, better memory formation, improvement of concentration and the health of neurons, as well as better quality of sleep (favors the creation of melatonin).

In addition, studies seem to indicate that this vitamin is also involved in the formation of dopamine, epinephrine, norepinephrine, and GABA. The latter neurotransmitter plays an important role in reducing stress and anxiety, and helps calm and relax the brain.

Lastly, vitamin B6 is also important in the production of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter involved in memory encoding, information consolidation, and memory functions of job.

Among the foods rich in vitamin B6 we can find: chicken, Salmon, tuna, green pepper, spinach, broccoli, peanuts, wholemeal bread, or lentils.

5. Vitamin C

Vitamin C is famous for its importance in the prevention of 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 levels of serotonin, and consequently, improves mood.

For Jean Carpenter, author of the book Your Miraculous 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 Alzehimer and Parkinson's. Some sources of vitamin C are: Orange, the strawberries, the broccoli, the spinach or the grapefruit.

6. Vitamin D

Vitamin D is obtained mainly by the action of ultraviolet rays (solar rays). Hence the importance of sunbathing rationally and appropriately, especially in the case of children, in whom the Vitamin D deficiency can produce, among other consequences, tooth decay and bone-type 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 mayprevent 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 the EM. It seems that supplementation with vitamin D in MS patients may be beneficial and, therefore, recommended given the few adverse effects that it entails.

On the other hand, the joint research of the University of Pittsburg (United States) and the University Technician from Queensland in Australia, concluded that vitamin D could have a regulatory role in development of Seasonal Affective Disorder (APR). This disorder is a type of depression related to seasonal changes and is believed to affect 10% of the population, depending on geographic location.