The brain is one of the most important and energy-consuming organs in our body. The foods you consume on a daily basis can have a big impact on how well your brain functions.

What to eat for brain health? Here is a list of the best natural foods and supplements for the brain.

7 BEST SUPPLEMENTS FOR THE BRAIN

- B vitamins

Let's first look at a study conducted at Oxford's Department of Clinical Neuroscience that highlighted the effects of supplemental B vitamins. The study involved 156 elderly patients with mild cognitive impairment and at high risk of severe mental impairment. The patients were divided into two groups: one group took a daily supplement of 800 micrograms of folic acid, 20 milligrams of vitamin B6, and 500 micrograms of vitamin B12; the other group took a placebo supplement. Those levels of folic acid, B6, and B12 are what you would typically find in a high-potency multivitamin and mineral formula.

Before and during the trial, the researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure the amount of gray matter atrophy in the patients’ brains. Gray matter atrophy (shrinking) is a sign of accelerated brain aging.

After completing the two-year study, the researchers found that those who took the B vitamins had about seven times less gray matter than the placebo group.

The researchers also found that those whose gray matter shrank the most rapidly had higher homocysteine ​​​​​​levels, and those with higher homocysteine ​​​​​ ... Homocysteine ​​​​​ ... What the researchers found was that for people with low levels of EPA + DHA, B vitamin supplementation had little or no effect on preventing gray matter loss. But for people with high baseline levels of EPA + DHA, B vitamins were much more effective at preventing cognitive decline than placebo. These results are game-changing because they show that B vitamins are better at slowing the rate of brain shrinkage in people with mild cognitive impairment than those with good levels of EPA + DHA.

Of course, getting more of these omega-3 fatty acids is associated with better mood and mental function scores of its own. For example, analysis from the famous Framingham Heart Study found that people with higher levels of DHA in their blood had a 47% lower risk of dementia than those with lower levels.

The results of this study suggest that simply eating fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids 2-3 times a week or taking fish oil that provides at least 1,000 mg of EPA+DHA per day reduces the risk of developing severe mental decline by nearly 50%.

- CoQ10 and PQQ

In terms of mitochondrial enhancers, two dietary supplements that have been shown to work well together to enhance memory and cognition are coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ).

CoQ10 is well known, but PQQ is just starting to gain popularity. PQQ is a powerful antioxidant that is particularly protective against mitochondrial damage. It also promotes the spontaneous creation of new mitochondria in aging cells, a process known as mitochondrial biogenesis. This effect is why PQQ is so interesting as an anti-aging strategy.

While PQQ is effective on its own, even better results have been reported when it is combined with coenzyme Q10. In a study of 71 middle-aged and older adults between the ages of 40 and 70, supplementing with 20 mg of PQQ daily resulted in greater improvements in cognitive function tests than the placebo group, but the results were even more impressive in the group that received 20 mg of PQQ along with 300 mg of CoQ10. 11 PQQ and CoQ10 are both involved in mitochondrial energy production, so these results are not surprising.

- Acetyl-L-carnitine

Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) is the most important form of carnitine, a compound that our bodies make (like CoQ10), but sometimes shortages occur.

Carnitine plays an important role in the metabolism of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins as well as energy production and is important for mitochondrial metabolism. ALC is considered the preferred form of carnitine for promoting brain health. 

ALC protects and enhances mitochondrial activity in brain cells and reduces oxidative stress. This leads to higher energy production in brain cells and leads to better brain function.

Clinical studies have shown that ALC can improve mental performance and memory. Some of the improvements noted include short-term learning tasks, specific learning tasks, timed attention tasks, and person recognition tasks. Sometimes effects are noted within the first month of use, but long-term use of ALC (e.g., more than a year of use) is definitely associated with improvements in long-term memory and attention. 14 The typical dosage for ALC is 900 to 1,500 mg per day.

- Curcumin

Curcumin is the yellow pigment of turmeric. In addition to exerting some anti-aging effects, curcumin is showing incredible promise as a brain protector and enhancer.

Residents of rural India, who eat large amounts of turmeric, have been shown to have the lowest rates of age-related brain problems in the world. Of course, turmeric (a key ingredient in curry) can be consumed freely in the diet, but taking a curcumin product that provides a higher dose is likely to produce better results.

In a study conducted at UCLA, 40 adults between the ages of 50 and 90 with cognitive and memory impairment were randomly assigned to receive either a placebo or Theracurmin, a highly bioavailable form of curcumin, at a dose of 90 milligrams of curcumin twice. daily for 18 months.

All 40 subjects received a series of standard mental assessments at the start of the study and at six-month intervals and after 18 months. Those taking Theracurmin experienced significant improvements in their memory and attention, while those taking the placebo did not. On memory tests, those taking curcumin improved by 28% over 18 months. Those taking curcumin also had slight improvements in mood, and their brain PET scans showed significantly less damage. Theracurmin and other curcumin products are an important step for those looking to prevent age-related mental decline.

- Magnesium L-Threonate

There are many different types of Magnesium used as supplements, of which Magnesium L-Threonate is considered the best type of Magnesium for improving memory, concentration, cognition, and information processing in the brain.

Magnesium L-Threonate is the only type of Magnesium that can easily cross the blood-brain barrier, significantly increasing Magnesium levels in the brain.

✓ Enhances short-term and long-term memory.

✓ Improves concentration and information processing

✓ Supports learning, acquiring new knowledge, and tasks that require a lot of brain activity.

✓ Promotes the production of new nerve cells, slowing down brain aging.

✓ Maintains important synaptic connections between brain cells

10 BEST NATURAL FOODS FOR THE BRAIN

Regularly eating the following foods will provide many important nutrients for brain function, helping to enhance memory, improve concentration and information processing speed, and reduce brain aging.

Fatty fish

Coffee

Green tea

Blueberries

Turmeric

Broccoli

Sunflower seeds

Dark chocolate

Nuts

Eggs