Natural Brain Health Supplements – When it comes to keeping your brain healthy as you age, your diet plays a significant role. Eating a variety of foods is critical to getting the vitamins and nutrients your brain needs to keep performing at its best.
“A large body of literature has found that certain nutrients, flavonoids, unsaturated fats, and omega-3 fatty acids remain associated with slower cognitive decline and reduced risk of dementia.”
Eating whole foods is the best way to get those nutrients. Supplements for brain health don’t work as well, but a cant is a practical option in specific circumstances. When you eat a balanced diet, combining vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats helps the body absorb the nutrients it needs.
“Food and nutrients can help support healthy brain function and may even be able to slow age-related decline in brain function,” a functional dietitian said. “We all want our brains to be age-resistant, so this is great news.”
So, which vitamins support brain health? And which foods can you find them? Ahead, experts share everything you need to know.
Table of Contents
Vitamin E
This vitamin functions as an antioxidant in the body. It protects cells from oxidative stress, a type of damage caused by free radicals, even in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease. The brain is particularly susceptible to oxidative stress, which increases during ageing and significantly contributes to cognitive decline.
Supplements for Brain Health
Overall, there’s a lot of mixed research and feeling among experts regarding taking supplements for brain health. Most experts agree it’s always better to spend money on nutritious foods, but exceptions exist.
If you’re someone with an allergy or aversion to a large food group or your doctor found a deficiency during a blood panel, you may want to consider taking a dietary supplement. Otherwise, a well-rounded diet for the average person should be enough.
“In general, supplements aren’t often useful for brain health unless you have a deficiency in certain nutrients, which happens but is rare,” agrees a professor of psychiatry at University College London whose research focuses on dementia prevention, intervention, and care.
More On Brain Health
If you choose to take a supplement for brain health, it’s essential to work with a medical or nutrition professional well-versed in supplements, Fortran suggests. Many of these products have mixed research or fancy advertising that promises the capsule can’t keep, and the Food and Drug Administration does not regulate supplements.
If your doctor or dietitian determines that a supplement is right for you, there are high-quality options. First, look for a seal of approval from a third-party certification program like Consumer Lab, NSF International, or the US Pharmacopeia Convention, which means the product has remained tested for quality, purity, and potency—plus that it contains the ingredients it claims.
Fortran says there are a few categories to consider if you choose to opt for brain-boosting supplements.
- Supplements that can improve blood flow
- Nutrients that support the building blocks of the brain
- Nutrients that help the body build neurotransmitters
- Longevity nutrients that help reduce the risk of age-related cognitive decline
Supplements Remain Used to Optimize the Levels of Micronutrients in the Body Linked to Brain Health.
While supplements have an incomplete evidence base, some micronutrients are associated with healthy brain ageing and most likely act in concert with many additional factors, including a brain-healthy diet. Therefore, we carefully provide individualized recommendations balancing risks/benefits for each supplement.
Taking supplements without proper medical supervision and monitoring may be dangerous to health. It is important to note that patients need to confirm with their treating physician. That their health is suitable to begin taking supplement products
When Taking Natural Brain Health Supplements May Help
A person may not need a brain supplement if they can get enough vitamins and minerals from their everyday diet. However, if this is not possible, they may benefit from taking a supplement.
For instance, people who follow a plant-based diet may remain more likely to rest—source to experience a vitamin B12 deficiency. As this nutrient primarily comes from animal products.
A person can work with a doctor to determine whether they are deficient in any vitamins or minerals that may be particularly important for brain health.
Conclusion:
Natural Brain Health Supplements – Many manufacturers produce supplements they claim can benefit a person’s brain health. Researchers have extensively studied many of these supplements. Such as, omega-3 fatty acids and several B vitamins, to determine their effects on the brain. However, there is still not enough solid evidence to suggest that supplements have a significant positive impact on the brain.
Additionally, a person may risk-averse health events from taking supplements due to inaccurate product labelling or misleading advertising.
As a result, if a person is concerned about their cognitive health or would like to explore taking supplements. They may wish to contact a doctor to discuss their symptoms . Find out whether a supplement may be right for them.
